Areas of Interest
Phylogenomics
We are actively researching bee and wasp phylogenetic relationships through the use of high throughput DNA sequencing.
Bee Diversity
We are currently involved in a three-year exhaustive survey of the bees of New York State. This project is part of the larger National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators [pdf].
Bee-microbe Interactions
We are exploring the diversity of microbes associated with solitary bee brood cells through high-throughput DNA sequencing.
Pollination Biology
We are documenting the important role of wild, native bees in agricultural pollination.
The Bee Course 2023
August 16-26, 2023
The Bee Course is a nine day intensive workshop offered for conservation biologists, pollination ecologists, and other biologists who want to gain greater knowledge of the systematics and biology of bees. Details of the course are provided on the Bee Course website.
NYS Bee Diversity Survey
New York Natural Heritage Program
Our lab is involved in a state-wide survey of bees and other pollinators as part of an effort led by the NY Natural Heritage Program to develop an “Empire State Native Pollinator Survey”. The goal of the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey is to determine the conservation status of a wide array of native insect pollinators in non-agricultural habitats, including bees.