Distinguished Alumni Award: Dr. Bruce McPheron, BS ’76 Entomology
Dr. Bruce McPheron became an entomologist at the age of 11, and he has The Ohio State University to thank. A chance encounter with insect displays at the Union County Fair led to entomology projects in Ohio 4-H, and the die was cast.
Bruce completed his undergraduate education in entomology at Ohio State in 1976, and he went on to earn a masters and doctorate in entomology at the University of Illinois – with a break in the middle to serve Ohio 4-H as a 4-H educator in Clermont County, Ohio. A 25-year career at Penn State University followed, where his Ohio State roots led him to wear red socks under his blue pants for many Saturdays over the years.
During his time at Penn State, his research took him around the world working to develop genetic tools to understand the movement of important agricultural pests. He served as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State before returning home to Ohio State to serve as dean and vice president in CFAES. Bruce became Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost in late 2015, a position that he held for nearly 6 years.
Returning to his roots, he rejoined the Ohio State Entomology faculty for the final 3 years of his career, with an opportunity to once again teach undergraduate students. Bruce was honored as an elected fellow of both the Entomological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his contributions to science and higher education.
Throughout his career, he was constantly supported by his wife Marilyn (Turner), whom he met putting up a 4-H booth at the Hardin County Fair, his children Neale and Brenna, and many, many colleagues.