Melissa Petruzzello
Melissa Petruzzello
Encyclopædia Britannica Editor
BIOGRAPHY

Melissa Petruzzello is Assistant Managing Editor and covers a range of content including plants, algae, and fungi; insects and spiders; and renewable energy and environmental engineering. She also handles certain topics in Christianity, notably Protestant history and churches. She joined Britannica in 2009 and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.

A passionate native plant gardener and conservationist, Melissa is a member of the Florida Native Plant Society and served on the Board of Directors of the St. Kateri Conservation Center. 

 

EDUCATION

M.S. Plant Biology and Conservation | Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Her thesis examined plant-pollinator interactions in a Penstemon population in Zion National Park, UT. 

B.S. Biological Science; minor Biblical Studies | Biola University, La Mirada, CA.  

 

 

Primary Contributions (375)
Madagascar hissing cockroach
Cockroach, (order Blattodea), any of about 4,600 species of insects, a few species of which are pests. Most cockroaches live innocuously in wild environments and are usually found in tropical or other mild climates. Cockroaches are among the most primitive living winged insects, appearing today…
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