Friends of IPM Awards

Nominations are now closed.  We will announce the 2024 recipients at the beginning of the year.  2025 nominations will open in August of 2024.


Find out more information about the Friends of IPM Awards Program Below. For information about the IPM Ambassador Travel Grants, click here.


2024 Friends of IPM Award Recipients
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. Gene Reagan* (posthumous award), LSU AgCenter
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. Phillip Kaufman, Texas A&M
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. Brian T. Forschler, University of Georgia
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. Jawwad Qureshi, University of Florida
  • Pulling Together: Emerging Viruses in Cucurbits Working Group
    • Led by Dr. Rebecca Melanson, Mississippi State & William (Bill) M Wintermantel, USDA-ARS
  • IPM Communicator: Mr. Elmer W. Gray, University of Georgia
  • IPM Educator: Dr. Cameron Jack, University of Florida
  • IPM Implementer: Mr. Dan Killingsworth, Environmental Security Pest Control 
  • Future Leader: Dr. Tommy Butts, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
  • Master's Graduate Student: Ms. Jordan Melson, Auburn University
  • Doctoral Graduate Student: Ms. Johnalyn Gordon, University of Kentucky

About Our Center

The mission of the Southern IPM Center is to champion the development and adoption of integrated pest management, the science of managing pests while protecting people, the environment and economy. The Center engages broadly with stakeholders to identify and address regional pest priorities in agriculture, communities and natural areas. Since 2003, SIPMC has worked with USDA, Land Grant universities, Extension, and many other partners in promoting and facilitating the development and implementation of IPM in many settings across the region. 

 

History of the Friends of IPM Awards Program

Beginning in 2008, the Southern IPM Center has recognized Friends of IPM– those with extraordinary potential to contribute to the development and implementation of research, extension, or implementation of IPM in the Southern region of the United States.  Many of the criteria for the awards are based on the National IPM Roadmap published by the USDA department of Agriculture. Those that are named “Friends of IPM” are given an award for their dedication and achievement.

 

Eligibility

Applicants must be based in the Southern region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia).

 

Nominations

Nominations are now closed.  We will announce the 2024 recipients at the beginning of the year.  2025 nominations will open in August of 2024.


Award categories

Professional

The seven professional award categories are open to anyone in the Southern region demonstrating excellence in the field of IPM. Categories are as follows:

  1. Bright Idea (research-oriented idea or new idea)
  2. IPM Implementer (a practitioner who practices IPM in the real world)
  3. IPM Educator (extension or teacher)
  4. IPM Communicator (individual who is really good at communicating IPM)
  5. Pulling Together (group)
  6. Future Leader (young professional)
  7. IPM Hall of Fame (seasoned professional; Lifetime Achievement)

We will present only one award per category for Bright Idea, IPM Implementer, IPM Educator, IPM Communicator, Pulling Together, and Future Leader. However, in the event that scores are too close to call, there may be joint awardees.

For the IPM Hall of Fame award, we present awards to all nominees who meet the award criteria as determined by the review panel.

Graduate Student

  1. Masters
  2. Doctoral

We will present only one award per graduate category.  However, in the event that scores are too close to call, there may be joint awardees.

 

The Prize

The program will provide recognition to all award winners. Each winner will receive a plaque to be presented at an appropriate venue before an audience of their peers.

The graduate student award, in addition to a public presentation of the award, comes with a sizable monetary award. The winning Masters student receives $2,000, and the winning doctoral student receives $3,000. Each department may nominate up to 3 Masters students and up to 3 Ph.D. students.

 

Previous Friends of IPM awardees by year

2023 Friends of IPM Award Winners

Award Awardee Affiliation
 
IPM Hall of Fame Dr. David Kerns Texas A&M University
 
IPM Hall of Fame Dr. William Hudson University of Georgia
 
Pulling Together Southeast Row-Crop Entomology Working Group Tarnished Plant Bug Team Led by Dominic Reisig, NCSU


 
IPM Communicator Molly Keck

Texas A&M,
AgriLife Extension

IPM Educator Wizzie Brown Texas A&M University,
AgriLife Extension
 
IPM Educator Dr. Thomas Allen, Jr.

Mississippi State University
 

Future Leader Dr. Zachariah Hansen University of Tennessee
 
Master's Graduate Student Korey Pham Louisiana State University
 
Doctoral Graduate Student Camilo Parada

North Carolina State University

 

Full Story

 

2022

IPM Hall of Fame:

  • Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University
  • Megha Parajulee, Texas A&M Agrilife
  • Phillip Brannen, University of Georgia
  • Scott Stewart, The University of Tennessee
  • Pasco Avery, UF/IFAS/IRREC

Bright Idea: Adam Dale, University of Florida

IPM Educator: Glenn Studebaker, University of Arkansas

IPM Implementer: Conetoe Family Life Center, Conetoe, NC

Pulling Together: Mosquito BEACONS Working Group,  

Future Leader: Xavier Martini, University of Florida, IFAS

Master's Graduate Students (Joint Awardees):

  • Emma Volk, NC State
  • Julian Cosner, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Doctoral Graduate Student: Kelly Carruthers, University of Florida

Full Story


2021

Lifetime Achievement : Nancy Hinkle, University of Georgia

Future Leader : Rebecca Melanson, Mississippi State University

Pulling Together: Ash Sial, Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila Management Team

IPM Educator : University of Florida, IPM Academy

IPM Implementer: Alton “Stormy” Sparks, University of Georgia

Bright Idea: Lambert H. B. Kanga, Florida A&M University

Doctoral Graduate Student:  Kadie Britt, Virginia Tech

Masters Graduate Student:  Oluwatomi Ibiyemi, Auburn University

Full Story


2020

Bright Idea: Jawwad Qureshi, University of Florida (ENT)

IPM Implementer:  Dini Miller, Virginia Tech (ENT)

IPM Educator:  Raghuwinder (Raj) Singh, Louisiana State University (PLP)

Future Leader: Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida (ENT)

Lifetime Achievement:  Michael Merchant, Texas A&M University (ENT)

Master's Student: Shelly Pate, UT Knoxville

Doctoral Student: Seth Dorman, Virginia Tech


2019

Bright Idea: Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia 

IPM Implementer: Phillip M. Roberts, University of Georgia

IPM Educator: Jim Walgenbach, NC State

Future Leader: David Coyle, Clemson 

Lifetime Achievement: Timothy Brenneman, University of Georgia 

Master's Student: Matthew A. Borden, University of Florida

Doctoral Student: Lina Bernaola, Louisiana State University