IN MEMORIAM

This semester the Department was saddened by the loss of Professors Emeriti Don Messersmith and Charlie Mitter. They both left an indelible mark on students, colleagues and the field of Entomology. Here we take a brief look back at their legendary careers.

Dr. Don Messersmith had a distinguished career in Entomology and Ornithology. He earned his B.S. from the University of Toledo in Biology and his M.S. at the University of Michigan. Perhaps serendipitously, Don was inspired to pursue an entomological career after taking a course at the University of Maryland (UMD). After that class, Don decided to pursue the study of insects further going on to a Ph.D. in entomology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He successfully defended his dissertation, “Studies on Culicoides (Diptera: ceratopogonidae) and their relationship to infectious synovitis in poultry in Virginia”, in 1961. While Don was earning his PhD, he was also a faculty member in the Biology Department at Radford College, starting in 1958 and continued until he was recruited to the Department of Entomology at UMD. During his tenure Don excelled as a scholar, mentor, colleague and curator. He mentored dozens of students, published scientific articles and abstracts, delivered scores of presentations and managed cabinets upon cabinets of UMD's specimen collections. In 1989 Don retired from UMD and became Professor Emeritus.

After he retired, he continued to teach adult courses in Ornithology in the DMV area. One of the last courses he taught before the pandemic halted in-person learning was a part-time course at Johns Hopkins University's Osher Program in Rockville, titled "Culture and Wildlife." The course focused on how cultures around the world incorporate wildlife into their ceremonies, traditions, art, dances, costumes, etc.

In fall 2021 Don was finally ready to wind down from teaching & research at age 92. Don decided it was also time to clean out his office and storage spaces in Entomology. He graciously invited several staff and students to participate in his bird collection's final flight at UMD. He found a new habitat for them to the east with Professor Jennie Rinehimer at Washington College. We hope Dr. Rinehimer's lab is proving to be a suitable new habitat for his birds. This is just one example in which Don's legacy will continue for years to come.

To read more about Don's life and legacy check out the references for this write up from Radford College, The Washington Post and the North American Association for Environmental Education newsletter. If you were not able to attend Don’s service but would have liked to, his family and church so kindly recorded the proceeding, watch here>>

With heavy hearts, we share with you the news that Dr. Charlie Mitter passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 27, 2024. Charlie was a treasured colleague, dedicated department chair, mentor, scholar, teacher and outstanding researcher. He was a kind and caring human being who was always a devoted husband and father.
 
Charlie earned his B.S. from Stanford University and  Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stony Brook University, working with Douglas Futuyma. Dr. Mitter then moved to the D.C. area, completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History. He joined UMD Entomology in 1981, moving through the ranks to Professor in 1997 before stepping up to serve as Department Chair from 2000 – 2013. Charlie was a research leader and an outstanding evolutionary biologist. He was a pioneer in applying phylogenetic approaches to investigating the evolution of insect-plant interactions. His productive and highly-influential collaboration with molecular biologist Jerry Regier on the molecular systematics of Lepidoptera led to the development of new approaches and was instrumental in clarifying lepidopteran (butterfly and moth) phylogeny.  He published more than 70 peer-reviewed research articles in top journals, authored multiple book chapters, and maintained a strong portfolio of funding for his work from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and more. His participation in the NSF “Assembling the Tree of Life Program” is notable for its important contribution to our knowledge of Biodiversity. Charlie played important roles in the broader community to promote excellence in science.  He was a leader in the establishment of our interdisciplinary Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (BEES) graduate program and contributed to an important partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, serving as Director of the Maryland Center for Systematic Entomology. In this role, Charlie launched a funded UMD – Smithsonian Seed Grant program, "Bringing Next-Generation Phylogenomics to the Washington Area Phylogenetics Consortium.”
 
Charlie was an excellent teacher and dedicated mentor. He taught both undergraduate and graduate classes in Biology, Entomology, and Systematics. His graduate class “Principles of Systematic Entomology,” was enthusiastically attended by graduate students as well as by members of the faculty.  Over the course of his career, he supervised 29 graduate students, many of whom have established very successful independent research careers.  In this role, his patience and attention were exemplary. Charlie was a deep thinker, broadly knowledgeable and insightful. He was someone who could examine a scientific problem and come up with questions, ideas and suggestions, even if the problem was not in his own area of research, perhaps explaining his service on more than 80 student committees.

As department Chair, Charlie demonstrated unparalleled dedication to the department. He served more than two terms in this role, sacrificing time and energy that he could have otherwise devoted to his own research lab. He brought the department through tough budget times and never ceased to advocate for the department on campus and beyond. His drive and skill in advancing the careers of others continually increased excellence in the department and our reputation both on campus and in the larger scientific community. Charlie often said he was “the concierge of UMD Entomology,” reflecting his heartfelt service in this role that was never about obtaining power or making himself important but always about doing the best he could for the department at large. His selfless commitment to the well-being of the department and to all of its members was likely underappreciated but should never be forgotten.  To pay tribute to Charlie, please join us: Thursday, May 30 2024, Plant Science Building, Room 1130. RSVP here>>