Complete Story
 

07/12/2026

Industry Grant Program Chair: We Keep Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is

by Alex Blahnik,ACE

The Pi Chi Omega Industry Grant Program is one of the ways PCO is committed to building connections within the urban pest management industry in order to elevate the professionalism of this industry. Twice annually, we select IGP applicants who embody our mission to help professionals advance themselves and/or the industry.

Built on the backs of generous Pi Chi Omega members and industry partner organizations, we were able to award over $2,500 after just the spring award cycle.

The Spring 2026 award recipients are:

Gene White Field Excellence Grant:

• Brian Quispe with OcuTrap: Development of a bait/attractant auto-feeder to apply fresh bQuispe Picait to devices without being physically present. OcuTrap co-founders Graham Patterson and Brian Quispe are shown to the right.

• Brandon Klein: Offset costs associated with attending the National Conference on Urban Entomology.

Daniel A. Baldwin Industry Grant:

• Shofu Babalola: Toward the purchase of durable goods to establish an IPM apprenticeship program in Africa. Shofu has been impacting developing communities by empowering people with both job skills and an understanding of how to perform integrated pest management in underserved areas.

I love the variety of the Spring 2026 awards. These recipients represent different facets of the IGP. From professional development to the development of a new device to empowering a country with IPM and job skills, Pi Chi Omega is moving the needle of the pest management industry in the right direction, one grant at a time. Look for individual articles from each of our IGP recipients in the upcoming weeks.

What about you? Why don’t you get involved? There are three ways that you can be sure not to miss out on participating in the great things that Pi Chi Omega is doing to advance the urban pest management industry.

There are three ways to get involved: apply for an industry grant, become a Pi Chi Omega member, and/or donate to support the PCO Industry Grant Program.

Here’s how:

  1. Apply for a Pi Chi Omega Industry Grant. The deadline to apply for the Fall 2026 award period is September 18.

Find everything you need here:
www.pichiomega.org/aws/PCO/pt/sp/industry

Apply yourself or encourage a friend or coworker to apply.

  1. Join Pi Chi Omega. We accept applications year-round, and we welcome new members quarterly, so now is the time to join.

You can do that here:
www.pichiomega.org/aws/PCO/pt/st/membership

If you are already a member, be sure to recommend that others join.

  1. Donate directly to the Industry Grant Program by visiting our website. Select Donate Now, then choose an amount under the Industry Grant Program.

Any way that you get involved, you can be the difference! Partner with us to shape the future of pest management today.

Printer-Friendly Version