Purdue scientist recognized for pest control research

A Purdue University researcher is among three agricultural scientists recently named as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Dr. Ian Kaplan’s research on pests and beneficial insects in plant systems was funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. He was honored for his work on insect predator ecology and plant-insect interactions in specialty crops. USDA cites his work as significant because “it may lead to the use of environmentally safe chemical compounds derived from plants. This proactive approach could enhance the impacts of biological control agents to manage crop pests.”

Kaplan’s research was funded through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research initiative. The award represents the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Other recipients were Christina L. Swaggerty, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, for research relating to safety, security and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply; and Joseph E. Jakes, USDA, U.S. Forest Service, for the development and employment of methodology to understand material properties at the nanoscale.

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