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. Norman Leppla 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.
Norman Leppla, University of Florida
Written by Abbey Stewart
Dr. Norman Leppla is a Professor and the Program Director for IPM at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Department of Entomology and Nematology. He specializes in integrated pest management and biological control. Specifically, his research program seeks to improve the natural enemies of pests that affect agriculture, communities, and natural environments, and to develop IPM systems based on sustainable practices.
In 2001, Dr. Leppla created the first comprehensive, statewide IPM program at the University of Florida, which he continues to lead as the Florida State IPM Coordinator. In this role, he diligently provides accurate scientific and technical consultation in IPM for faculty members, students, and cooperators to strengthen IPM research, Extension, and education programs. Dr. Leppla has developed highly productive research partnerships to coordinate IPM and biological control efforts.
Dr. Leppla led a 10-year effort that successfully established commercial production of the nematode biological control product Nematac S to manage invasive mole crickets, a significant pest of Florida pastures. He helped apply the nematode across Florida and part of Puerto Rico. As a result of Dr. Leppla’s efforts, mole crickets have been brought under biological control across large areas of Florida, generating an estimated annual savings of $13.6 million for the state’s cattle industry.
Adult mole cricket. Photo credit: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
From 1990 to 1997, Dr. Leppla effectively led USDA APHIS Methods Development to establish IPM practices in response to the federal agency’s efforts to address serious pest outbreaks that threatened American agriculture. Additionally, he collaboratively designed and established the USDA, APHIS National Biological Control Institute to promote, facilitate, and provide leadership for biological control.
A respected leader in the IPM community, Dr. Leppla has made significant contributions to the advancement of integrated pest management over the years. He served as the chair of the Southern IPM Center Advisory Council and a charter member of the Steering Committee. He supported the 5-year renewals and worked against the elimination of the regional IPM centers from the federal budget. Dr. Leppla also helped establish the Southern IPM Center’s policies and procedures that have greatly advanced IPM in the southern region.
Dr. Leppla’s impact on integrated pest management extends far beyond his research accomplishments. Throughout his distinguished career, he has provided IPM consultation and training to entomologists, scientists, and students worldwide, helping advance IPM programs globally. A dedicated mentor, he has served as chair, co-chair, or committee member on 54 graduate student committees, guiding and inspiring future leaders in the field.
Beginning in 2001, he served as the primary advisor for the University of Florida Plant Medicine Program, which provides comprehensive IPM training and prepares students to become plant health professionals, or “Plant Doctors.” Through this role and his broader mentoring efforts, he has helped shape the next generation of IPM practitioners. In addition, Dr. Leppla has delivered hundreds of invited presentations on IPM research, Extension, and program leadership at state, national, and international venues, further extending the reach and impact of his work.
Through his leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to sustainable pest management, Dr. Leppla has advanced the adoption of IPM and biological control across the Southern Region and beyond, improving agricultural productivity and profitability while protecting human health, property, and natural resources.