The Larry Larson Graduate Student Award for Leadership in Applied Entomology

Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences

This Entomological Foundation fund recognizes Dr. Larry Larson's role as a leader and pioneer in insect management and carries that legacy to the next generation of leaders in applied entomology. Gifts in honor and memory of him are a tribute to his tireless and lasting contributions to the science and practice of entomology. For more than 28 years, Dr. Larson served Dow AgroSciences in a number of roles within discovery and field research and development. He was highly recognized both inside and outside of the company for his passion for science and his outreach to the scientific and local communities, including his commitment to young people. His contributions included serving as president of ESA and counselor and member of the Board of Directors for the Entomological Foundation, and helping Dow AgroSciences introduce new methods of pest management that won Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, given by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The award, which is presented at the ESA Annual Meeting, consists of an amount that varies depending on the interest earned from the endowment and a trip to Dow AgroScience's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The trip includes a tour of the facilities, the opportunity to meet key personnel, and a small gift commemorating the occasion. In addition, the recipient will be asked to give a seminar covering his/her research.

Eligibility

Applicants must be ESA members. Final-year Master's students or first-year Ph.D. students are eligible. Applicants' research should address an applied entomological question. Also, students should have demonstrated and documented capability in the following areas:

  • Technical knowledge (academic achievement and research ability);

  • Communication (written and oral communication skills aimed at a wide range of audiences including peers, non-entomologists, and the general public through professional, local society, inter- and intra-departmental presentations, etc.);

  • Creativity (in the design, execution, and application of research, teaching, and/or extension);

  • Leadership (among peers in both technical influence and outreach within the profession of entomology, including participation within his/her university);

  • Professionalism (defined as the ability to work effectively with entomologists and non-entomologists through work on interdisciplinary projects, participation on cross-discipline committees, etc.);

  • A broad interest in entomology and science (through outreach programs, campus science programs, and other programs besides the student's research); and

  • Problem solving (through cooperation and/or applications of unique solutions, research designs, or techniques).

Previous Winner

Please click here to see a list of those who have previously received this award.

Electronic Submission Requirements

All nomination packages must be submitted electronically according to the following specifications (paper nominations will not be accepted):

Page Limits

  • The entire nomination package must not exceed 20 pages total. This includes letters of nomination or recommendation and publication lists.

  • Letters of nomination and recommendation must be included in the electronic package. Printed letters sent in lieu of electronic versions will not be accepted.

File Specifications

  • Only the following file formats will be accepted: PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format), RTF (Rich Text Format), TIF graphic files, or JPG graphic files. Files created on either PC or MAC platforms will be accepted. Please make sure scanned images can be clearly read on a computer screen.

  • Font size for text may not be smaller than 10 point.

  • A nomination package may contain no more than 6 separate files, and the size of each file must not exceed 3 MB.

Submission Methods

Nomination packages may be submitted by either of two methods:

  • PREFERRED METHOD: Submit online via the Nomination Submission Website. This method eliminates problems associated with e-mailing large files. Nominators are strongly encouraged to use this method.
    OR

  • E-mail the nomination package as attached files to the awards administrator. In the submission e-mail, please include the title of the award in the subject of the e-mail. In the body of the e-mail, provide the name of the nominee, the nominator's contact information, and a list of the attached files.

Nomination Requirements

Nominations may be made by anyone. Nomination packages for this award must include:

CV-Related Items

Nominators must provide the information called for in the CV template, either in the template's format or in their own format. To view the CV-related nomination requirements for this award, as well as the CV template, please click here.

Other Items

  1. Letter of nomination

  2. Brief summary of no more than two pages on the student's research to include questions, rationale, methods, results and specific end-user benefits

  3. One-page statement of student's short- and long-term career goals

  4. The student's official transcripts (mail to: Entomological Foundation, 9332 Annapolis Road, Suite 210, Lanham, MD 20706)

  5. Up to three letters of recommendation demonstrating research impact/outcome, communications, creativity, and leadership

Evaluation Criteria

Nominees/candidates will be judged using the following criteria for a total of 110 points:

  1. Leadership skills (10)
  2. Accountability (10)
  3. Technical knowledge (10)
  4. Communication skill (10)
  5. Creativity (10)
  6. Customer focus (10)
  7. Initiative (10)
  8. Problem solving (10)
  9. Productivity (10)
  10. Teamwork (10)
  11. People skills (10)

Deadline

Application/nomination packages must be received by the awards administrator by July 1. This deadline refers to receipt of a complete package in a readable format. Therefore, early submission is highly recommended. The awards administrator will confirm receipt of nomination packages within two business days, and also notify nominators of any problems with nomination package files within that time.

Renomination

Any candidate nominated, but not selected, may be renominated no more than two times within the two-year period after his/her initial submission. Renomination packages will be retained for two years by the awards administrator. Nominators must send a letter of renomination to the awards administrator by the award deadline above. Previously submitted documentation will be used for the evaluation process unless the nominator submits new or updated documents. The renomination e-mail must contain this additional documentation. New or updated documents must follow the electronic submission requirements noted above.

Notification

The awards administrator will notify all candidates and their nominators, where applicable, with the results of their application approximately two months after the application/nomination submission deadline.

For questions about this award, please click here.