Ted Hopkins Distinguished Colloquium Speaker

Headshot of Theodore L. Hopkins This annual award was established in 1998 to honor the late Professor Theodore L. Hopkins (1929-2018), Emeritus Professor (pictured left), for his many contributions to the science of entomology. Dr. Hopkins graduated from high school in Drain, Oregon, earned his bachelors and masters from Oregon State University in Fisheries and Wildlife, and then his PhD from Kansas State University in Entomology.

Dr. Michael R. Strand, University of Georgia with Dr. Ted Hopkins congratulations him.

Dr. Hopkins moved to Manhattan and was employed at Kansas State University as an Assistant Professor in Entomology in 1960, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1963 and then Professor in 1966. He retired in 1998 and passed away in December of 2018. We are honored to call him one of our own, and this award honors his legacy and contributions to science.

The award supports the visit of a distinguished scientist working in an area of current importance and interest, and who will bring new and important research in entomological science to the Department.

2026 Award

Mary Gardiner

Professor of Entomology

The Ohio State University
gardiner.29@osu.edu

Mary M. Gardiner is a Distinguished Professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University in the Department of Entomology and Co-Director of the OSU transdisciplinary Environmental Science Graduate Program. The Gardiner Lab’s community-engaged research program examines the ecology and management of urban greenspaces for insect conservation including vacant lots, residential greenspaces, parks, and rain gardens. The Gardiner Lab has published over 75 peer-reviewed publications and been awarded $8.1 M in grant support, with current funding from the NSF, USDA, and the MITRE Foundation. Mary is also a State Specialist in Extension and is active in the Ohio Master Gardener Volunteer Program. She has advised 23 graduate students and postdocs and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in insect ecology, presentation skills, and grant writing. Mary serves on the Entomological Society of America Governing Board and is a Past President of the ESA North Central Branch. In 2015, she released a book focused on natural enemies and their role in biological control in home gardens titled: Good Garden Bugs: Everything You Need to Know about Beneficial Predatory Insects.