Jennifer Tsuruda
Specialization: Apiculture, Honey Bee Biology, & Pollinator Health
I joined the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in February 2019 as an Assistant Professor and Apiculture Extension Specialist, with interests in bee health and management. Prior to joining UT, I was the Apiculture Specialist at Clemson University, a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University (Dr. Greg Hunt’s lab), and received my Ph.D. at UC Davis under the advisement of Dr. Robert Page. I have worked on associations between foraging behavior, sensory responsiveness, and reproductive physiology in honey bees, as well as breeding for and genetically mapping behavioral resistance against parasitic Varroa mites.
At UT, I coordinate the Tennessee Master Beekeeping Program, and participate in field days and other Extension programming for stakeholders and agents. My applied research program focuses on improving honey bee health through beekeeper management decisions and foraging resources, as well as science education for youth and the general public. The overall goals of my program are to support the beekeeping industry and community in Tennessee, and to increase the knowledge base of the citizens of Tennessee with respect to pollinators. This is achieved through the mentoring of graduate students and coordinated efforts with Extension personnel.
My program focuses on beekeeping sustainability in Tennessee through education and training, like the Master Beekeeping Program. I also collaborate with UTK to make the campus a certified Bee Campus, focusing on pollinator-friendly practices.
I do not have an academic teaching appointment so my educational efforts are through my Extension program (e.g. Master Beekeeping Program) and the mentoring of graduate students.
My applied research focuses on enhancing honey bee management and educating beekeepers (and non-beekeepers). I target disease/parasite control and environmental effects to reduce losses and increase successful beekeeping in Tennessee.
- What are the major issues affecting beekeeping in Tennessee?
- What strategies (of bees and beekeepers) impact infestation levels of parasitic mites?
- How can foraging resources affect susceptibility to disease/pathogens and colony production?
- How does educational programming affect day-to-day decision-making in stakeholders and the public?
2505 E J Chapman Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-4500
- Doctorate, Entomology, University of Calif Davis, 2007
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
Jennifer Tsuruda
2505 E J Chapman Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-4500
- Doctorate, Entomology, University of Calif Davis, 2007
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
I joined the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology in February 2019 as an Assistant Professor and Apiculture Extension Specialist, with interests in bee health and management. Prior to joining UT, I was the Apiculture Specialist at Clemson University, a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University (Dr. Greg Hunt’s lab), and received my Ph.D. at UC Davis under the advisement of Dr. Robert Page. I have worked on associations between foraging behavior, sensory responsiveness, and reproductive physiology in honey bees, as well as breeding for and genetically mapping behavioral resistance against parasitic Varroa mites.
At UT, I coordinate the Tennessee Master Beekeeping Program, and participate in field days and other Extension programming for stakeholders and agents. My applied research program focuses on improving honey bee health through beekeeper management decisions and foraging resources, as well as science education for youth and the general public. The overall goals of my program are to support the beekeeping industry and community in Tennessee, and to increase the knowledge base of the citizens of Tennessee with respect to pollinators. This is achieved through the mentoring of graduate students and coordinated efforts with Extension personnel.
My program focuses on beekeeping sustainability in Tennessee through education and training, like the Master Beekeeping Program. I also collaborate with UTK to make the campus a certified Bee Campus, focusing on pollinator-friendly practices.
I do not have an academic teaching appointment so my educational efforts are through my Extension program (e.g. Master Beekeeping Program) and the mentoring of graduate students.
My applied research focuses on enhancing honey bee management and educating beekeepers (and non-beekeepers). I target disease/parasite control and environmental effects to reduce losses and increase successful beekeeping in Tennessee.
- What are the major issues affecting beekeeping in Tennessee?
- What strategies (of bees and beekeepers) impact infestation levels of parasitic mites?
- How can foraging resources affect susceptibility to disease/pathogens and colony production?
- How does educational programming affect day-to-day decision-making in stakeholders and the public?