Delcomyn, Fred | University of Illinois Archives

Fred Delcomyn, professor emeritus of entomology upon retirement in 2008, was assistant professor (1972-77), associate professor (1977-95), and professor (1995-2008) of entomology as well as Director of the School of Integrative Biology (2000-2008) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Delcomyn is a renowned neurobiologist, who made significant contributions to the study of insect physiology and behavior.

Delcomyn was born on June 4, 1939, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to parents Erna A. and Niels Theodor Delcomyn. He arrived in the United States in 1947 and naturalized as a US citizen in 1962. He earned a B.S. in biology from Wayne State University (1962); a M.S. in biology from Northwestern University (1964); and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Oregon (1969). Delcomyn then worked at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, as research associate (1969-71) to the Department of Zoology as well as lecturer (1971-72) at the Institute of Physiology. He joined the UIUC faculty at the Department of Entomology in 1972. Delcomyn held visiting professorships at the University of Alberta in Canada (1980-81) and the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany (Fullbright,1987-88). Delcomyn's numerous publications include journal articles and book chapters as well as an undergraduate textbook, Foundations of Neurobiology (1998).

Delcomyn married Nancy Ann Nigg on December 14, 1969, and together they had three children.

Sources:

"Fred Delcomyn," accessed March 30, 2021. https://prabook.com/web/fred.delcomyn/242152.

"Curriculum Vitae," accessed March 30, 2021. https://www.life.illinois.edu/delcomyn/RevCurriculumVitae.html.