Dr. Marlin E. Rice, currently a senior research scientist with Pioneer Hi-Bred International in Johnston, IA, is nationally recognized for his work in extension entomology. He dedicated his extension career to the creative development and innovative delivery of IPM information to crop producers, agri-business consultants, and extension educators. His efforts span 26 years at Texas A&M University, the University of Idaho, and Iowa State University, where he was a professor of entomology.
Dr. Rice is a popular speaker and a prolific writer. He gave over 700 extension presentations at field days, short courses, and producer meetings. He authored 105 extension and 87 refereed publications, and wrote nearly 750 newsletter articles. At Iowa State University, he was executive editor of Integrated Crop Management, which he transformed into the first full-color, weekly, crops extension newsletter published by a land-grant university. The newsletter is now Internet-based and during 2007 it received over one million page views.
In 2006, he created “Bugcasts”—the first extension podcasts on insect pest management. His perspectives on Iowa agricultural have been quoted in the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and numerous farming magazines. He co-authored with Larry Pedigo two editions of Entomology and Pest Management and is a co-editor of ESA’s Handbook of Corn Insects. He co-developed with Kevin Steffey the Journal of Integrated Pest Management—the first peer-reviewed, Internet-based, open-access, extension-focused, pest management journal.
His recognitions include Outstanding Extension Agent—Pest Management (Texas A&M University), and at Iowa State University he received the University Extension New Professional Award, the Excellence in Applied Research and Extension Award, and the Outstanding Achievement in Extension Award. He was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Zimbabwe.
Dr. Rice was elected to the ESA Governing Board for nine years. He served as Section E Representative, Secretary-Treasurer, and President. During 2000 he was the ESA Annual Meeting Program Chair in Montreal. He received an M.S. (entomology) from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. (entomology) from Kansas State University.
(updated July, 2011)