The Harold Gunderson Memorial Lecture

The Harold Gunderson Memorial Lecture is held on alternate years, during the Fall semester. Speakers address issues relating to Extension Entomology

Harold Gunderson received his PhD degree from Iowa State College in 1939, and served as Extension Entomologist at Iowa State College and University from 1935 to 1971. He was one of the most widely respected extension workers in the state of Iowa and throughout the midwest. He was responsible for teaching the principles and practices of pest control (arthropods, rodents, nuisance birds) to both rural and urban people of Iowa, and was primarily responsible for making recommendations on chemical control of crop insects. He authored more than 150 extension and journal publications, and trained graduate students to recognize and solve extension pest control problems. Gunderson received the USDA Superior Service Award in 1954, the Outstanding Performance Award in 1960, and the Epsilon Sigma Phi Certificate of Achievement on three occasions. He was also posthumously awarded the Award of Merit for Distinguished Service to Agriculture from the Iowa Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta. .