page was born in bakersfield, ca and spent his childhood there until he attended high school in porterville, california. he served in the u.s. army from 1969-1972. with support from the g.i. bill, he received his undergraduate degree in entomology, with a minor in chemistry, from san jose state university in 1976. he was awarded his ph.d. in entomology from university of california-davis in 1980. he began his career as an assistant professor in the department of entomology with the ohio state university in 1986, moving to the university of california-davis in 1989, where he became chair for uc-davis's department of entomology in 1999. he joined arizona state university (asu) in 2004 as founding director of asu's school of life sciences, one of the first interdisciplinary academic units developed under president michael crow's vision of the "new american university."