People

Kristie Benel

Undergraduate researcher

I am a junior undergraduate studying Animal Science at Cornell University with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation. I first became interested in research with bees in high school when I learned about the role of bees in agroecological systems. This interest was then expanded when I took ENTOM 2030 (Honey Bees: Their Intriguing Biology and Interactions with Humans) with Dr. Marina Caillaud in my sophomore year at Cornell, where I became particularly interested in bee physiology.

I joined the Danforth lab in January 2026 and have been working on a project to measure the metabolic rates of overwintering bee larvae. The model organisms I have been working with are ground nesting bees in the genera Melissodes and Triepeolus.

Outside of the lab I enjoy hiking, bird watching, skiing, traditional archery, and scuba diving.