The opening ceremony of the International Plant Protection Congress prompted a proud moment for the Virginia Tech-led Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab. The IPM IL was presented with the International Plant Protection Award of Distinction, Monday, August 24, at the opening ceremony of the congress in Berlin. Geoff Norton, president of the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences, presented representatives of the program with the “IPPC Team Award.” He lauded them for their efforts in creating and promoting IPM packages – sustainable farming techniques for growing tropical vegetable crops – in addition to hands-on training efforts and a long-term commitment to graduate student education. As per tradition, recipients of this award are individuals and teams who have made significant scientific strides in the way of plant protection, or who have contributed to plant protection organizations in a meaningful way. Members of the winning team include university scientists and collaborators from Africa and Asia.