Gene Reagan

Friends of IPM Awards

The mission of the Southern IPM Center is to champion the development and adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), the science of managing pests while protecting people, the environment and economy. Each Regional Center engages broadly with stakeholders to identify and address regional pest priorities in agriculture, communities and natural areas.

Since 2003, the Southern IPM Center (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.

Many of these partners have contributed to the region’s well-being for years or even decades.

Hall of Fame

The Southern IPM Hall of Fame award recognizes individuals who have contributed to any important aspect of Southern IPM over many years with documented history of career achievements in IPM.

Along with authorship of educational materials, research papers, manuals, books, and presentations of IPM material, Hall of Fame award candidates have greatly impacted IPM in the Southern region over the lifetime of their career.

Dr. Thomas E. “Gene” Reagan

Written by: Abbey Stewart

Thomas E. “Gene” Reagan, Louisiana State University (Posthumous Award)
Dr. Gene Reagan was a Distinguished Professor of Entomology and Extension IPM Coordinator at Louisiana State University, where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees. He specialized in the ecology and management of insects in sugarcane agroecosystems.

After receiving his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 1975, Gene worked as an Extension Specialist there for two years before joining the Louisiana State University Department of Entomology faculty in 1977.

A dedicated, zealous entomologist, Gene was a worldwide expert on the ecology and management of insects in sugarcane agroecosystems. Gene applied a multidisciplinary approach to pest control that prioritized applied ecology and sustainable principles to reduce insecticide use.

In his research, Gene focused on applied ecology and developing multidisciplinary tactics for managing sugarcane insects. His research program emphasized the importance of preserving natural enemies, using narrow-spectrum insecticides, and implementing cultural management techniques such as host-plant resistance to eliminate sugarcane pests. Gene’s focus on applied ecology bolstered the development of novel IPM practices that have profoundly changed the sugarcane industry.

Gene’s specific pest focus included the Mexican rice borer, a severe pest of sugarcane, rice, corn, and sorghum. Gene implemented plant resistance, among other cultural practices, to minimize pesticide use and effectively combat the pest moth. Since Gene joined the LSU Entomology Department in 1977 and began working on the Mexican rice borer, insecticide applications in sugarcane crops have dropped from 3.5 to less than 1 on average.

Over the course of his career, Gene’s integrated cropping systems research contributed over $300 million annually to Louisiana Sugarcane Producers. Gene’s work was instrumental in steering the sugarcane industry from broad-spectrum insecticide use and transforming it into the sustainable, minimum-use sector it is today. Now, sugarcane growers frequently utilize applied ecology and novel IPM practices to manage sugarcane pests.

As a result of his prolific IPM research, Gene wrote a series of excellent papers, collectively improving scientific understanding of the ecology, impact, and management of the herbivore/predator/parasitoid complex in the sugarcane cropping system. Gene has authored 538 research and extension publications that address IPM practices and applied ecology of rice and sugarcane insect pests. In addition, Gene successfully obtained many competitive federal grants, earning over $4.5 million in funding to support his instrumental IPM work.

Mentorship was a high priority for Gene throughout his career. He continually instilled a love and excitement for research in his undergraduate and graduate students, challenging and motivating them to relentlessly pursue their academic and professional goals. As a result of his efforts, many of Gene’s students became distinguished agricultural ecologists across the United States.

Gene, a vibrant, influential educator, also mentored students in the classroom. He taught courses on pesticide resistance and novel IPM technologies, where he promoted the importance of IPM and inspired future IPM ambassadors. Annually, Gene also taught “Fundamentals of Applied Entomology,” a graduate-level course that was a favorite among Entomology students.

In recognition of his outstanding educational efforts and foundational IPM work in the sugarcane industry, Gene received numerous prestigious awards, including the St. James Outstanding Service Award in Research and Education for the Louisiana Sugarcane Industry in 2002. Notably, Gene deservingly received the Austin C. Thompson Endowed Professorship of Entomology at LSU in 2005. This award honors outstanding faculty who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in the field of Entomology, including research, teaching, and service to the institution.

It is evident that Gene’s mentorship, prolific publication record, and significant contributions to applied entomology and agricultural IPM place him in the uppermost tier of scientists, making him very worthy of this honor of the IPM Hall of Fame.

2024 Professional Awardees

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