Dr. Galen P. Dively, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of Maryland, is widely recognized for his work in agricultural integrated pest management (IPM), resistance monitoring, and ecological assessment of the nontarget effects of Bt crops.
Dively was born in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1944 and grew up on a dairy farm. He received his B.S. in biology (1966) from Juniata College and earned his M.S. (1968) and Ph.D. (1974) in entomology from Rutgers University. Dively joined the University of Maryland faculty in 1972 and worked as an extension IPM specialist for 34 years. In this role, he served as the state IPM coordinator, implemented pilot demonstration projects, trained crop advisors, delivered weekly IPM information, and gave over 600 talks at stakeholder meetings. His outreach efforts resulted in a significant shift to prescription-based insecticide use in many crops, and his vegetable IPM guidelines have been adopted in other states.
Dively’s research is broadly focused and closely linked to his extension efforts to address IPM issues. His laboratory provided long-term bioassay services to establish baseline susceptibility levels and monitoring for tracking resistance development to neonicotinoid and diamide insecticides in Colorado potato beetle populations. His research generated nontarget information required for continued registration of Bt corn, reported the first evidence of insect resistance to Bt sweet corn, and demonstrated benefits to vegetable growers from regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt corn adoption. He organized and served on several working groups to develop field and laboratory protocols for testing nontarget effects. Dively was part of a research team that assessed the nontarget impact of Bt corn on the monarch butterfly, which significantly influenced EPA’s decision process regarding re-registration of Bt corn. His nontarget work also focused on the effects of Bt pollen and imidacloprid on honey bee colony health.
Since retirement in 2006, Dively continues to maintain an active teaching/research program as a part-time faculty member. He teaches an online IPM course each spring semester, evaluates new conventional and organic insecticides, and has published multiple studies on the benefits of insectary flowers in riparian buffers and on the biology and management of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug. Most recently, he developed and directs a multistate sweet corn sentinel monitoring network for tracking field-evolved resistance to the Bt toxins, which has influenced EPA to consider changes to the insect resistance monitoring protocol for Bt crops.
During his 48-year career, Dively mentored 36 graduate students; generated more than $7 million in competitive funding; and published 99 peer-reviewed papers (6,126 citations), five book-chapters, 77 extension leaflets and bulletins, and over 200 technical research reports. His accomplishments are recognized by the University of Maryland Faculty Award in Extension (1992), Eastern Branch Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension (1993), Eastern Branch Recognition Award in Entomology (2001), Life Sciences Faculty Service Award (2003), and Eastern Branch L.O. Howard Distinguished Achievement Award (2010).
He continues to live an active life, gardening, woodworking, fishing, sailing, and world traveling with family.