Bob Metcalfe

emcee, Internet pioneer

Bob L. Metcalf (1916- 1998),exemplified excellence and ac- complishment in multiple separate disci- plines over his career. Trained at a time prior to the balkanization of the basic sci- entific disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology, Bob was interdisciplinary before the word became en vogue. Bob was a biologist at heart, but one who appreciated and fore- saw that a sound background and practice in chemistry would inform the discipline. Thus, Bob can be honored for two great contributions to biology. First, he made in- novative advances in basic insecticide toxi- cology and, perhaps more than anyone, deserves credit for helping to create the field of environmental toxicology. Second, Bob was the consummate chemical ecologist, again making fundamental research contributions before the field had evolved as a recogniz- able name. In addition to his many firsts in research contributions, Bob served science very well. He held the positions of departmental head (UC, Riverside; UI) and vice chancellor (UC, Riverside), served as President of the ESA (1958), served the National Academy of Sciences as an elected member (1967), was a member of the EPA FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel, was a member of the first scien- tific delegation to visit China, and collaborated extensively with the World Health Organization. Bob was also a teacher, having mentored over 80 graduate students and editing one of the first academically oriented texts for pest management (Introduction to Insect Pest Management). Bob also served as editor during the 1970s for the groundbreaking Wiley series, Advances in Environ- mental Science and Technology, perhaps the first regularly pub- lished collection of books that covered all aspects of environmental science.