Kun Yan Zhu

Dr. Kun Yan Zhu is University Distinguished Professor of Entomology at Kansas State University (KSU). He earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Utah State University in 1992 and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst from 1992 to 1994, where he subsequently served as a Research Associate Professor from 1994 to 1995 before joining the KSU faculty. His research focuses on insect molecular toxicology, insecticide resistance, insect chitin biology, RNA interference (RNAi), and emerging technologies for pest management.

He has authored or co-authored more than 270 peer-reviewed research articles and review papers and 20 book chapters, and has delivered more than 550 scientific presentations, including more than 200 invited presentations. His research has been supported by 48 extramural and intramural grants from USDA-NIFA, USDA-ARS, EPA, and other funding agencies, with totaling funding exceeding $9.5 million through grants on which he has served as principal or co-principal investigator. As of September 13, 2026, his publications have received 10,967 citations in Scopus, with an h-index of 53.

Dr. Zhu teaches two graduate courses, Toxicology of Insecticides and Molecular Entomology, and has also contributed guest lectures to courses in Economic Entomology, Insect Pest Management, Disease-Vector Biology, Insect Physiology, Insect Biochemistry, and Professional Development in Entomology and Related Sciences. He has served as major or co-major professor for 35 graduate students and as a supervisory committee member for an additional 56 graduate students. He has mentored or co-mentored 20 undergraduate researchers and 58 postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, and visiting scholars from seven countries. He has reviewed more than 660 manuscripts for 76 scientific journals and has served as an editor or editorial board member for 13 scientific journals. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology.

His honors include the Commerce Bank and WT Kemper Foundation Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award (2014), the KSU College of Agriculture Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award (2016), and appointment as University Distinguished Professor at KSU (2017).  He was also awarded the C.V. Riley Achievement Award (2009), the Recognition Award in Entomology (2011), and the Legacy Contribution Award (2019) by the North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America (ESA); the P-IE Integrated Pest Management Team Award (2025) by the Plant-Insect Ecosystem Section of ESA; and the PBT Recognition Award (2025) by the Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology Section of ESA. In addition, he was awarded the Summer Faculty Fellowship (2004) from the National Research Council/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 2012) and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (2014).