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Friends of IPM Awards

Nominations for the 2027 awards are now open and close on October 16, 2026 at 6:00PM Eastern Time

Since 2008, the Southern IPM Center has honored individuals and teams who demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation, or promise in advancing integrated pest management across the Southern region. 

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The Friends of IPM awards program recognizes those who make exceptional contributions to IPM research, extension, education, or implementation. Awardees are celebrated for their dedication, impact, and commitment to strengthening IPM in the Southern region.

View Call for Nominations and Grant Forms

The Prize

The program will provide recognition to all award winners. Each winner will receive a plaque to be presented at an appropriate venue before an audience of their peers.

The graduate student award, in addition to a public presentation of the award, comes with a sizable monetary award. The winning Masters student receives $2,000, and the winning doctoral student receives $3,000. Each department may nominate up to 3 Masters students and up to 3 Ph.D. students.

Eligibility

Applicants must be based in the Southern region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia).

Why Apply?

  • Professional Recognition (for your achievements)
  • Greater Visibility (for your work and ideas)
  • Expanded Network (connect with IPM leaders)
    • Share Your Story (tell your story on our platforms) 
  • Podcast Guest (be featured on This Is IPM podcast)
  • Celebrate Achievement (inspire your community) 

Categories

Professional

  1. Bright Idea (research-oriented idea or new idea)
  2. IPM Implementer (a practitioner who practices IPM in the real world)
  3. IPM Educator (extension or teacher)
  4. IPM Communicator (individual who is really good at communicating IPM)
  5. Pulling Together (group)
  6. Future Leader (young professional)
  7. IPM Hall of Fame (seasoned professional; Lifetime Achievement)

Graduate Students

  • Master’s
  • Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) 

Hall of Fame

Help us find who is missing from the Southern IPM Hall of Fame!

For this category SIPMC will present awards to all nominees who meet the award criteria as determined by the review panel.

See Southern IPM Hall of Fame

2026 Friends of IPM Award Winners

Congratulations to our 2026 Friends of IPM Award winners!

The 2026 Friends of IPM Awardees included the categories of Bright Idea, IPM Communicator, a Doctoral student, IPM Educator, three IPM Hall of Fame inductees, a Master’s student, and Pulling Together. Check out the posts below to read about each awardee. 

Friends of IPM Awardees by Year

2026
  • Bright Idea: A Remote Sensing Technology Tool for Precision Mosquito Control, Dr. Lindsay Campbell, University of Florida
  • IPM Communicator: Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri, University of Florida
  • IPM Educator: Dr. Muhammad Hasseb, Florida A&M University
  • Pulling Together: Dr. Claudia Riegel and the members of the Gulf South VECTOR team
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. L.C. ‘Fudd’ Graham (Auburn University, Alabama Fire Ant Management Program/School IPM Program), Dr. Lance Smith Osborne (University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences), Dr. Ronald H. Smith, Auburn University 
  • Master’s Graduate Student: Tennyson Bilinkhinyu Nkhoma, University of Florida 
  • Doctoral Graduate Student: Allan Busuulwa, University of Florida
2025
  • Bright Idea Award: Dr. Nupur Sarkar, Dr. Lina Bernaola, and the Bernaola Lab, Texas A&M University
  • Pulling Together Award: MyIPM for Vegetables team, led by Drs. Rebecca A. Melanson, Tom Kuhar, Tom Bilbo, and Inga Meadows
  • IPM Educator Award: Dr. Sonja Swiger, Texas A&M University
  • Future Leader Award: Dr. Scott Graham, Auburn University
  • IPM Hall of Fame Award: Eddie McGriff, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
  • Doctoral Student Award (2 winners): 
    • Rogan Tokach, Auburn University
    • Caitlyn Lawton, Auburn University
2024
  • 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
  • Master’s Graduate Student: Ms. Jordan Melson, Auburn University
  • Doctoral Graduate Student: Ms. Johnalyn Gordon, University of Kentucky

2024 Graduate Student Story

2023
  • IPM Hall of Fame: Dr. David Kerns, Texas A&M University
  • IPM Hall of Fame, Dr. William Hudson, University of Georgia
  • IPM Communicator: Molly Keck, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension
  • IPM Educator: Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M University, Agrilife Extension
  • IPM Educator: Dr. Thomas Allen, Jr., Mississippi State University
  • Future Leader: Dr. Zachariah Hansen, University of Tennessee
  • Master’s Graduate Student: Korey Pham, Louisiana State University
  • Doctoral Graduate Student: Camilo Parada, North Carolina State University

Full Story

2022

IPM Hall of Fame:

  • Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University
  • Megha Parajulee, Texas A&M Agrilife
  • Phillip Brannen, University of Georgia
  • Scott Stewart, The University of Tennessee
  • Pasco Avery, UF/IFAS/IRREC

Bright Idea: Adam Dale, University of Florida

IPM Educator: Glenn Studebaker, University of Arkansas

IPM Implementer: Conetoe Family Life Center, Conetoe, NC

Pulling Together: Mosquito BEACONS Working Group,  

Future Leader: Xavier Martini, University of Florida, IFAS

Master’s Graduate Students (Joint Awardees):

  • Emma Volk, NC State
  • Julian Cosner, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Doctoral Graduate Student: Kelly Carruthers, University of Florida

Full Story

2021

Lifetime Achievement : Nancy Hinkle, University of Georgia

Future Leader : Rebecca Melanson, Mississippi State University

Pulling Together: Ash Sial, Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila Management Team

IPM Educator : University of Florida, IPM Academy

IPM Implementer: Alton “Stormy” Sparks, University of Georgia

Bright Idea: Lambert H. B. Kanga, Florida A&M University

Doctoral Graduate Student:  Kadie Britt, Virginia Tech

Masters Graduate Student:  Oluwatomi Ibiyemi, Auburn University

Full Story

2020

Bright Idea: Jawwad Qureshi, University of Florida (ENT)

IPM Implementer:  Dini Miller, Virginia Tech (ENT)

IPM Educator:  Raghuwinder (Raj) Singh, Louisiana State University (PLP)

Future Leader: Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida (ENT)

Lifetime Achievement:  Michael Merchant, Texas A&M University (ENT)

Master’s Student: Shelly Pate, UT Knoxville

Doctoral Student: Seth Dorman, Virginia Tech

2019

Bright Idea: Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia 

IPM Implementer: Phillip M. Roberts, University of Georgia

IPM Educator: Jim Walgenbach, NC State

Future Leader: David Coyle, Clemson 

Lifetime Achievement: Timothy Brenneman, University of Georgia 

Master’s Student: Matthew A. Borden, University of Florida

Doctoral Student: Lina Bernaola, Louisiana State University

We also have a program for IPM Ambassador Travel Grants. To find out more information, click the button below:

IPM Ambassador Travel Grant Information