Orkin’s Commitment to Education
Termites101.org is yet another learning tool Orkin has developed to help inform homeowners, students and the general public about termite control and prevention. Visitors can learn about termites through information and articles written by members of the Consumer Education Council on Termites, as well as images, other detailed descriptions of termite behavior and activity, and interactive features. Termites101.org is designed to continue Orkin’s strong commitment to public education, also seen in other resources such as the Orkin Learning Center (an online pest education resource), O. Orkin Insect Zoo at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History, the Junior Pest Investigators program and Ask the Orkin Man. For more information on Orkin, visit www.orkin.com.
Meet the Experts
Gary W. Bennett, Ph.D., Purdue University
Dr. Bennett is a professor of entomology at Purdue University and serves as coordinator for the Center for Urban and Industrial Pest Management. He holds an active role as project leader for the Center, teaching and conducting research and extension programs. In addition, Dr. Bennett oversees all administrative responsibilities corresponding with programs at the Center.
Formerly a pest control technician, Dr. Bennett set a foundation for his future work in entomology at Bennett Pest Control Co. He began his professional career as a graduate teaching and research assistant at Louisiana State University before moving to North Carolina State University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in entomology from North Carolina State University.
Dr. Bennett currently serves as secretary-treasurer for the Indiana Pest Management Association, and is also an active member of several professional and industry organizations. Dr. Bennett is a published author, having written, co-authored and edited books on the subject of pest management.
Brian T. Forschler, Ph.D., University of Georgia
Dr. Forschler is a professor of entomology at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. He obtained three degrees in entomology, with a major emphasis in insect pathology. His undergraduate and graduate work included studies involving insect pathogenic virus, fungi, bacteria and insect parasitic nematodes. His insect pathology studies included forest, turf grass and row crop insect pests for his Masters, Ph.D., and Post Doctoral appointments, respectively. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia, as well as completed post doctoral work at the University of Arkansas.
Since 1991, Dr. Forschler has served as the principle investigator for the Household and Structural Entomology Research Program (H&SERP) at the University of Georgia. The UGA H&SERP has emphasized the development of decision criteria that provide for efficacious, cost effective and environmentally-sound management of subterranean termites and other cryptic urban arthropods, based on an understanding of pest biology.
Roger Gold, Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Dr. Gold is a professor of entomology, and holds the endowed chair for Urban and Structural Entomology at Texas A&M University. He is active in research, teaching and extension programs that involve the integrated management of insects associated with the near environment of humans and their pets.
Dr. Gold served as the director of the Water Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and as head of the department of entomology at that institution. He began his professional career in entomology at the University of Arizona in Tucson where he worked as an extension specialist. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Utah, and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California-Berkeley. He is an active member of the professional and scientific community, and has written several papers for both scientific journals and trade publications.
Ron Harrison, Ph.D., B.C.E, Orkin, Inc.
Dr. Harrison is the director of training and Orkin’s Center for Learning and Media Services in Atlanta, and an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. An entomologist who has taught in the academic, industry and regulatory arenas, Dr. Harrison focused his career on teaching others about pests, their habitats and control measures.
Prior to joining Orkin more than a decade ago, Dr. Harrison was a tenured professor of biological sciences at Mercer University teaching non-traditional students. Dr. Harrison earned his B.S. degree in agronomy from Utah State, an M.S. degree in botany from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Georgia. He is a member of the National Pest Control Association, the Georgia Pest Control Association and the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Harrison has presented at various industry conferences, and has a special concentration in diseases carried and spread by pests.
Dini M. Miller, Ph.D., Virginia Tech
In addition to serving as the urban pest management extension specialist for the state of Virginia, Dr. Miller is an associate professor in the department of entomology at Virginia Tech. Dr. Miller received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1998, where she specialized in German cockroaches and urban entomology. After graduation, she became involved in a variety of projects, including serving as director of the Virginia Fire Ant Working group and project director for the Virginia Pest Management Association's "pre-treatment termiticide application" training program. She also headed up the Virginia School Integrated Pest Management program.
Over the last decade, Dr. Miller has researched integrated pest management methods for control of insect pests in structures. Recently, her research has focused on evaluating bed bug control methods, both in the laboratory and in the field. Dr. Miller currently has three graduate students who are working on red imported fire ant distribution and control in Virginia, the documentation of the ecological succession of pest ant species in Puerto Rican housing developments, and an analysis of the mechanisms of bed bug resistance to pyrethroids (a material used to treat and control infestations).
William H. Robinson, Ph.D., Urban Pest Control Research Center
Dr. Robinson has over 45 years experience in the pest control industry and currently serves as a consultant for several organizations, including the Urban Pest Control Research Center. He has taught courses on urban entomology, household insect pests, turf insect pests and urban pest management at several universities, including Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Iowa State University and Zhejiang Agriculture University in Hangzhou, China. Dr. Robinson has also participated in research projects focusing on cockroach biology and control, integrated control/pest management programs, wood-infesting insects and insecticide application technology. Among other projects, Dr. Robinson currently answers questions as the Orkin Man at the online Orkin Learning Center.
His research and contributions to the pest control industry have resulted in several pest control industry awards, including the Entomological Society of America Distinguished Achievement Award for Urban Entomology and two Research Achievement Awards from Orkin, Inc.
Daniel R. Suiter, Ph.D., University of Georgia
Daniel R. Suiter is an associate professor of urban pest management at the University of Georgia, and is located at the UGA Griffin Campus. He recently completed a six-year stint as a member of Georgia’s Structural Pest Control Commission, where he coordinated the training activities of the Georgia Structural Pest Control Training Center. The Center trains and educates Georgia’s 1,200 termite and pest control companies about issues involving termite control.
In 2006, Dr. Suiter partnered with the UGA Griffin Campus’ Office of Continuing Education to develop a certificate degree in urban and structural pest management. The program is designed to attract new service technicians to the pest control industry, while providing them with the necessary tools to perform their jobs at a high level of effectiveness. In particular, Dr. Suiter helps oversee the Anti-Formosan Termite Program, a state-sponsored project with the goal to eradicate Formosan termites from Georgia.
Dr. Suiter has worked with the pest control industry since 1987 and is a member of the Entomological Society of America and the Georgia and South Carolina Entomological Societies. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees and Ph.D. from the University of Florida.
Consumer Education Council on Termites
The Consumer Education Council on Termites is a group of industry experts from respected universities across the United States committed to educating the community on termite behavior and control methods, and providing innovative solutions to termite issues. Each member of the Consumer Education Council on Termites has a strong educational background in studies that relate to termites and their environment and can provide expert insight into the identification, control and prevention of this pest. In its ongoing commitment to public education, Orkin is proud to partner with the Consumer Education Council on Termites for Termites101.org.
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