People

Ryan is originally from Holland, Michigan, and he completed his PhD at the University of Kentucky in the Gonthier lab studying spotted-wing drosophila in blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry crops. His doctoral work focused on identifying landscape influences on spotted-wing drosophila and management practices that reduce damage to small fruit crops. His work also made him an excellent small fruit grower and a novice organic vegetable grower. He has a passion for landscape ecology and multivariate statistics and his work at WSU applies both to commercial scale operations and individual honey bee colony health. In his free time, Ryan hikes in pursuit of plant, insect, and landscape photos and plays video games.

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Instagram: @couskues

Ally earned her Ph.D. in entomology at Louisiana State University researching how natural product feed additives support honey bee nutrition, immunity, and the gut microbiome. As a Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Basu Lab at WSU, her current work aims to explore the impacts of non-crop floral resources (NCFRs) on the health and productivity of managed pollinators and the other ways in which NCFR adoption may benefit orchard management. Through collaboration with other researchers in the WSU Honey Bees + Pollinators Program and the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, she hopes to advance scientific understanding of bee-friendly practices in orchards and ultimately increase grower awareness and adoption of such practices.

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Riley caught his first swarm during his junior year of high school and was immediately hooked. He completed his B.Sc. from WSU while working as a technical assistant in the honey bee program. His research interests include Varroa and beekeeping management and improving pollinator forage.

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Taydin Macon is a PhD Student co-advised by Dr. Brandon Hopkins and Dr. David Crowder. His research projects investigate many of the problems faced by commercial, sideliner, and hobbyist beekeepers. Specifically, Taydin has conducted research on novel methods for pest and pathogen detection in colonies, novel varroa mite treatments,  and supplemental fungal extracts for promoting honey bee health. Taydin is also interested in statistical analysis for data driven colony management.

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Mckaela’s passion for apiculture began during her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University, where she worked as a lab technician studying wild honey bee diseases. She then earned her master’s degree at Mississippi State University, where she worked on several projects involving pollinators, but primarily studied European Foulbrood (EFB). Now, at WSU, Mckaela is collaborating with researchers across Mississippi, Washington, Oregon, and California to better understand the prevalence and impact of EFB during blueberry pollination.

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Janae’s research focuses on understanding nutrient conversion from flower to colonies and how gut microbiome can shape the overall nutritional health. She is investigating products bees consume and manipulate, both compositionally and microbially. Janae graduated in 2024 with a B.A. triple major in Biochemistry, Environmental Studies, and German from Augustana University, SD. At Augie, Janae facilitated the start of the bee program and continues to be an advisor and mentor for the undergraduate student-led program. Along with her research at WSU, she participates in the music department, playing her French horn in different ensembles throughout the year. When Janae is home, she enjoys drinking tea with her roommate, reading, and playing with her 2-year-old golden doodle, Kyra. 

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Joey Rosario is majored in Biology and Fine Arts at WSU. She joined the honey bee program to learn more about bees and decided to further her education in entomology! Her research focuses on pest management for hive equipment storage including finding different regimens that are effective and honey bee-safe.

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Molly Quade began working in the bee program at Washington State University as an undergraduate, where she assisted on a collaborative project with Paul Stamets investigating the role of Ganoderma resinaceum (Reishi mushroom) extract in enhancing honey bee immune systems. This experience sparked her interest in insect-fungi relationships, and since then, she has contributed to a variety of projects focused on integrating fungal applications into commercial apiculture. 

Now a graduate student at WSU, Molly is researching the use of Metarhizium and other entomopathogenic fungi in Integrated Pest Management, with a focus on developing strains for Varroa mite management. She plans to continue her research in fungal strain selection, with the long-term goal of advancing the application of fungi in commercial beekeeping and sustainable agriculture. 

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Lydia is a junior undergraduate at Washington State University pursuing her passions for entomology, forestry, and restoration ecology. Originally from New England, she spent six months living abroad in Iceland, where she deepened her appreciation for environmental conservation. At WSU, Lydia conducts specimen identification research through the MT James Entomology Museum and works as a lab technician in the Metarhizium Lab, focusing on innovative solutions for pollinator health and biodiversity conservation. Her work and hobbies reflect a passion for restoring ecosystems and understanding the intricate relationships between species and their environments.

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