[PCT Leadership Winner] Brian Forschler

If there is one word to describe Dr. Brian Forschler it is integrity. Manufacturers hold Forschler in high regard for his honest and thorough testing of products, while PCOs respect him for listening to their challenges and needs and then moving forward with research that addresses their concerns. At the same time, other industry groups, such as those involved with regulatory issues, have come to regard Forschler as a voice of reason in the sometimes-heated debates about product efficacy.

"The thing about Brian is he is grounded. He has a grip of both the manufacturers’ sensibilities and what the PCOs are looking for at the end of the pipeline," said Bob Rosenberg, director of government affairs, National Pest Management Association (NPMA). "You have people like me that are more politicians, and then you have pure scientists that are theoretical and never quite get there. Brian’s got a perfect combination of both. It’s a rare combination."

For the last 13 years Forschler has developed this reputation while working as an associate professor and researcher at the University of Georgia. In his current position he divides his time among research, teaching and extension responsibilities.

EARLY YEARS. Brian Forschler’s path to the pest control industry began in Germany of all places. Forschler’s parents, Tom and Ria, met while Tom was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. When his family returned to the States they settled in New Orleans but moved frequently. Forschler spent many of his formative years in Ohio, where he developed an interest in nature and the outdoors. "Probably my first introduction to insects was as a child collecting deer flies and wasps in jars," he recalls.

Forschler also enjoyed time spent working in conjunction with the Cleveland Natural History Museum assisting in archeological excavations along the shores of Lake Erie. During his teen years he joined a herpetology club, working alongside the head naturalist in the state of Ohio collecting snakes throughout the state.

Forschler’s experiences during his childhood sparked an interest in the sciences that he pursued following high school. During the next four years Forschler attended three different universities in pursuit of a degree in biology. While Forschler found his academic niche in the sciences, he was less certain about what he wanted to do for a career. "How did I become involved in the pest control industry? Like most things in my life it was a result of unconscious decisions I made," he says. "I’ve been able to take advantages of some opportunities that have come my way."

Forschler held various jobs during and after college, including insurance investigator, social worker and manager of the Moyers Winery in Manchester, Ohio. It was during his time working at the winery that Forschler developed an interest in insects. As part of Brian’s responsibilities as manager, he and others sprayed the winery’s nine acres for Japanese beetles.

Forschler then enrolled at the University of Kentucky, where he earned a bachelor’s degree (1985), followed by his master’s degree (1987), both in entomology. Forschler then enrolled at the University of Georgia, where he pursued a Ph.D. in entomology. During this time he worked as a graduate research assistant at UGA’s Department of Entomology, while working with insect diseases as possible control agents.

Upon earning his Ph.D., Forschler accepted a research position in the University of Arkansas’ Department of Entomology in 1990 and worked there for a year before returning to the University of Georgia in 1991 upon learning that UGA had an opening for a research scientist. This opening was formed after the Georgia Pest Control Association, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Entomology worked to obtain funding for an urban entomology position at the University of Georgia.

A TRUSTED VOICE. Throughout his tenure at the University of Georgia, Forschler’s cutting-edge research has earned him praise from PCOs and colleagues alike. These two entities helped Forschler build the foundation for his research because, while Forschler had deep knowledge of entomology, what he didn’t have was a good understanding of the challenges facing pest management professionals working in the field. "I surveyed the industry through GPCA to find out their concerns and problems and I found that termites were enemy No. 1," Forschler says.

Throughout the years, Forschler has worked closely with industry veterans such as Paul Hardy, "Doc" Nichols, Jay Nixon and Rick Bell, and he credits these and other industry professionals with helping him focus his research efforts. "I have great respect for folks in this industry and I’m amazed at their dedication to doing the job right," he says. "I certainly wouldn’t want to be in their shoes. Most of what they do is blindfolded. One of the reasons they look to the research community is to back up some of the things they do in the field, but even the research community can’t quite agree on what’s happening because we are all blindfolded when it comes to actually seeing what makes termites tick."

Forschler’s research efforts have helped provide the pest control industry with better tools and the information necessary to do their jobs more effectively. His research with termites has included characterization of foraging territories, population estimates, and wood consumption rates for termite colonies representing the three species of subterranean termite known to infest structures in Georgia. His trademark has been longitudinal research – meaning the collection and analysis of data over time. He uses ecological data and molecular information and regular observations to paint a picture of what is going on with termites.

Along the way, like any good researcher, Forschler has shared and compared his research with colleagues, such as Mike Haverty, project leader for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station. "Brian is a tremendous devil’s advocate," Haverty says. "He asks difficult questions and I think it makes other people examine their work more closely or in a different light. If you can convince Brian, you’ve got the world convinced."

Forschler’s open-mindedness and keen insights have made him a popular and respected speaker among various industry entities, ranging from PCOs to manufacturers to regulators. "Brian speaks from a standpoint of rigorous scientific research and he is willing to go out on a limb and tell his audience what he really thinks," observes Dr. Gregg Henderson, professor and urban entomologist at Louisiana State University AgCenter. "That is kind of un-usual among researchers in this field and I respect him greatly for it."

But while Forschler is willing to present his research, he does not make definitive statements, especially when it comes to termite research. This position opens him up to criticism from some of his colleagues, he admits.

