Professional History

September, 1961 - June, 1965: University of Delaware
Major - Entomology/Plant Pathology in the School of Agriculture with a minor in Chemistry. Partial tuition paid by a Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Scholarship. Paul P. Burbutis - major professor.

Summer, 1962: Georgetown Research Station
Worked under the direction of Professor Louis Kelsey for the Entomology Department of the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware. The project dealt with chemical control of aphids on apple trees and a soybean plant defoliation study.

Summer, 1963: Delaware Mosquito Survey
Worked as a full-time employee of the Entomology Department of the University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware in mosquito research. Worked with others on mosquito ecology and manipulation of the marsh environment in order to gain control of these pests. Also helped maintain hand-reared mosquito colonies at the Entomology Department.

June, 1964 - Spring 1965: The Spiders of Delaware
Conducted a faunal survey of spiders found in the state under the direction of Professor Paul J. Burbutis. This undergraduate research lead to a Degree with Distinction. Undergraduate dissertation entitled, A Faunal Survey of the Spiders of Delaware, was prepared for the Entomology Department of the University of Delaware.

June, 1965: Bachelor of Science with Distinction
University of Delaware, School of Agriculture, Newark, Delaware.

Summer, 1965: West Layfayette, Indiana
Conducted research on the use of ultra-violet radiation in the control of hornworms on tomatoes under the direction of Professor Emeritus, John Deay. In the Fall, matriculated in the Doctoral Program of the Entomology Department under an NDEA Fellowship. Actually began course work in January of 1966. By-passed the Masters.

September, 1965 - June, 1969: U.S. Cooperative Extension Service
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Held a full-time position while working on PhD degree. Part of a team of three specialists with responsibilities for publishing weekly insect forecasts, media releases, TV and radio spots, and for conducting informational meetings with lay, semi- and professional audiences. Additional areas of responsibility included urban and industrial entomology, technical adviser, insect control recommendations for field and forage crops, and ID and control of spiders. Also worked with the Annual Purdue Pest Control Operators Conference which attracts over 1,100 professional Pest Control Operators from the U.S. and abroad. Program chairman for the 1969 conference. Administered the Purdue Pest Control Correspondence Course for 3 years.

Published an extensive taxonomic review entitled, An Annotated List of the Spiders of Indiana for the 1969 Edition of The Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science based on Dissertation research. The spider collection on which this study was based is housed at the Purdue University Entomology Department.

Taught a graduate-level course entitled, Insecticide Formulations, during the Spring semester. This lecture/laboratory course dealt with all aspects of pesticides and pesticide formulations.

June, 1969: Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
Graduated from the Entomology Department, John V. Osmun, Head. Major Professor, John Ferris. Dissertation entitled, Spiders of the Wabash and Tippecanoe River Systems.

July, 1969 - April 1971: Captain, Medical Service Corp, U.S. Army
Medical Entomologist first serving in Texas, then Maryland, and finally Vietnam/Cambodia. In Vietnam/Cambodia was Commander of a 13-man Preventive Medicine Unit attached to the First Cavalry Division in III Corp. Responsibilities included aerial spraying for mosquito and malaria control, infectious disease control, water quality monitoring, pest and disease surveys. Also studied the efficacy of aerial spraying for mosquito control in a jungle habitat.

September, 1971 - March, 1972: Photography Store Manager - Honolulu, Hawaii

April, 1972 - September, 1972: Journeyman Union Carpenter
Member of 1,200 union carpenters building the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Building in Denver, Colorado.

October, 1972 - November, 1974: Director of Training and Standards
Joined Ritt Consolidated Industries, Philadelphia, PA, a multi-state pest and termite control firm. Implemented a company-wide, in-house training program for technicians, supervisors and sales personnel. Areas of responsibility included overseeing the quality of service, technical standards, OSHA and EPA requirements, chemical testing and evaluation, and commercial sanitation consultation. Supervised services including fumigation, bird, vertebrate, odor and smoke odor, fungi and mold, invertebrate, wood-destroying organism, and industrial vegetation control. Developed pest control programs for commercial accounts, set and reviewed standards for pest and wood destroying organism control and prepared the staff for mandated certification and examinations. Was often called upon to make TV and radio presentations, speaking engagements before lay and professional audiences, and to work with local, state, and national pest control associations. Left to form Pest Control Services, Inc. in late 1974/early 1975.

1978 - August, 1985: Invented, Patented, and Manufactured
“The Silver Skunk”
Formed Power Spray Technology, Inc. with a group of investors for the purposes of manufacturing this invention. This metered pesticide power spray unit was designed for professional termite control and lawn spraying. This portable unit replaced the truck and tank system, commonly used for such work, by metering precise amounts of pesticide concentrate directly into the spray flow as it was being used. Over 1,000 units sold to the professional industry. Sold the business in 1985.

April 1975 - Present: Pest Control Services, Inc.
Was the first consultant to form a business devoted to technical consultation and training for the professional pest control industry. Conducted workshops in Philadelphia and New York in Intermediate and Advanced Pest Control and Wood Destroying Organism Control. Over 4,000 PCO’s from throughout the U.S. and foreign countries participated in these sessions. Also conducted workshops by invitation for NPCA, pest control firms, food processors, state and federal agencies, public health officials, and others involved in the prevention and control of pests.

Litigation:
Have provided technical expertise in over 540 litigation matters, at all levels, primarily dealing with wood destroying organisms, their detection, damage, prevention and control. My background in construction, and knowledge of historic structures often finds me working with architects, structural engineers and contractors in assessing and rebuilding buildings damaged by wood destroying insects and/or rot. Have also provided expertise and testimony in pesticide misapplication and contamination cases, and the currently-hot topic: bedbug infestations.

1972 - Present: Museums, Historic Properties, Libraries
Have devoted a substantial portion of my career to the care and protection of museum collections, artifacts, works of art, historic structures, and libraries from insect, mold and other pest attack. This extensive involvement (in excess of 255 citations) is summarized in a separate document entitled, Work with Historical Sites, Museums, Libraries, Societies, Colleges and Universities.

1978 - Present: Zoological Gardens
Have designed, developed and implemented Integrated Pest Management programs for several zoological parks. This work involves the control and prevention of cockroaches, rats and mice, ants, flying insects, bees, wasps, hornets, birds, and invading pest vertebrates. On several occasions, I have been asked to conduct technical workshops and seminars for zoo personnel throughout the United States. Supervised the implementation of the Integrated Pest Management programs for the Philadelphia and Dallas Zoos. Have also assisted the St. Louis, Detroit, Brandywine and Norristown Zoos in designing IPM programs for their facilities.

Spring 2003: Wrote and published “Stop Termites Before They
Eat Your Wallet”
“Stop Termites Before They Eat Your Wallet” is a 17 chapter, 140 pp. book about subterranean termites and a behind-the-scenes-look at the professional termite control industry. Available at my website, www.termitesonly.com, as a download, CD, or paper version.

Edited March 18, 2009