Entomologist receives 2019 Purdue Agriculture Research Award

Ian Kaplan, a professor of entomology, has been selected to receive the 2019 Purdue University Agriculture Research Award. Presented annually since 1982, the award is the highest honor awarded to mid-career faculty members in the College of Agriculture in recognition of research and accomplishments. 

Through their research, recipients have made significant contributions to agriculture, natural resources and the quality of life of Indiana citizens. Recent recipients include Maria Sepúlveda in 2018 and Mary Catherine Aime in 2017. 

“Ian is a world-renowned expert recognized for his contributions to understanding interactions between pests, predators, parasitoids and pollinators, drawing on technical aspects of insect behavior, plant chemistry, and community ecology,” said Bernie Engel, associate dean of research and graduate education. “His work allows addressing the important issue of how to control pest insects in ways which minimize impact on the environment while producing the food, fiber and other products we need. 

“Purdue has been a good fit for me and for my research. It influenced me quite a bit in terms of from when I first got here, to what I’m doing now,” Kaplan said. “The intersection of insects, agriculture and ecology is where my lab does our work.”

The award includes a $10,000 honorarium in support of Kaplan’s research program. He will be honored during an award seminar at 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Deans Auditorium (Room 241) in Pfendler Hall. Kaplan will be making a presentation titled “Do Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World? My Career as an Opportunistic Academic.” 

Featured Stories

Purdue College of Agriculture.
test post

test post summary

Read More
Ty Hoskins takes measurements from a mesocosm; an FNR alumnus fights a wildfire; a doe stands in snow
FNR Shares Most Read Stories of 2025

2025 was a productive year for Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources across the three land grant...

Read More
Hunter Foland works with chicks at Purdue ASREC
Why Spring Start was the right beginning

Raised in Greentown, Indiana, a town just east of Kokomo, Hunter Foland grew up surrounded by...

Read More
Mountain Bluebird taking wing, a migratory species that ranges widely across the western North America.
Research uses radar to expose sky’s organized, living habitat

When people think about habitats on Earth, they likely picture forests, oceans or grasslands. Few...

Read More
Natalie Nenneker poses with apples
Rooted in sustainability: Growing a future in food and farming

For Natalie Nenneker from Wadesville, Indiana, Purdue Agriculture offered the perfect place to...

Read More
person running
Purdue Agriculture athletes honored for academic performance

Two Purdue Agriculture student athletes were named Academic All-Big Ten Honorees for the fall...

Read More