"When you do science, you form an experiment and the techniques you use are up based on assumptions," he explains. "The biology of termites has been rewritten the last 12 years and most of that is because we, the research community, have begun to test the assumptions that underlie our preconceptions about how termites live and breed. So I tend to be very cautious drawing conclusions from my experiments and because I put a great emphasis on the assumptions that underlie the techniques that we use, the UGA research team, more often than not, finds that termites haven’t read the textbooks and don’t know how to behave."

What’s more important to Forschler is that he continues learning about termite biology and behavior and that the pest control industry will consider his research as a tool to be used as it reshapes its business model for performing termite control services.

And while Forschler’s true passion is research, he’s also developed a liking for another one of his responsibilities – teaching. Currently Forschler teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses and he enjoys giving students hands-on projects that give them a better understanding of the important role insects play in the environment. "I really didn’t have any formal teacher training but it’s something that I’ve enjoyed because it keeps you in touch with the next generation of researchers," Forschler says. "Teaching is one of the most important contributions the academic community makes to the pest control industry."

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE. Unlike some researchers, Brian Forschler came to the pest control industry with few preconceptions. He quickly learned the challenges and rewards of urban entomology and for the last 13 years he’s provided the pest control industry with research to meet their challenges head on. At the same time, Forschler has become regarded as an honest industry broker and is respected among the pest management industry’s various stakeholders. It’s a reputation he looks to build upon.

"I want to continue looking at how the chemistries and application technologies that are available and coming down the pike can best be utilized by the industry to maintain a customer base that results in a long-term relationship," he says. "This involves researching everything from the genetics of termites, to ecology, to mode of action of new chemistries."

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A Father’s Pride

While Brian Forschler goes about his daily work at the University of Georgia, his thoughts are never far from son Erich, 22, a member of the United States Air Force.

Erich serves as a security policeman and recently reported to Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. For the past two years, Erich was stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo. F.E. Warren AFB is home to the nation’s largest and most modern intercontinental ballistic missile unit, the 90th Space Wing, and home to 20th Air Force, the headquarters of America’s intercontinental ballistic missile force.

As a security policeman, his responsibilities differ from a military policeman (MP) in that he carries live ammunition.

Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, Erich spent 18 months at the University of Georgia, but he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement and felt that the military was the best route.

With the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, Forschler is both proud of his son’s service, but also understandably concerned for his future.

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The Man In Blue (Jeans)

If you ever attend a pest control conference and want to find Dr. Brian Forschler, look for the presenter wearing jeans.

Whether the event is an informal gathering such as a state pest control association meeting or a more formal function like the annual ASPCRO conference, chances are Forschler will be dressed in his trademark button down shirt…and jeans.

Is Forschler trying to make a fashion statement? Is he superstitious that not wearing jeans will bring him bad luck? No, Forschler’s explanation is quite simple: "I don’t go clothes shopping. The clothes that I wear are what I get at Christmas and birthdays. I’m not much of a fashion plate."

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Forschler Heads New Scientific Review Panel

Brian Forschler calls his appointment to chair the newly created Termiticide Scientific Review Panel (TSRP) one of his career highlights. Forschler is one of five internationally recognized experts in the field of termite control and biology on this panel, which was formed through a cooperative effort among the National Pest Management Association, the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO), and RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Other panel members are Dr. Brad Kard, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Faith Oi, University of Florida; Dr. Susan Jones, The Ohio State University; and Dr. Barbara Thorne, University of Maryland.

The panel was created for the purpose of reviewing proposals from prospective registrants for termite control products using new technologies that do not fall within current guidelines established by EPA. The panel will make recommendations to registrants regarding suggested testing protocols, efficacy requirements and other registration and performance requirements. The goal of the panel is to provide registrants with guidance that will likely strengthen acceptance of the registration package at EPA and state pesticide regulatory agencies.

"Our goal was to never find ourselves where we are with baits where 10 years after bait products were registered there still is no standard for whether the bait worked or not," says NPMA Director of Government Affairs Bob Rosenberg. "We’re hoping there will be lots of new technology forthcoming. The goal of this panel is to provide PCOs with some degree of confidence that the registered product they are using has met a rigid efficacy standard."

It’s taken close to three years for the formation of this panel due to complex negotiations among EPA, ASPCRO, manufacturers and PCOs. In February 2004, Forschler was chosen to chair the panel by the TSRP administrative board. Forschler’s work as chair in the six months that followed was instrumental in getting the panel up and running in July 2004, according to Rosenberg. During this time Forschler helped the panel resolve a number of challenging issues, including:

• Ensuring that panel members are credible independent scientists that have links with manufacturers, but are not engaged in activities that could compromise their judgment.

• Since the panel will be reviewing innovative products, many of which are five to seven years from commercialization – it was critical that panel members have no financial relationship with the companies that have submitted the products for review. For obvious reasons, they also must agree to full confidentiality.

• Creating a standardized format for developing protocols that will be acceptable to EPA.

"Brian was just tremendous in developing a consensus among panel members that was acceptable. These were difficult issues to be worked through before the panel could be operational. Brian has dug into his role with incredible gusto," Rosenberg adds.