Center-Funded Cockroach IPM Project Leader Wins Journal Award

Changlu Wang, project leader and associate extension specialist in entomology at Rutgers University.

A paper by Changlu Wang, associate extension specialist in entomology at Rutgers University, has received the Journal of Economic Entomology (JEE) 2020 Readers’ Choice award.

The paper is based on Wang’s project, Developing Aesthetic Injury Level for German Cockroach IPM, which received funding from the Northeastern IPM Center through the Partnership Grants Program. The project was one of eight winning proposals chosen through a competitive review process during the 2017 grant cycle.

The paper, “Residents Attitudes and Home Sanitation Predict Presence of German Cockroaches (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) in Apartments for Low-Income Senior Residents,” was published in the February 2019 (volume 112, issue 1) edition of JEE, a publication of the Entomological Society of America (ESA).

As Wang’s project proposal explained, not only are German cockroaches a nuisance, they also produce allergens that can trigger asthma, and traditional chemical controls (insecticides) may entail additional human health risks.

“I am pleasantly surprised by the news,” said Wang. “The award reflected people’s strong interest in the German cockroach—a very common urban pest.”

Cockroach IPM as a Regional Priority

The Partnership Grants program identifies and supports projects that further the mission of the Northeastern IPM Center, address or identify regional IPM priorities, and benefit the northeastern region at large. With the help of Center funding, these projects can turn promising ideas into measurable impacts.

Wang’s work on cockroach IPM is particularly relevant to the Northeastern IPM Center’s priorities given that the Center also administers the StopPests in Housing program. While pests of residential concern run the gamut from mold to mammals, cockroaches are certainly among the most notorious.

“My congratulations to Changlu Wang for this well-earned recognition,” said Deborah G. Grantham, director of the Northeastern IPM Center. “The prevalence of the German cockroach in residential settings reflects a clear need for effective and safe pest-control options. I’m proud of Wang’s work on cockroach IPM and pleased that we had the opportunity to provide some of the support.”

About the Award

The Readers’ Choice award recipient and runner-up are chosen by JEE editors-in-chief based on several key criteria that reflect audience reach and content relevance, and winners will present about their work at Entomology 2020, ESA’s virtual annual meeting.

The Readers’ Choice awards are published jointly with several other awards presented by JEE and Environmental Entomology, another ESA publication. All winning and runner-up articles are freely available to read and download through December 12, 2020, unless they were published as open-access, in which case they will remain freely available indefinitely.

Visit the ESA's publications awards page for the complete list of this year’s awards, winners, runners-up, selection criteria, and links to articles.