LAS VEGAS — One of the highlights of the second day of NPMA PestWorld was the presentation of the NPMA Pinnacle Award to Dr. John Osmun. The annual award celebrates an individual’s lifetime of dedication and commitment to the pest management industry.

This year’s award went to a true industry pioneer, Dr. John Osmun. Few industry professionals have had as significant and long-lasting an impact on the field of pest management as Dr. Osmun, an outspoken advocate for PCO education and enhanced industry standards. Osmun’s impressive career spans more than 60 years, serving as chief entomologist for the U.S. Army and as a research entomologist with Merck & Co., before joining the staff of Purdue University in 1948 as assistant professor of entomology, where he developed the first four-year curriculum devoted to urban and industrial entomology. In the mid-1970s, Osmun left Purdue to become the first director of EPA’s Operations Division, where he brought a much-needed industry perspective to the Agency.

Osmun later rejoined Purdue University, eventually retiring as a Department of Entomology faculty member in 1987, although he remains active in university affairs to this day.

Although unable to attend the ceremony, in a pre-recorded video segment Osmun thanked NPMA and its members for this prestigious award.