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.
David Kerns, Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension
Written by Kayla Watson
David Kerns is a Extension Professor, IPM Coordinator, and Associate Department Head, Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension with the Department of Entomology.
As a well-respected leader in IPM, with his applied research and Extension program David has developed and implemented sensible and impactful IPM systems.
Over the span of his career, David has worked on the development and implementation of IPM in Texas sorghum and cotton, specifically making significant contributions to the management of cotton bollworm, cotton thrips, and sorghum aphid, among other high impact pests, resulting in the savings of millions of dollars.
Specifically, his program’s work in Bt resistance has contributed greatly to the understanding of the extent, inheritance, and evolution of Bt resistance in Helicoverpa zea in the U.S, and he has also been involved in the development of five comprehensive economic thresholds for pests of cotton, soybean, and grain sorghum.
A recurring theme that appears when talking about David’s career is service: service to stakeholders, service to students, and service to the IPM profession. David has educated and mentored many students and communicated IPM through a very accomplished publication and presentation record.
It is clear that David has made a significant impact over the course of his career and is very deserving of this honor.