A Fulfilling Job Helping Maintain Public Health

JENNIFER JOHNSON, CAE, NPMA Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Morgan Manderfield always loved bugs and knew this passion would play a part in her future career. While she never imagined a career in pest control, she’s found her ideal role as an entomologist with Ecolab in St. Paul, Minn. After earning her undergraduate degree in biology, she explored possible career options that would allow her to work within entomology. Ultimately discovering the variety of positions within pest control and the strength of this growing industry, she started out as a lab technician at Ecolab where she raised bug colonies and supported research.

Morgan has been with Ecolab’s Pest Elimination division on the Research, Development & Engineering team for five years, and recently moved into her role as an entomologist. Morgan is primarily responsible for developing new pest control traps, monitors, devices, protocols and processes. Her days can vary, with opportunities to touch several sides of pest management. She may be in the lab one day, then spend others in the field conducting tests. Or, she’ll have her nose in a spreadsheet analyzing data or on the phone with service specialists (technicians) working through a sticky situation. She also has the opportunity to go for ride-alongs with the service team or work through identifying different pests for those in the field. It’s a job she loves, and while she can’t tell us exactly what’s on the horizon for those new projects coming from her team (shhh!), she looks forward to the work she is doing each day.

Because of Ecolab’s focus as a provider of commercial and industrial pest control services, Morgan works with a wide array of pest groups, including cockroaches, large flies, small flies and stored product pests. Most often, she works with bed bugs within the hospitality sector. On occasion, she also has the opportunity to partner with other Ecolab divisions to support pest control within the healthcare or textiles industries. Morgan mentions, "The pest control industry is critically important in maintaining public health, and it’s so fulfilling to be a part of it. I also value the opportunities to join our field associates and see firsthand how they are ensuring the safety of their communities."

Morgan has also been fortunate to continue her professional development. Currently finishing up her masters in entomology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she has also participated in a number of NPMA programs, including the most recent Women’s Forum in Nashville and numerous webinars and online programs to keep up her knowledge of the field.

Looking to the future, Morgan is considering furthering her education with a doctorate and hopes to continue up the ladder towards becoming a staff scientist or corporate scientist within Ecolab.