About Us

This is the Cicada Crew! We're a team of entomologists from the University of Maryland working to spread knowledge and awareness of periodical cicadas. 

Dr. Mike Raupp

A Professor Emeritus and Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, Mike is a regular guest on NPR, was featured on National Geographic and the Science Channel, and has appeared with media luminaries including Jay Leno, Dr. Oz, Hoda Kotb, and Kojo Nnamdi. His “Bug of the Week” website www.bugoftheweek.com and YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek reach thousands of viewers weekly in more than 200 countries. His most recent book “26 Things that Bug Me” introduces youngsters to the wonders of insects and natural history while “Managing Insect and Mites on Woody Landscape Plants” is a standard for the arboricultural industry.

Dr. Paula Shrewsbury

Dr. Paula Shrewsbury is a Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland. Paula has worked with the green industries for over 25 years. She conducts applied research and extension education programs on IPM. The overall focus of her program is to create sustainable landscapes, nurseries, and turf systems with an emphasis on biological control, conservation of beneficial arthropods, and management of invasive species. Paula educates on these topics to Green Industry professionals, in addition to Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, and the public. Paula is a long time contributor to the University of Maryland Extension IPM Alert weekly newsletter. Paula was involved in Brood X Periodical Cicadas 2004 and is excited for Brood X 2021!

Dr. John Davidson 

John Davidson is Professor Emeritus with the Department of Entomology. John supports the Cicada Crew through his illustrious insect illustrations and sharing his expertise on cicadas and Insect Pest Management. 2021 will be the second major Brood X emergence since John Davidson's retirement in 1994.

Lindsay Barranco

Lindsay is a graduate student in the vanEngelsdorp Bee Lab and studies ground nesting bees.

Kristin Jayd

​Kristin Jayd is a Master's student in the Burghardt lab who studies parasitoid wasps and their relationships with their host caterpillars and trees; she is passionate about museum collections. She also loves classic creature feature monster movies, the kitschier the better. No cicada question is too silly to ask her @SoSubtlyObvious on IG and twitter.

Jessica Karunaratne

Jessica is an AGNR staff member at the Department of Animal Sciences, and enjoys
learning about insects. For many years, she volunteered at the Smithsonian
Museum of Natural History's Entomology Department, before deciding to
pursue a career in Entomology. She is looking forward to becoming a full time
graduate student in 2022.

Demian Nunez

Demian is a second year MS student in the Hooks Lab at the UMD Department of Entomology. His interest in entomology came from spending many summers experiencing the great insect diversity of Appalachia. His research is focused on developing practices that boost beneficial insect diversity in cantaloupe as an alternative to chemical pest control practices.

Eva Perry

Eva Perry is a first year PhD student in Dr. Karin Burghardt's lab interested in how phytochemical diversity affects insects and their predators in urban landscapes. This year will be her first brood emergence experience -- she is excited to see it in person!

Maddie Potter

Madeline Potter is a first year Master's student with the Entomology Department at the University of Maryland (UMD). In 2019, Madeline earned a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Horticulture, minored in Sustainability, and earned High Honors in the Entomology Honors Program from UMD. She is currently researching the biology and ecology of Anastatus reduvii, a native parasitic wasp of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB, Halyomorpha halys). She hopes to one day work in Extension, teaching green industry workers about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the benefits of supporting insect pollinators, predators, and parasitoids in our environment. In Madeline's free time she enjoys attending live concerts/festivals, teaching yoga classes, holding her pet tarantula, and watering her jungle of house plants.

Angela Saenz

Angela S. Saenz is a Master’s Student in the Gruner lab studying natural enemies' interactions with the Emerald Ash Borer, an important pest in Ash tree species. She is an agronomist with experience in plant/insect interactions.

​Alireza Shokoohi

Ali is a first-year Master's student in Bill Lamp's lab at the UMD Department of Entomology. He is interested in conservation biological control and is currently researching the role of ground beetles in agricultural drainage ditch habitats. 

Amy Yaich

Amy  is UMD Entomology’s Administrative Assistant. She supports the Cicada Crew with website maintenance. She is excited to be working with the Cicada Crew during one of nature’s great cyclical events – the emergence of Brood X. Although, she admits she is a bit nervous, hoping her dog will not feast on too many cicadas when they arrive this Spring.