PI: Karen Goodell
I study the population and community ecology of native bees to better understand their role in agricultural and natural plant communities and how to conserve them.
Karen, Jessie, Megan, Andrew and James celebrating Andrew’s advancement to candidacy and James’s first day in the lab. April 2017
Learning to detect Nosema from Rodney Richardson.
Celebrating Megan Varvaro’s Masters defense!
June 2018
Graduate Students
Andrew Lybbert MS, PhD Candidate
Andrew’s research investigates the influence of invasive plants and restoration of native plants affect pollinator biodiversity.
John Ballas, MS student
John is interested in leaf choice in Megachilid bees.
Lab Alumni
Post-doctoral Researchers
K. James Hung, PhD
James’s research investigates the interplay among pesticides, insect pests, pollinators, and crop yield in Ohio’s pumpkin and squash agroecosystems. Click here for website
Jessie’s research investigates how reclaimed mines support bee communities. Her post-doctoral research investigates the distributions and environmental correlates to bumble bee species in Ohio.
Undergraduate Students
Audrey Bezilla, OSU B.S., 2018 Project: “Analyzing the role of roadsides in Bumble Bee habitat”
Kevin Conroy, Project: “Documenting the prevalence of internal parasites in Bombus species throughout Ohio”
Amber Fredenburg, OSU B.S. 2018, Research assistant for the project “Survey of Ohio’s Bumble Bees”
Kendra Harder. Research assistant for the project “Pests, Pollinators, and Pesticides in Ohio Pumpkin Production”
Marko Jesenko, Research assistant for the project “Survey of Ohio’s Bumble Bees”
Elliot O’Flynn, Project: “Investigating the role of flowering weeds as complementary resources for pollinating
bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus) in pumpkin fields”
Kelly Peterson, Project: “Documenting the prevalence of internal parasites in Bombus species throughout Ohio”
Hannah Van Zant, Project: “Evaluating the Risk of Pesticide Exposure to Pumpkin Pollinators”
Megan Varvaro, MS 2018
Thesis title: “The effect of simulated climate change on overwintering physiology in solitary bees and the impacts of floral and landscape resources on nesting”
Benjamin Green, B.S., Biology 2018
Ben studied the transmission of honey bee viruses to native bees.
Bobby Burkhart, B.S. Biology, 2017
Bobby’s thesis research explored the utility of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in native bees to determine their use of floral resources in open and forested habitats. He graduated in the spring of 2017 with research distinction.
Max Frankenberry, EEOB major
Max’s research tested the hypothesis that adult bee diets are detectable over short time spans using stable carbon isotopes. He also tested the tissue specificity of the stable carbon isotope fractionation in bumble bees to determine the best sampling strategy to distinguish adult and larval diets.
Howard Rogers, B. S. Natural Resources
Howard has worked since 2010 on solitary bee research at The Wilds. He spearheaded the evaluation of nesting habitat for solitary bees.
Howard gets interviewed by OSU’s OnCampus reporters in 2010.
Chasity Dills, M.Sc. EEOB, 2016
Chasity studied how weed management strategies influence squash bee nesting in commercial squash plantings. She is also interested in how interactions among three common bee species: honey bees, squash bees, and bumble bees influence pollination of squash.
Clancy Short, B. S. Entomology 2016
Clancy worked on the squash project with Chasity during the summer 2014. He also helped identify a large collection of native bees from the Edge of Appalachia Preserve.
Chia-Hua Lin, PhD 2013
Chia is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University.
Chia getting ready to hand pollinate Iberis flowers.
Amy Iler PhD 2010
Amy’s current position is Conservation Scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Northwestern University. Website
Sarah Cusser MSc 2011, PhD 2018 (University of Texas, Austin)
