Previous Winners

2007

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Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management

Marvin Harris

Marvin Harris is a Professor of Entomology at Texas A&M University. His solutions to pecan insects have included economic and environmental concerns which successfully avoided excessive insecticide use and the development of pest resistance. Advances in management of the regional pecan nut casebearer, blackmargined aphid and pecan weevil control strategies, along with the chemical control of pecan diseases and orchard floor management, are the major factors leading to significant increases in pecan production in the last three decades. His IPM program on pecans has been documented with a reduction in fungicide use of 30% and insecticide use by 35% since 1980 while increasing the yield of improved varieties of pecans by more than 600 pounds per acre and native pecans by 390 pounds per acre. This has an overall benefit to pecan producers in Texas of over $6 million per year.

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Award Overview:
This award, consisting of a check and an inscribed plaque, recognizes and encourages outstanding contributions to applied IPM in North America and the U.S. territories.

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  INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT TEAM AWARD

The Pacific Northwest Vineyard Integrated Pest Management Team

The Pacific Northwest Vineyard IPM Team is comprised of nine members from both the public and private sectors. Their work has directly impacted the PNW wine grape industry. Their collaborative research on controlling the climbing cutworm caterpillar has resulted in the discovery of management techniques that are less expensive and more protective of human health and the environment. Their collaboration in solving this cutworm pest control issue has directly resulted in an application technique that has saved Washington State’s wine grape growers $5.5 million per year and reduced the amount of organophosphate insecticide used by 25,000 lbs. annually. The team members are as follows:
 
Len Welch, Valent USA
Leif Olsen, Olsen Wine Estates
Kevin Corliss, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
Sandy Halstead, EPA Region 10/American Farmland Trust

Ron Wight, Washington State Univ.
Sally O’Neal Coates, Washington State Univ.
Holly Ferguson, Washington State Univ.
Doug Walsh, Washington State Univ.
Tim Waters, Washington State Univ.

Award Overview:
This annual award recognizes the successful efforts of a team approach to pest control of a small collaborative group (no more than 10 team members) but must include one entomologist from the private sector and one from the public sector. The focus of the award is teamwork and project success. The award, which will be given to each team member, will consist of an inscribed award.



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The International Congress on Insect Neurochemistry and Neurophysiology (ICINN) Student Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology

Joshua Benoit

Joshua Benoit is a graduate student at the Department of Entomology, Ohio State University. Joshua is working on his thesis project which focuses on the water requirement of arthropod vectors, specifically mosquitoes, bed bugs, and the seabird tick. He recently described the basic water balance requirement of C. pipiens, C.lectularius, and I. uriae, which have been published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Journal of Experimental Biology, and the Journal of Comparative Physiology B. For the next portion of his projects, he will determine the roles of aquaporin, a membrane channel protein, late embryogenesis activating proteins (LEA), proteins that prevent unwanted interactions between important proteins, and heat shock proteins  during dehydration. Overall, he hopes to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms used by blood feeding arthropods during dehydration and rehydration.  After graduate school, Joshua would like to continue to a post-doctoral position where he can focus on molecular questions related to vector biology.

Award Overview:
This award recognizes and encourages innovative research in the areas of insect physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology in the broad sense. The award consists of a certificate of recognition along with a cash award.

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THE LARRY LARSON GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP IN            APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY

Anna Fiedler is currently studying for her PhD. in Entomology at Michigan State University. She received her B.A. in Biology from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin; and her M.S. in Entomology from Michigan State University. She has developed and implemented a research project using native prairie and savanna plants to increase biological control of arthropods in agricultural landscapes. The project has implications for ecosystem service provision in agricultural landscapes, as well as enhancing ecological restoration. To support these studies, Anna co-authored three successful competitive grants. In all these projects, she has sought to link farmers, Extension agents, USDA NRCS conservationists, and native plant producers with researchers to investigate, demonstrate and extend information about the effects of native plants on beneficial insects. Anna has also organized and led two award winning field days that were attended by more than 230 people. Anna has also presented her findings at several scientific meetings including the 2004 International Congress of Entomology in Australia; and the 2004-2006 ESA National meetings.

