Dr. Allen F. Sanborn retired from Barry University in May 2021 after a distinguished 31-year career in academia. He is Professor Emeritus at Barry University in Biology, and we’re proud to share that he was recently also recognized as a Sigma Xi fellow. The designation is bestowed upon members of the society who have exhibited extraordinary service to Sigma Xi and who have made significant academic contributions to the sciences.
This well-deserved honor is in recognition of Dr. Sanborn’s exemplary work at Barry, in the scientific community at large, and with Sigma Xi. He began his extensive career in research of cicada biology while a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since then, his work has expanded greatly into other areas of research, including ecology, thermoregulation, and taxonomy. He has described more than 270 cicada taxa and has been tapped by the media for his expertise on cicadas and insect vocalization.
His research twice earned him Barry’s Sr. Jeanne O’Laughlin Scholar Award. He published five books, ten monographs, 15 book chapters, 150 peer-reviewed papers and seven websites with co-authors from more than 20 countries. He has also served on the editorial boards of two journals, editor for three journals, reviewed manuscripts for 75 journals, and mentored the research projects of 45 undergraduates and two high school students, many of whom went on to earn doctorates. Dr. Sanborn also helped mentor Honors Program students here at Barry and graduate students in Argentina, Algeria, and Colombia.
Dr. Sanborn began his storied association with Sigma Xi 36 years ago, when he was inducted as an Associate Member during the first year of his doctoral program in 1985. He was promoted to full member status after graduation when he began teaching at Barry in 1990. He petitioned to establish the Barry U Sigma Xi chapter in 1998 to serve the local community more efficiently. He was the Chair of the Installation Committee and served as the first chapter president. From the inception of the Barry U chapter, he worked as Chair of the Membership and Qualifications Committee and served as an Executive Committee member for three years until his retirement from the university. In his time with Sigma Xi, almost 200 members were inducted into Barry’s chapter.
We are grateful for Dr. Sanborn’s commitment to service, the pursuit of knowledge, and to Barry University.