Dr. Rachel Mallinger, Principal Investigator Dr. Mallinger is an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida where she conducts research and extension on native wild bees, and teaches courses on pollinator ecology and conservation. She received a B.A. in biology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan, a joint Master's in Entomology and Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a PhD in Entomology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research interests include community ecology of pollinators, pollination biology of crop and wild plants, and landscape ecology. Outside of work, she spends time (preferably outdoors) with her family, and enjoys traveling, good food, and good books. Dr. Stan Chabert, Post-Doctoral Researcher Stan defended his PhD at the INRAE in France in 2018 in integrated crop pollination, a new concept that encourages the combination of introduced and wild pollinating insects to ensure full, stable and sustainable crop pollination. He is in particular interested in the ecophysiological mechanisms linked to the temperature of plants and insects with the goal of matching the pollinator supply to the crop pollination demand. His current postdoc in the Mallinger lab is part of a project on blueberry pollination which aims to help growers supply their fields with the optimal number of honey bee colonies to maximize their yields given cultivar pollination requirements and pollinator recruitment. He will in particular determine the pollination requirements and the level of pollinator attraction of new and already existing blueberry genotypes. John Ternest, PhD student John is a graduate student in the Mallinger Lab studying pollination ecology in commercial blueberry production. He received his bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he completed an honors thesis on honey bee behavior. He then attended Purdue University where he completed a master’s degree on integrated pest and pollinator management in commercial watermelon production. His previous work has inspired him to continue researching bees, specifically at the intersection of ecology and agricultural management. Follow him on Twitter (@TernestJ) for updates on research, photos of insects, and the hijinks associated with life as a PhD student. Lily Fulton, MSc student. Lily is interested in native bee ecology and conservation, especially ground bee nesting, and fire ecology. Her research will focus on ground-nesting bee communities and their response to fire frequency in Oceola National Forest, and the nesting and foraging resources that may affect their response. She completed her bachelors in Minnesota and worked with bees on prairie restorations in Minnesota, with rare plants at Archbold Biological Station, and helped with a project on bees in prairie dog towns in Montana. She also loves drawing, needle felting with wool, making bread (kneading dough is fun!), and exploring outside. Sam Pryer, PhD student
Sam is a PhD student in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. She is originally from Arkansas, but moved to Kansas for college where she received her bachelor's in biology and master's in biology/botany from Pittsburg State University. Her bachelor's work included research with phlebotomine sand flies in Kansas and Missouri during a 3 year collaborative project with a lab at Kansas State University. For her master's, she extensively surveyed the flora of two counties in southeast Kansas. Though a botanist by training, she is particularly interested in the interactions between plants and their pollinators, as well as the evolution of these relationships. When not in the lab, she loves to explore the outdoors with her husband and dog. Joanna Jaramillo, PhD student
Joanna Jaramillo joined the lab in Fall 2020 as a Fulbright Student from Colombia at the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. Previously, she completed her bachelor's and master's degree in Biological Sciences at the National University in Colombia in the Bee Research Lab, where she worked in bee taxonomy of stingless bees. She had also worked as a young researcher for MinCiencias in Colombia in passion fruit pollination research. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and watching movies. Walker Bensch, Undergraduate Researcher and Technician Walker is an undergraduate researcher and technician in the lab and has helped with numerous projects and even started some of his own. During his two years in the lab, he has become increasingly interested in how humans influence wild bee populations and the diversity of solitary bees. His thesis, funded by the University Scholars Program, assesses how the wing morphology of Southeastern Blueberry Bee differs across land-use gradients. He is also working on a series of fact sheets on Florida’s bees of special conservation concern. In his (little) free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, insect photography, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Victoria Vo, Undergraduate Researcher and Technician Victoria is an undergraduate who started at the lab in 2021. She has worked in a variety of projects from blueberry pollination to plant and insect identification. Interested in plant-insect taxonomy and interactions, she plans on pursuing a master's program after graduation. Her goal is to not only conduct research, but to help others understand it through outreach and education. In the future, Victoria wants to work in scientific communication and natural history museum collections. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going to local craft markets and taking care of her Pacman frog. |
Other Current Lab Members
Fernando Miguelena, Undergraduate researcher
Ella O'Brien, Undergraduate technician
Former Lab Members
Sarah Anderson, PhD student, Graduated summer 2023. Now a postdoc at the University of Arkansas
Opeyemi (Bayo) Adedoja, Post-Doc. Member of the Lab from summer 2021 - January 2023. Now a faculty member at the University of Central Arkansas.
Joshua Botti-Anderson, MSc student. Graduated summer 2022. Now a PhD student at Australia National University
James Weaver, MSc student. Graduated fall 2020. Joined US Fish and Wildlife as a research biologist in spring 2021
Jon Elmquist, Technician and Lab Manager from 2017 - 2019 - Completed a MSc in Entomology at Penn State in summer 2022. Now employed at UF McGuire Center for Lepidoptera
Shiala Morales Naranjo, Research biologist and Lab Manager from 2019 - 2023. Now employed with FrogSong Organic Farm
Worrel Diedrick, PhD student. Graduated Fall 2023.