Get to Know Dr. Nancy Troyano

Dr. Nancy Troyano, PhD, BCE

Director of Operations, Education and Training
Rentokil-Terminix

How did you get started in the industry? 

My start in the industry (like many), was not in my original career plans, but life’s circumstances led me to it! After graduating with my PhD in Entomology from Virginia Tech in 2009, I accepted a teaching position at a community college in Pennsylvania—what I envisioned as my dream job with my adjunct experience and passion for teaching and entomology. My wife, a veterinarian, signed a contract at a nearby animal hospital, and we moved to the area. Shortly thereafter, the economic recession led to a hiring freeze and my teaching offer at the community college was rescinded. Jobs were scarce, but after spending 12 years in college, there was no way I was going to sit home and NOT work! One of my advisors at VT, Dini Miller, suggested I look into the pest-management industry, and I wound up interviewing at Rentokil-Terminix’s headquarters (just Rentokil at the time), located nearby my new home in PA. I was told during the interview that there were no technical department openings but that I could run a route as a technician in the meantime. Since I didn’t have any hands-on pest-management experience (and anything better to do), I accepted a position as a technician of a mixed residential and commercial route. The rest is history. PS, I ran this route for almost a year before accepting the position as the first-ever training manager in the technical department for Rentokil, my actual dream job ever since! Fast forward to present day, I have grown training into its own department and now lead four teams to provide training for our U.S. pest operations. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 

Never underestimate the capabilities of pests, and never say never when you teach about them! Just when you think that ants will never be found in a certain area or that termites cannot chew through a specific material, they prove you wrong! That’s also what I love about this industry—you never know what you’re going to see. 

What life skill do you wish you had cultivated or were better at? 

Well, I can tell you when I was running a route that I wish I had better map-reading skills! GPS units were big and clunky and quite fickle at that time. I spent more time than I care to admit navigating between customer sites, especially when I was filling in for other people! 

What’s one thing people don’t know about you? 

I have two answers for this question. First is that I am an identical twin, and I don’t know who I am in pictures up until about the eighth grade. If I don’t remember taking the picture, I have to study it hard or ask my mother who is who. Next is true confession time—even though I am an entomologist, insects are not my favorite arthropod. My heart belongs to Crustacea and specifically to crabs. From their bright colors and sideways gait to their sassy attitudes, I find crabs both adorable and fascinating. In 2020, I began a crab “bucket list” where I have challenged myself to find as many crab species as possible. I am currently working my way through an east coast field guide and have identified about 15 different species to date! 

Describe yourself in three words.

Outgoing, passionate and nerdy. 

What is the most important lesson life has taught you? 

As a mom of a daughter with special needs, I try not to take simple things for granted—a beautiful sunset, a peaceful walk in the woods, a long car ride that was chockful of good songs on the radio. I try to live in the moment and appreciate the things that are going well. 

What was your most embarrassing moment? 

My most embarrassing moment was when I was a brand-new technician servicing a very popular fast-food chain. I saw German cockroaches on the insect monitors in the kitchen and noticed some antenna popping out of a seam in a nearby wall. Being fresh out of school, I had the book knowledge on flushing agents, but not the practical experience. So, I excitedly applied the flushing agent and was horrified when dozens of cockroaches immediately came pouring out and ran onto a wall that was visible to a line of customers waiting to order their food. I looked like I was doing a jig as I quickly knocked as many as I could off the wall and out of the customers’ sight. 

What would your superpower be? 

My superpower is balancing a fast-paced career with being a special-needs mom and still finding time for self-care to do the things I love. I am in a women’s hiking club that focuses on empowering women. I feel pretty good about my ability to connect with others and sometimes inspire them to climb mountains (literally and figuratively). 

What is your guiltiest pleasure? 

I love ice cream. I have zero willpower when it comes to ice cream, especially soft-serve. 

What’s the most useless talent you have? 

Scientific names—especially the genus and species names of countless insects and crustaceans. They stick with me and float around uselessly inside of my brain. I’m still trying to figure out how to use this talent to make millions. 

Describe your perfect day. 

A perfect day would be waking up in Cape Cod, spending the day catching critters in the water followed by good food and drinks! 

What’s your pet peeve? 

When people blame mystery skin bumps and injuries on a spider bite without ever actually confirming the presence of a spider! It’s probably not a spider bite. (Sigh.) 

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? 

I’m a huge “National Lampoon’s Vacation” fan, and I call a lot of people Clark! 

What’s heavily played on your music playlist right now? 

If I’m feeling lighthearted, I’m a ‘90s pop fan. When I’m more melancholy or introspective, I go for the power ballads or sing my heart out to any Whitney Houston song. 

What book did you most recently finish? 

I just finished The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand. As a Cape Cod enthusiast, I especially enjoyed the New England setting. 

How do you start your day? 

I start my day by letting my dogs out, feeding them and giving them treats. Despite anything we say, our dogs actually do rule the house. 

What’s your favorite holiday? 

Christmas. The spirit of giving always restores my faith in people, and these days, I especially enjoy watching my children become more thoughtful of each other as they get older. Also, I have a big family, and I delight in the chaotic holiday get-togethers.