In memory of Dr. Alford

This symposium is dedicated in memory of Dr. Alford.

Arthur Randall “Randy” Alford, aged 55, of Madison, MS, and Orono, ME, lost his battle with complications related to multiple sclerosis on February 9, 2009. Dr. Alford was a faculty member at the University of Maine in Orono since 1982. His research focused on the chemical ecology of insects and on insect attractants and pheromones. He investigated plant chemicals associated with insect feeding stimulation and deterrence and, later in his career, combined these interests in the development of a strategy for the successful management of the Colorado potato beetle. Dr. Alford was instrumental in establishing the Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Maine in 1986 and the Potato Ecosystem Project, a long termresearch program, in 1992, which continues to this day. Throughout his career, Dr. Alford inspired and mentored many students, formally in the classroom and, as significantly, informally in the many conversations and discussions with students and colleagues in his office, hallways and committee meetings. Students revered him as much for his thought-provoking questions and philosophical perspectives on life as they did for his expertise in insect physiology and behavior.