Gene Wood, Former U. of Maryland Entomology Professor, Dies

Francis E. “Gene” Wood, an extension entomologist and professor at the University of Maryland, died on May 18, at age 80. Wood died from complications of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a pernicious disease that attacks both cognition and mobility.

A native of Jefferson City, Mo., Wood earned a BS and MS from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D in entomology from the University of Maryland.

As an extension entomologist and professor, Wood helped educated the pest control industry and the public they serve, and also conducted applied research. Using his skill as a scientific illustrator, he produced scores of publications and drawings covering the identification, biology and control of pests. His illustrations will soon be available on the University of Maryland Department of Entomology website

 In the 1970s he began transforming a loosely organized group of Maryland "exterminators" into pest management professionals by providing training leading to certification at his annual Interstate Pest Control Conference, which is still hosted today by the Entomology Department. His applied research showed that African Americans are less prone to having head lice than other groups, thus enabling school systems to more efficiently manage lice outbreaks among students. A major research effort of his was documenting the early detection of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide resistance in the German cockroach. In the 1980s Gene adapted the agricultural concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use in dwellings by developing trapping, baiting and harborage reduction techniques to manage exploding German cockroach populations in apartment buildings. Large demonstration projects were conducted with Baltimore City public housing and the National Institutes of Health's animal care facility, which still uses this program.

A memorial program in Wood’s honor will be held on the University of Maryland campus on June 21, 2013 at 3 pm in Room 1140 in the Plant Science Building. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Gene's name to either the non-profit organization Literacy West Virginia, to support establishing a literacy program in Hardy County, West Virginia, or to the University of Maryland Foundation, to support student scholarships. Checks for the literacy program should be made out to Literacy West Virginia and sent to Judy Azulay, PO Box 522, Union, WV 24983. Checks for the entomology scholarships should be made out to the University of Maryland Foundation, with a note on the check "For Steinhauer Scholarship," and sent to the U of MD Department of Entomology, Rm 4112 Plant Sciences, College Park, Maryland, 20742. A memorial program in Gene's honor will be held on the University of Maryland campus on June 21, 2013 at 3 pm in Room 1140 in the Plant Science Building. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Gene's name to either the non-profit organization Literacy West Virginia, to support establishing a literacy program in Hardy County, West Virginia, or to the University of Maryland Foundation, to support student scholarships. Checks for the literacy program should be made out to Literacy West Virginia and sent to Judy Azulay, PO Box 522, Union, WV 24983. Checks for the entomology scholarships should be made out to the University of Maryland Foundation, with a note on the check "For Steinhauer Scholarship," and sent to the U of MD Department of Entomology, Rm 4112 Plant Sciences, College Park, Maryland, 20742.

Source: The Washington Post