About the author
Jerome Goddard, Ph.D
Jerome Goddard is an Extension Professor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology at Mississippi State University, an author, and a public educator whose work centers on insects, ticks, mites, mosquitoes, and other arthropods that affect human health.
Professional background
Becoming a bug man
Dr. Goddard received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Mississippi and his PhD in Medical Entomology from Mississippi State University. He then served as a U.S. Air Force Medical Entomologist for three years, where he was a consultant on all matters of insects and arthropod-borne diseases worldwide.
After 20 years in public health entomology at the Mississippi Department of Health, Dr. Goddard became an Extension Professor of Medical and Veterinary Entomology at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
He has published more than 200 scientific papers and 15 books. One of his medical textbooks, The Goddard Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, has remained in print for decades and is used by physicians worldwide.
Dr. Goddard has spoken at conferences and training events across the country on arthropod-related public health issues. In 1999, he was invited to testify before a committee in the U.S. Congress on the public health benefits of pesticides.
He has appeared on The Colbert Report and has been featured by Reader's Digest, Time Magazine, and the Learning Channel. More recently, his BugWorld and Bug Kingdom videos have introduced medical entomology to millions of viewers on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.