Bryony Bonning, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor, has been named as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the organization announced Tuesday.
She is one of 162 academic inventors inducted into the prestigious organization, which honors and promotes academic invention, in 2023 – including one of two from UF.
Bonning wears many hats. She is the Davies, Fischer and Eckes eminent scholar chair, professor in the UF/IFAS entomology and nematology department, and director of the Center for Arthropod Management Technologies (CAMTech), which is a National Science Foundation industry-university cooperative research center.
“I am honored by this recognition by the National Academy of Inventors. Generating innovative ideas for practical use in insect pest management from fundamental information about insect-pathogen interactions has been a particularly satisfying aspect of my career,” Bonning said.
Bonning’s work on agricultural biotechnology has focused on developing novel, environmentally benign alternatives to chemical pesticides, alongside educating and mentoring students and promoting innovation within academia.
“Bonning is to be commended on her innovation in development of insect management technologies and the establishment of the National Science Foundation center CAMTech. The latter mirrors the mission of National Academy of Inventors to encourage commercialization of academic innovations,” said Nan-Yao Su, UF/IFAS distinguished professor of urban entomology.
Each of her six U.S. patents on agricultural pest management is founded on unique observations based on insect physiology or insect-virus interactions, toward novel approaches for insect pest control. Industry support to her laboratory and the establishment of CAMTech in 2013 have ensured the transfer of data and tools to expedite delivery of pest management products to growers. Through her leadership of CAMTech, Bonning has provided an inter-institutional culture of scientific and technological achievement of relevance to industry, which is immediately accessible for use by the industry partners of the center.
Bonning has 177 publications and has mentored 20 graduate students and 33 postdoctoral researchers. She is the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of outstanding research and research innovation including the Nan-Yao Su Award for Creativity and Innovation in Entomology, through the Entomological Society of America. Bonning is a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
For more information, you reach Communicator Randy Fernandez at r.fernandez88@ufl.edu.
2
