Kent, Ohio – The Davey Tree Expert Company appointed Daniel Herms to vice president of research and development. As a top theoretical and practical tree sciences researcher in the industry, Herms complements the technical quality and capacity of the Davey Institute.
Herms joins Davey with more than 30 years of experience and leadership in arboreta and academia. In 1984, he started his career as the director of pest management at Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan. In his time at Dow Gardens, he designed their research program, laboratory facilities and managed all Integrated Pest Management programs. Most recently, Herms served as a professor and chair in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University.
In 2014, Herms was elected as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was chosen for “his distinguished research, teaching and outreach contributions to the science and application of tree-insect interactions, including ecology, impact and management.”
Throughout his career, Herms has researched the mainstreaming of biological calendar and phenological indicators into applied pest management tools; the incorporation by the tree care industry of work on tree resource allocation patterns and their management implications; practical treatment options for significant pests such as the emerald ash borer; and adaptation of the green industry to climate change, from worker safety during heat events in the southern U.S. to changing pest and plant zones.
“Dan is well known in the green industry for his expertise and ability to translate technical concepts into practical applications. His research on the emerald ash borer led to the development of numerous industry practices that are still being utilized today,” said Greg Ina, executive vice president of the Davey Institute and employee development. “Dan’s decades-long research on how plants allocate and balance their resources between growth and defense has enormous implications on pest management and nutrition programs, central to Davey’s plant health care approach.”
In addition to his AAAS election, Herms has also received recognition for his work including the Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology from the Entomological Society of America and the Richard W. Harris Author’s Citation Award from the International Society of Arboriculture.