Dini Miller to be inducted into Pest Management Professional Hall of Fame
Virginia Tech entomologist Dini Miller will be inducted into the Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Fame.
The PMP Hall of Fame was created in 1996 to honor past and present leaders in the pest management industry. The hall of fame recognizes pest management professionals who practice and uphold industry standards and train and educate other professionals, acknowledging those individuals who have revolutionized the pest management industry by developing cutting-edge products and services. The industry-led selection committee focuses on each candidate’s career achievements and their contribution to shaping the pest management world.
Miller is an urban pest management specialist for Virginia Cooperative Extension and a professor of entomology in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. During her two decades at Virginia Tech, she has focused on tackling new and difficult problems facing urban pest management. Her research has centered on a wide variety of urban pests, including German cockroaches, subterranean termites, fire ants, and bed bugs.
The goal of her research has been to determine the best practices for controlling these pests in the urban environment. She strives to learn which products are most effective in controlling these pests to develop the best pesticide application methods and to make existing treatments more effective.
Perhaps the most important part of Miller’s work is her dedication to Extension programs throughout Virginia and the rest of the world. She is committed to training urban pesticide applicators and developing new pesticide application techniques to improve pest management in dense urban areas. She strives to educate the public about these pests by teaching people how to effectively control them.
Miller works with apartment managers, social workers, and medical personnel to better the lives of people who face problems with urban pest insects. Her accomplishments in these areas were recently recognized when she earned the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Healthy Home Hero” award.
Miller is actively working on new assessment-based pest management strategies, which use insect population monitoring to allow for more effective treatment of roaches and other urban pests. These strategies have been effective in eliminating pest populations without requiring residents to alter their lifestyle. These treatment plans include continued monitoring to provide the safest and most effective pest treatment options.
The PMP Hall of Fame recognizes titans in the pest management industry, and Miller embodies the qualities of a successful pest management professional. She is devoted to improving the lives of people on a global scale. Her achievements will be recognized at an induction ceremony on Oct. 14, 2019, in San Diego, California, on the eve of the National Pest Management Association’s annual conference.
