Su donates $250,000 for endowment

February 18, 2009

Nan-Yao Su, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, has donated $250,000 to the Entomological Society of America (ESA) for the establishment of an endowment to award creative entomologists who have demonstrated the ability to find alternative solutions to problems that significantly impact entomology.

Each year, interest from the $250,000 will be presented to the winner of ESA’s newest award, the Nan-Yao Su Award for Innovation and Creativity in Entomology.

Su’s own creativity led to the invention of an innovative solution to termite problems, the Sentricon System. Sentricon has been marketed in 18 countries since 1995 and protects more than two million homes and famous structures, including The White House and Statue of Liberty. Su’s invention has reduced pesticide use by more than 6,000 metric tons. His goal is to encourage similar innovations and thought processes in future generations.