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.
William Hudson, University of Georgia
Written by Kayla Watson
William “Will” Hudson joined the faculty of the University of Georgia as an Extension Specialist in 1988 after receiving his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Auburn University and his Ph.D. from the University of Florida. His initial responsibility was for IPM programs in the areas of turf and ornamentals and permanent grass forages. In 2001 he was given the added responsibility of pecan IPM, a position he held until 2018.
As an extension specialist, Will is responsible for educational programs covering management of insect pests of commercial and recreational turf, sod farms, ornamental plant production, pecans, Christmas trees, and fish bait production. He also handles identification of insect specimens.
His approach to pest management has been to use the best scientific information available to design a multipronged program that uses every appropriate tool available to limit pest impact. Where research is lacking, he has conducted field, greenhouse and lab studies to fill in the gaps.
His specific pest foci include mole cricket management in turf and pastures, ambrosia beetle management, bermudagrass stem maggot, and Joro spiders, making significant contributions to insect management in diverse settings.
Will has been extremely prolific in Extension IPM research publications of diverse documents, including factsheets, bulletins, and contributions to the Georgia Pest Management Handbook. He also regularly presents results of his applied research and recommendations for managing insect pests at Extension trainings at the county, area and state levels with over 500 research and extension presentations over his career.
In the last 43 years, Will has made outstanding contributions to the field of IPM through his research, extension, and professional service, with realized benefits in the Southern US, nationally, and internationally.