A new video series―Teaching for Tomorrow―features Roger Gold, professor of entomology and holder of the Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, decked out in an apron and chef’s hat encouraging his students to share some appetizers with him. The appetizers are insects!

It’s just one of the ways this teacher not only shares his enthusiasm for entomology but also gets his students involved in high impact learning.

Gold, who has been teaching at Texas A&M since 1989, relies heavily on demonstrations and hands-on experiences to teach his students. As one student said, “Dr. Gold has a passion for his subject and his students that I have seldom seen in my four years here. I really enjoyed the class because he made it interesting. I wish more professors would have his enthusiasm and compassion for their students.”

Along with being a dedicated teacher and 2003 recipient of The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching, Gold is also known for his work as an extension specialist, focusing on the management of insects associated with the near environment of humans and their companion animals. His research on the Hatch Project dealing with the Urban Insect Pest Management Program: Bionomics and Control of Selected Pests of Importance to Texas, has set standards for new developments in pest control and pest management in Texas and helps advance the Department of Entomology’s mission of leadership both nationally and globally.

Gold has served as chair of the Entomological Society of America Publications Council for 2003-2004 and chairman for the Department of Entomology Review at Texas A&M University. Among his many awards are the 2002 PCT/Syngenta Leadership Award; the 1990 and 1995 Orkin Research Award; the 2004 National Conference on Urban Entomology Distinguished Achievement Award; the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award, Texas Pest Control Association and the 2009 Friends of the Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology Appreciation Award.