Creative, bug-loving scientists will have the chance to win some money in the future thanks to a UF professor.
Nan-Yao Su, a professor of entomology at UF, donated $250,000 to the Entomological Society of America last month.
Interest from the donation will be presented as a yearly award for innovation and creativity in entomology.
Su said he made the donation following the death of Robert Cade, inventor of Gatorade.
After learning that Cade's family intends to build a museum honoring UF inventors and their creations, Su said he was inspired by their theme of innovation.
Su, who has been a professor at UF for about 24 years, said he will not help pick the yearly winner, but plans to be present when the first award is given in December 2009 in Indianapolis.
How the winner spends his or her sum of nearly $10,000 is not important, Su said.
"They can put it in their pocket. They can take their family out to dinner. I don't care," he said, adding recognition for the winner's creativity was the true prize.
Su said he was interested in rewarding the creativity behind the accomplishments.
He is known for his invention of an internationally marketed termite extermination system that uses reduced levels of pesticide. He said childlike curiosity is essential to inventors.
While studying at the University of Hawaii, Su said the accepted method of termite extermination relied heavily on pesticide.
He touted creativity as the key to avoid becoming chained to accepted ideals.
"(Scientists) are very lucky because we're allowed to maintain our curiosity," he said.
To drive home his point, Su recalled his memory of catching dragonflies as a child. "If you look at a dragonfly wing, you can see a very intricate structure there. That is just amazing to me," he said. "That is some amazement that many kids will experience."
But innovation is not limited to the study of bugs, Su said.
"Creativity is needed everywhere," he said. "But I happen to be an entomologist."