Award Overview:
This award acknowledges Master’s students who exhibit exceptional interest in the study and application of entomology through outstanding research and leadership skills. This award includes $2,000 and a tour of the Dow AgroSciences headquarters.



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THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENT'S PRIZES FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION

  Kathleen Weidenbach receives the Primary Education Award

Kathleen Weidenbach is a fifth grade teacher at Pratt Community School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Kate’s insect unit lasts the whole year and involves every learning discipline, including arts, writing, systematic, and experimental design. The students raise monarch butterflies rearing them from larva while collecting data, making observations on the lifecycle and then learning to pin the adults. The students also choose an insect that they research using field guides, write reports on, build color models and make detailed drawing s of their insect. Kate arranges visits by University of Minnesota science specialists from the Bell Museum of Natural History to educate the students to possible careers in science, especially entomology. Kate will receive a check to attend a peer professional meeting to present her use of insects as teaching tools in the classroom and a check for her school to purchase teaching materials required to expand the use of insects in the teaching curriculum. Check out Kathleen's lesson plan

Janice Hari receives the Secondary Education Award

Janice Hari is an eighth grade science teacher and Science Coordinator at Urbana Middle School in Urbana, Illinois. Janice was part of a National Science Foundation program where she was paired with Ph.D. candidate Matthew Richardson of University of Illinois.  The goal was to improve science education in primary and secondary schools and for the Fellows to learn about teaching in the classroom. With his help, Janice developed her lesson plan using aphids titled: Teaching Students how to Design an Experiment and Investigate Abiotic and Biotic Factors Affecting Arthropods. This project provides students with a framework that allows them to design a research project and study modifications of plant-herbivore interactions. Another project including the students’ data titled: Teaching Students about Biodiversity by Studying the Correlation between Plants and Arthropods, was accepted for publication by The American Biology Teacher.  The activity units Janice and Matthew design during the Fall semester will be expanded to all eighth graders at Urbana Middle School impacting approximately 350 urban students. Check out Janice's lesson plan

Award Overview:
Funded by the Entomological Society of America, these awards recognize educators who have gone beyond the traditional teaching methods by using insects as teaching tools. One winner is chosen from primary teachers and one from among secondary teachers. The recipients receive a check made payable to their school to purchase teaching materials to expand the use of insects in the curriculum; a check to help cover expenses associated with travel required to present on the use of insects in educational programs at a professional venue of their choosing; and gratis registration and a check to help cover the expenses associated with attending the Entomological Society of America's annual meeting.



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Recognition Award in Urban Entomology

Arthur Appel

Arthur Appel is an Alumni Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.  Dr. Appel’s research is focused on the behavior, physiology, toxicology and management of urban insects, in particular cockroaches, termites and ants. His research combines new information on cockroach population dynamics, harborage selection, inter- and intraspecific interactions, targeted insecticide applications, and trap-catch dynamics into systems that control cockroaches better, faster, longer and less expensively than standard methods while reducing insecticide use. He has more than 100 referred publications and book chapters and over 100 scientific presentations to his name.

Award Overview:
The award consists of a check and an inscribed plaque, this award recognizes outstanding extension, research, and teaching contributions in urban entomology, including structural and wood-destroying pests and pests of ornamental plants, shade trees, and turf.

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thomas say award

David Grimaldi

David Grimaldi is the Curator of Entomology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.  His book, Evolution of the Insects (Oxford University Press), co-authored with Dr. Michael Engel, includes 755 pages, 15 chapters and almost 1,000 illustrations. This work emphasizes current phylogenetic principles as the great organizer of the biology and classification of insects. It presents an evolutionary history of insects, including information on their diversity, relationships and 400 million years of fossils.  Intro sections cover the living species diversity of insects, methods of reconstructing evolutionary relationships, basic insect structure, and the diverse modes of insect fossilization and major fossil deposits. Major sections then explore the relationships and evolution of each order of hexapods. It discusses the evolutionary history of insects from their beginnings to the impact of mass extinctions and how they evolved into complex societies in nature. This book is in use by more than twenty different national and international universities.  David has over 150 publications to his name.

Award Overview:
This award is given for significant and outstanding work in the firelds of insect systematics, morphology, or evolution. The amount of the award varies depending upon interest earned from the endowment. The awardee is presented with the award at the Entomological Society of America's annual meeting.

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