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.
At the time Dr. Michael Merchant received this honor, it was known as the Southern IPM Lifetime Achievement Award. The award has since been renamed the Southern IPM Hall of Fame Award and continues to recognize individuals whose careers have had a lasting impact on integrated pest management.
Michael Merchant, Texas A&M University
Written by Abbey Stewart
Dr. Michael Merchant was an Urban Entomologist and Extension Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. His research interests included the control of fire ants in electrical equipment and in urban landscapes, low-impact pesticides, spider management, the documentation of Formosan termite range expansion in Texas, the improvement of existing termite control techniques, crape myrtle bark scale, and school IPM.
Throughout his career, Dr. Merchant designed numerous educational materials and training programs to help reduce pesticide use and promote the use of low-impact pesticides for schools and other institutional facilities. In addition, he developed countless training materials and continuing education programs on pests and IPM for the public.
From 2011 to 2014, Dr. Merchant reached more than 15,119 participants through his adult education training programs. Throughout northeast Texas, Dr. Merchant led Extension educational programming on structural, household, law, ornamental, nursery, and human health pest problems.
As the threat of bedbugs in public places grew, Dr. Merchant worked with local homeless shelters to develop strategies for controlling them. Dr. Merchant and other Extension team members, including Paul Nester, Molly Keck, and Wizzie Brown, provided training in bed bug management to shelter managers in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. In addition, Dr. Merchant authored factsheets for the public on do-it-yourself bed bug control and how to select a bed bug control provider.
Dr. Merchant was deeply committed to staying up to date on current entomology issues in an urban setting. In response to the West Nile Virus outbreak in Texas in 2012, Dr. Merchant served on the West Nile Virus Advisory Committee, which was formed to help prevent further large-scale outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in Texas. He served as the co-editor of the Texas Mosquito Management Handbook, which is used to educate health departments in mosquito and vector management.
In addition, Dr. Merchant created and maintained two widely used websites on insect and pest control-related topics. The first, Insects in the City, is a public website that provides information about fascinating insects and pests in the home, yard, and garden. In 2013, the site had almost one million page views, with nearly 60,000 visitors a month. Dr. Merchant also maintained a blog for pest management professionals with nearly 400 subscribers and approximately 4,000 visitors a month.
Understanding the value of one-on-one consultation, Dr. Merchant worked tirelessly with Extension agents and individual clients to resolve pest issues. Through Master Gardener presentations, Dr. Merchant educated Extension professionals who would be in the field and make daily contact with homeowners.
Dr. Merchant showed exceptional dedication to IPM through Extension, outreach, and public education. He served as the Educational Member of the Texas Structural Pest Control Advisory Committee for the Texas Department of Agriculture, where he championed IPM for schools and citizens. His knowledge has helped craft, keep, and educate numerous audiences about school IPM.
Dr. Merchant has been a true asset to IPM in the southern region and is highly deserving of this honor.