The People - Pullman Campus

Debbie Delaney is a PhD student who recently left the Oregon coastal range for the astounding rockhounding opportunities to be found in the loess soil of the Palouse. Deb conducted MSc research at Oregon State University on aspects of sperm production in honey bee drones. She will continue to work in the area of honey bee reproduction in her PhD research project on genetic differentiation and microevolution in honey bees.

Sally Hasher is a research technician who left Lewiston Idaho to find solitude in the rolling hills surrounding Pullman and to see for herself the special quality of light that bathes the Palouse. In addition to myriad duties pertaining to the totality of the Apiary Program at WSU, Sally finds time for motorcycle riding and ice fishing.

Dr. Marina Meixner is a Research Associate from Frankfurt, Germany who sees Pullman as a cultural mecca. Her Ph.D. research was conducted at the Institut fur Bienenkunde in Oberursel, Germany. Research interests and experience include intraspecific taxonomy of the honey bees, investigation of introgression among endemic subspecies, design and application of computer-assisted morphological analysis and the study of introduced populations of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly. Her current work includes selection and breeding honey bees as part of a IPM program for parasitic mite management. Dr. Meixner can be reached by email: mmeixner@mail.wsu.edu

Dr. Steve Sheppard is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology who came to Pullman to become an unpaid bush pilot. His received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include evolution of the Apinae, the genetics of colonization and origins and diversification of honey bee subspecies. Current projects include molecular systematics of Apis, biogeography of Old World honey bees, and genetic analysis of introduced (New World) honey bee populations. Related collaborative projects involve the study of population structure and source populations in introduced or host-shifted pest insects. Dr. Sheppard can be reached by email: shepp@mail.wsu.edu

Jamie Strange is a PhD student who comes to Pullman from the sprawling city of Prosser, WA and finds the Pullman traffic to be annoying. In his spare time he is often seen crashing his mountain bike, scaring wild game (but rarely causing them harm), changing road signs to metric and developing a vast network of high speed passenger trains. Jamie received his B.S. from Penn State and a M.Sc. from WSU for research on alternative methods of Varroa mite control in honey bee colonies. His Ph.D. research centers on understanding the ecological genetics of an endemic "ecotype" of honey bee in southwestern France, including an investigation of genetic introgression via drone congregation areas. Jamie can be reached by email:jstrange@mail.wsu.edu

The People - Out in the World

Marco Costa - Marco was a Ph.D. student from the Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, SP Brasil who arrived in Pullman to enjoy the seaside vistas. Marco's research was primarily directed toward understanding the systematics of the subfamily Meliponinae. Marco returned to Brasil and received his PhD in 1998. Dr. Costa can be reached by email: pkin@iris.ufscar.br

Melissa Gardner - Melissa was a M.Sc. student who moved to Pullman due, in part, to the offerings of the local opera company. Melissa's research was on simultaneous selection of multiple traits in honey bees and some of her selected honey bee stocks have been incorporated into the continuing WSU bee breeding program. Melissa received her M.Sc. degree from WSU in 2002.

Dr. Lionel Garnery was a visiting professor from Versailles University and left France for the culinary challenges extant in eastern Washington. Lionel's research includes the phylogeography of honey bee subspecies, the evolution of the genus Apis and the evolution of mitochondrial DNA within the Apoidea. He has developed some interest in Washington state wines and in winter can be seen on nearby downhill ski slopes demonstrating the French flying stop. Lionel can be contacted at Lionel.Garnery@pge.cnrs-gif.fr Dr. Veronique Garnery was a postdoctoral researcher who left Paris to enjoy the almost limitless variety of jazz and blues clubs of eastern Washington. Her research interests are in the field of population genetics and her work at WSU involved study of population structure in A. m. lamarckii, the Egyptian honey bee. These bees are maintained in apiaries of 1000 colonies or more in mud tube hives and represent a possible distinct lineage within the species

Beth Kahkonen was a M.Sc. student from Pennsylvania who joined the Pullman crowd while continuing her white-water rafting guide business. Her recent lifestyle changes include cross-country motorcycle touring and scuba diving. Beth received a M.Sc. from WSU for her research on the use of botanical oils to control parasitic mites of honey bees. She continues to work with honey bees whenever her busy schedule permits.

Dr. Irfan Kandemir - Irfan was a Ph.D. student from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey who came to Pullman for the incredible birding opportunities. Irfan has returned to Turkey as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Incivez Zonguldak 67100, Turkey. Irfan remains interested in areas of natural introgression between honey bee subspecies and uses both morphological and molecular data to assess the complex interactions among Eastern Mediterranean honey bees. Dr. Kandemir can be reached by email: bioirfan@metu.edu.tr