
Arancon is a faculty member of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Science Management at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He remained a distinguished Emeritus Professor until his death in 2021.

A prolific writer, he has published more than 450 scientific publications including writing, editing or co-editing more than 35 books. In 1996, Professor Edwards's above book won a Presidential Citation from the U.S. His book, The Biology and Ecology of Earthworms, is the first comprehensive book on earthworms since Charles Darwin's The Production of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Earthworms which was published in 1881.

He has published extensively on soil ecology, environmental toxicology, and sustainable agriculture, and he is currently recognized as a world authority on earthworms. Edwards was appointed as Chair of the Department of Entomology at the Ohio State University in 1985.
