History

The Virus Division was initiated in 1995 by the unforgotten Norman Crook and some other SIP members, who felt that the interests of insect virologists within the Society should be coordinated and strengthened and that the Society`s insect virologists should be given a representative voice. These ideas were immediately well accepted by more than 60 SIP members, who supported the proposal for the establishment of such a Division. Initial officers (1995-1996) of the Division were Norman Crook, Suzanne Thiem, Just Vlak, and Bryony Bonning.

In 1996, a group of 135 Society members had joined the Division and bylaws have been formulated. Since 1996, when the Virus Division was approved by the SIP Council and new officers have been elected biannually. Since 1996, the Virus Division became active in organizing superior symposia and workshops on the SIP meetings and on the International Colloquiums on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control.