All images courtesy of Pete Schopen unless otherwise noted
On Sunday night, Dr. Barry Pittendrigh hosted the Purdue Pest Management Conference Planning Committee and took them out to dinner. The 90th Purdue conference started this morning at 8 a.m. Pictured from left are Conference Chairwoman Patricia Hottel, BCE (a 2024 PMP Hall of Famer, too!); Mike Corbitt, regional sales manager for Veseris; Dr. Pittendrigh; Dale Baker, JT Eaton; and PMP’s roving reporter, Pete Schopen.
Dr. Barry Pittendrigh, director of the Purdue Center for Urban and Industrial Pest Management, welcomed 300 attendees to the 90th Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference this morning in the Loeb Playhouse Theater.
Pete Schopen, long-time PMP contributor and owner of RV There Yet, hosts the PMP magazine booth at the 90th Purdue Pest Management Conference.
Isabella Lucero, J.T. Eaton’s education and compliance officer, and Mark VanderWerp, Rose Pest Solutions’ manager of education and training, performed the always-entertaining “Year in Review” for the 90th Annual Pest Management Conference at Purdue University. Bonus: J.T. Eaton President Dale Baker dressed up as a raccoon to help them add even more laughs.
Industry legends (and PMP Hall of Famers) Drs. Bobby Corrigan and Gary Bennett entertained attendees this morning at the 90th Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference with stories and memories from their years at Purdue. They told wonderful stories about Prof. J.J. Davis — also a PMP Hall of Famer — who started the Purdue Pest Conference in 1937. They also reminisced about PMP Hall of Famers Dr. John Osmun (former director of the Urban Entomology Department) and Dr. Austin Frishman, who spoke at the Purdue Conference a record 44 times.
Doc Frishman recorded a special 90th anniversary message for all of the attendees of this year’s Purdue Pest Management Conference from his home in Florida.Dr. Catherine Hill, head of entomology at Purdue, informed attendees about the opportunities in entomology. Dr. Hill helped organize this year’s 90th Purdue Pest Management Conference. During the Pi Chi Omega meeting, American Pest’s Dr. Kathleen Heinsohn, BCE, presented Dr. Gary Bennett with a lifetime achievement award. The industry fraternity is also celebrating its 75th anniversary, having been founded on the Purdue campus. Pi Chi Omega President James Miller, ACE, PCO market manager of Trécé, and former Pi Chi Omega President Dale Baker, president of J.T. Eaton, catch up before the fraternity’s luncheon.
Day 2 coverage
More than 40 vendors are helping pest control companies grow their businesses at Purdue’s 90th Annual Pest Management Conference Exhibit Hall. Pictured in the second image are Preston Wooton, left, and Clark Anderson from Sellify AI.
Cetane Associates‘ Bob Williamson, left, and Jason Muir of Western Fumigation win the Second Annual Cornhole Tournament at the 2026 Purdue Pest Management Conference. Trophies were provided by Purdue University Entomology Department. Gift cards provided by The Aust Group.Kim Kelley-Tunis of Nisus delivered an insightful look at wood-destroying pests on Day 2 of the 90th Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference in West Lafayette, Ind.It’s a busy second day at the 90th Purdue Pest Conference! Vendors and attendees are enjoying lunch provided by the Purdue Entomological Department. Over 300 pest management professionals and 40 vendors at Purdue this year.Purdue Pete made an appearance at the 90th Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference today to meet with attendees such as Planning Committee Chair Patricia Hottel, right.Grace Kolb was the 2026 recipient of the prestigious Pest Management Professional Scholarship. Kolb is working toward her doctorate in entomology and was a speaker at the 90th Annual Purdue Pest Management Conference. Kolb’s presentation was on the Challenges of Delusional Parasitosis.James Miller (Trécé Inc) accepts his award from Industry Planning Chairperson Pat Hottel for attending his 10th Purdue Pest Conference. Tim Baietto of Quick Kill (Streator, Ill.), left, and Jerry Batzner, founder of Batzner Pest (New Berlin, Wis.), were recognized at the Purdue Awards Luncheon for their impressive attendance records. Baietto has come to 39 Purdue Pest Conferences, while Batzner has been to 26. Kevin Thorn, ACE, president and founder of Pleasant Grove, Utah-based Thorn Pest Solutions, gave a heartfelt talk on being a compassionate leader. His presentation, “Leadership Lessons From Insects,” taught the attendees about building “human teams” instead of working with people who hate their jobs.
Day 3 coverage
Pete Schopen gave an energetic talk on Wednesday on making training fun at the 90th annual Purdue Pest Management Conference. Photo by Mark Vanderwerp.
Mark VanderWerp, BCE, kicked off the third day of the Purdue Pest Management Conference in West Lafayette, Ind., while also introducing his Rose Pest Solutions colleague, Mark “Shep” Sheperdigian, BCE, for a talk on effective training.
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