Eddie Dunbar

Eddie Dunbar became an entomologist because University of California, Berkeley grad student Regina Burke took him under her wings at age 10. Burke introduced Dunbar to Donald L. Dahlsten, then professor, and most recently Associate Dean of the College of Natural Resources.

Dunbar was accepted into the Entomology program at Berkeley in 1981, but never graduated. Still, his flair for putting bugs in your face got the attention of Vernard Lewis, Ph.D., UC Cooperative Extension, and he was hired onto the University’s ubiquitous Insect Hotline. Dunbar’s winning attitude and showmanship landed the Hotline on the front page of the Daily Cal and other high profile publications.

In 1996 Felix Sperling, Professor, approached Dunbar about writing a proposal to Berkeley’s Interactive University. Sperling, Lewis and Dahlsten became Dunbar’s faculty advisory committee for the successful proposal, later nicknamed “CityBugs.” CityBugs recruited students from McClymonds High School, Oakland, to study entomology at Berkeley while also connecting them to University resources through technology. As CityBugs’ project leader, students and Oakland teachers were rallied to publish “Insects of the San Francisco Bay Area,” a web-based field guide, now in disrepair. Still Dunbar got CityBugs high accolades for innovative use of technology.

After CityBugs Dunbar commenced a second web-based entomology outreach program. A NSF Leadership Institute for Teaching Elementary Science grant at Mills College’s Department of Education provided Dunbar seed money to begin “Exploring California Insects,” a web-based outreach program that provided professional development for teachers and ongoing science curriculum development. In 1998, Dunbar organized BugPeople, which embodied his passion for working with both students and educators.

In 2008, Dunbar dissolved BugPeople, but organized and now heads the Insect Sciences Museum of California, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Dunbar holds a B.S. with emphasis in instructional technology; and an MBA with emphasis in Technology. Dunbar now resides in Livermore, but still works for the City of Oakland’s Public Works Agency as application administrator, and retains ties to education and environmental agencies of Oakland.

Source: bugpeople.org