Prof. Mike Wingfield was the founder Director of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI).  He stepped down from this position after 20 years in 2007 and now serves as an advisor to the Executive of the University of Pretoria.  He served a five-year term (2014-2019) as President of the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO), based in Austria and representing more than 15 000 forest scientists globally and currently acts as Immediate Past President of the Union.  He is internationally recognized for his research on insect pests and diseases of forest trees.  In this regard, he has projects with students studying tree health issues in many parts of the world including those affecting both commercial forestry operations and natural forest ecosystems.  He is particularly concerned with the pathways of movement of tree pests and in seeking opportunities to reduce their negative impacts.  Mike has published extensively in this field in more than 1000 ISI Journal papers and has advised or co-advised more than 100 Ph.D. students. He has received many awards and tokens of recognition, including the Kwame Nkuruma Award from the African Union, honorary doctorates from North Carolina State University and the University of British Columbia as well as the China Friendship Award.