Allen Carson Cohen completed his high school education in Chicago, Illinois and went to university in California for a BA and MA in English and a teaching credential. He later returned to college for an MA in biology, specializing in the physiological ecology of rattlesnakes. He completed his PhD in entomology at the University of California, Riverside (1978). He has served for seven years as editor for insect diets, insect rearing, and insect feeding biology for the Journal of Insect Science and serves as a mentor for students, researchers, and professionals in diet and rearing science and technology. He holds six U.S. patents, has published more than 125 refereed papers, and has received several technology transfer awards for his work on insect diets. He is currently research professor and coordinator of the Insect Rearing Education and Research Program at North Carolina State University, where he teaches online and in-person courses on insect rearing and conducts research on developing and improving insect rearing systems.