The People - Pullman Campus

	Matthew Smart is a M.Sc. student who found that a personal interest in astronomy and extra-terrestrial life led him to the clear skies of Eastern Washington.  Matthew’s graduate research centers on honey bee colony health, epidemiology and molecular characterization of a recently described Nosema pathogen.  In addition to conducting extensive fieldwork in WSU’s historical “Feedmill Apiary”, Matthew assists the WSU diagnostic laboratory with molecular identification of Nosema species.
Judy Wu is a M.Sc. student who left Hawaii to participate in the underground art scene rampant throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Judy is interested in honey bee colony health and the potential effects of in-hive and environmental chemical residue exposure.  Her M.Sc. research includes life-table and behavioral studies of bees exposed to sub-lethal pesticide levels.
	Dr. Devrim Oskay is a Research Associate from Turkey who saw eastern Washington as a region that could benefit from the knowledge of proper coffee making protocols.  Devrim received his PhD from the University of Puerto Rico for his work on honey bee behavior and genetics. Devrim is involved in a USDA-SARE funding program to propagate, test, and distribute selected honey bee germplasm to beekeepers in the PNW.  Devrim is also involved in a coordinated program between WSU and UC-Davis to enhance US honey bee diversity.
Kirsten Northfield now manages the WSU Honey Bee Diagnostic Laboratory after moving to Pullman to pursue a lifelong passion in theoretical macroeconomics.  The diagnostic laboratory is a research/service laboratory that screens honey bee samples for parasitic mites and microsporidian pathogens.  Kirsten receives and processes samples from beekeepers, from WSU research apiaries, and from collaborating apicultural researchers.
	Beth Kahkonen is the Apiary and Laboratory Manager of the WSU Apiary Program.  Beth hails from Pennsylvania and originally joined the Pullman crowd to continue her white-water rafting guide business.  Beth received a M.Sc. in Entomology from WSU for research on the use of botanical oils to control parasitic honey bee mites.  Prior to her acclaimed return to Pullman in 2008, Beth’s interim journey included positions in apicultural and medical research laboratories.  Beth is an active motorcyclist and rock climber in her spare time.
Dr. Steve Sheppard is a Professor in the Department of Entomology who came to Pullman to become an unpaid bush pilot. He 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@wsu.edu

The People - Out in the World

	Sam Hapke
	Debbie Delaney was a PhD student who 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 continued to work in the area of honey bee reproduction in her PhD research project on genetic differentiation and microevolution in honey bees.
	Ben Horwath
	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
	Jamie Strange was a PhD student who came to Pullman from the sprawling city of Prosser, WA and found 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 centered 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
	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
	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.

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. 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

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

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