People

Principal Investigators

Dr. Walter (Steve) Sheppard

Honey bee genetics and evolution, honey bee breeding colony health research, gene diversity, and honey bee germplasm acquisition.

(he/him/his)
shepp@wsu.edu
More about Dr. Sheppard

Dr. Brandon Hopkins

Honey bee reproductive biology, germplasm collection and cryopreservation, research apiary and diagnostic laboratory oversight, field research.

(he/him/his)
bhopkins@wsu.edu
Hopkins Lab

Dr. Nick Naeger

Nick is a molecular biologist who has been studying bees for over two decades. His research focuses on understanding the effect of pathogens on bee health and finding innovative ways to help bees fight these diseases. This includes investigating how viruses interact with diet and nutrition to impact the immune system of bees and their overall health. His research group is working to develop fungal-based nutritional supplements for bees and fungal biocontrol agents against Varroa mites.

(he/him/his)
nick.naeger@wsu.edu

Dr. Jennifer Han

Microbial biopesticides are safer alternatives to chemical pesticides. However, they are susceptible to a variety of environmental factors that limit their use including temperature, humidity, and UV. Jennifer’s research is focused on developing fungal biopesticides, specifically breeding a fungal biocontrol agent against the Varroa mite and exploring fungal and botanical based solutions to honey bee nutrition and overall health.

(she/her/hers)
jennifer.o.han@wsu.edu
More about Dr. Han

Dr. Kelly Kulhanek

Kelly completed her Ph.D. in Entomology in Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp’s Bee Lab at the University of Maryland. She joined the WSU Bee Program as a postdoctoral researcher in 2020 and recently began a new role as Assistant Professor. She plans to build a program based on regular communication with Washington stakeholders, and to address needs such as locally specific best practices for bee management and crop pollination, and extension programs that will put the latest research into the hands of stakeholders.

(she/her/hers)
kelly.kulhanek@wsu.edu

Scientific Staff

Susan Cobey

Sue is world renowned for her expertise on honey bee reproductive biology and instrumental insemination. She has trained honey bee researchers and queen breeders from all over the globe in cutting edge reproductive techniques and is part of the WSU germplasm collection and honey bee breeding effort.

(she/her/hers)
s.cobey@wsu.edu

Postdoctoral Research Faculty

Dr. Ge Zhang

Ge has been beekeeping and studying bees for the past ten years. He received his Phd from Iowa State University and completed his first post-doc project at New Mexico State University. He is now studying how honey bee health is affected when they are moved from California to Washington State for pollinating specialty crops such as almond, blueberry, apple and canola.

(he/him/his)
ge.zhang1@wsu.edu

Dr. Ryan Kuesel

Ryan is originally from Holland, Michigan. He joined the Hopkins lab as a postdoctoral researcher in the spring of 2023. He completed his Doctorate at the University of Kentucky in the Gonthier lab studying spotted-wing drosophila in blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry crops. He completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of Michigan. His doctoral work focused on identifying management practices that reduce spotted-wing drosophila damage to small fruit crops. He also has a passion for landscape ecology and multivariate statistical modeling, and his doctoral work included a study of how landscape contexts affect spotted-wing drosophila pressure for growers. His doctoral work made him an expert raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry grower and a novice organic vegetable grower. He enjoys leading outreach and extension to growers and has shared best practices for spotted-wing drosophila management with growers in Kentucky. He is excited to adapt his statistical and field-based skills to discover causes of honeybee hive deaths in Washington so commercial beekeepers can better manage colony health. In his free time, Ryan hikes in pursuit of plant, insect, and landscape photos and plays video games (especially Nintendo and Final Fantasy). He is a plant, insect, and anime nerd.

(he/him/his)
Instagram: instagram.com/couskues

Administrative and Research Support

Program Administrator- Dr. Rae Olsson

Rae received their Ph.D. from WSU in 2020, and worked for almost three years as a postdoctoral research associate in the Hopkins Lab. Since then, they have found a love for teaching and supporting other folks’ research, and so have been working as the Bee Program Administrator since March 2023. This role allows them to help organize workshops, help with research support, and serve in an outreach and education role.

(they/them/theirs)

Graduate Students

Kiersten Ritchie

Kiersten Ritchie is a PhD candidate in Dr. Sheppard’s lab. She is interested in pollinators, agriculture, and honey bee reproductive biology. Her research centers around differential sperm use by honey bee queens of different subspecies. Kiersten received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington where she took an entomology course that sparked her passion for honey bees and all insects.

(she/her/hers)

Riley Reed

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. He is pursuing a PhD under the direction of Dr. Brandon Hopkins. His research interests include Varroa and beekeeping management and improving pollinator forage.

(he/him/his)

Adam Ware

Adam spent several years working as a commercial beekeeper before joining the graduate program at WSU. His research interests pertain to sustainable and integrative methods in agricultural management with emphasis in queen breeding and honey bee health. He is currently a master’s student working with Dr. Naeger and Dr. Sheppard.

(he/him/his)

Dan Reynolds

Dan’s interest in honey bees began as a lab and program manager for the Bee Informed Partnership in Maryland. He began his career at WSU as the Pullman bee program manager in 2020 and has since transitioned to be a master’s student under the direction of Dr. Naeger and Dr. Sheppard.

(he/him/his)

Igbagbolere Adeoluwa David

“You cannot work for food when there is no food for work” and “You cannot tell a hungry child you gave him/her food yesterday” (An African Proverb). Igbagbolere believes the pollination service offered by honey bees is a vital tool in contributing to food sustainability. This piques his interest in honey bee health, pests, and pathogens. He received his bachelor’s degree in Crop Production and Protection at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Entomology with research on varroa mite control under the supervision of Dr. Brandon Hopkins

(he/him/his)

Undergraduate Students

Sam Weiland

Sam Weiland is studying Plant Biology at WSU and wishes to pursue a career in mycology. He is involved in research on honeybee interaction with specialized crops and loves working hands-on with the bees.

(he/him/his)

Katy Ayres

Katy is earning dual degrees in bioengineering and biochemistry at WSU with plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mycology and engineering. Currently, she is researching fungal biocomposites potential application to pollinator conservation. Katy was inspired after reading about WSU bee lab research with Ganoderma lucidum and is now working to grow nesting habitat for cavity-dwelling pollinators to see if these bee species incur benefit from nesting in a medicinal fungus.

(she/her/hers)

Jakob Trantum

Jakob is studying Integrated Plant Sciences at WSU and wishes to spend his future working with the environment to help maintain and improve our planet and its valuable ecosystem. He has interests in mycology and enjoys studying the unique relationships that can be shared between fungi and other organisms. Jakob enjoys working hands on with the bees and wishes to continue to learn about bees and integrate this knowledge into his future endeavors!

(he/him/his)