GOALS is extremely honored to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of Dr. Vernard Lewis, the first African American entomologist at UC Berkeley.
Born in Minnesota, Dr. Lewis was obsessed with collecting and learning about insects at an early age. As he approached graduation from high school he received the discouraging news from his counselor that he was not college material. To the contrary, not only was Dr. Lewis accepted to Cal, he excelled academically and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Sciences, and a Master’s and PhD in Entomology.
Dr. Lewis’ road towards becoming one of the world’s most iconic and prominent entomologists was paved in the early 80’s when he co-founded one of the State’s first minority-owned pest management businesses, IPS System, Inc. Also in the 80’s, he assumed the role of pest management coordinator at San Quentin State Prison where he played a key role in exterminating cockroaches and bed bugs. In the early 90’s, Dr. Lewis joined the UC Berkeley faculty as a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management. One of his most challenging and rewarding projects was the construction of the “Villa Termiti (AKA, house of the termite)” for conducting experiments on nonchemical methods for killing dry-wood termites. The outcome of his experiments and research findings has had a positive impact nationwide on the pest control industry. Today, Dr. Lewis is one of the most acclaimed and sought after experts on urban entomology and structural pest control.
Over the span of his career, Dr. Lewis has authored and co-authored more than 160 publications, and delivered over 700 presentations within and outside of the United States. Among some of his most notable accomplishments and awards are: Founding Member and Chair of the United Nations’ Termite Dream Team – The Global Termite Expert Group; recipient of the Outstanding Manager Award, University of California, Berkeley; Orkin Outstanding Research Award; Award in Urban Entomology, Pacific Branch Entomological Society of America; and the Pioneer Lecture Award, Florida Entomological Society.
Prior to retiring from U C Berkeley in 2016, Dr. Lewis was inducted into the Pest Management Professionals Hall of Fame of the National Pest Management Association, which recognizes and honors men and women who have made significant life-long contributions to the pest management industry.
As emeritus, Dr. Lewis continues to be involved with structural and household pest projects. As a strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, he is also involved in activities that promote the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and women in science.
