Who we are?
Research Group Leader
Dr. Margaret J. Couvillon
Assistant Professor, Pollinator Biology & Ecology
I am a broadly trained bee researcher with a particular interest in the foraging and recruitment behaviors of the honey bee. I earned my undergraduate degree from Loyola University in New Orleans (B.S. in Biology, minor in Chemistry) and then spent a year as an AmeriCorps *NCCC volunteer. I completed a M.S. in Neurobiology at Duke University before moving overseas for my Ph.D. with Professor Francis Ratnieks at the University of Sheffield, where I investigated mechanisms of nestmate recognition in honey bees and stingless bees. As a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Anna Dornhaus at the University of Arizona, I investigated proximate and ultimate explanations for worker size variation in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens. For a second postdoc, I rejoined the lab of Francis Ratnieks, now at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. There I worked to develop the honey bee, in particular its waggle dance communication, as a bioindicator for the "health" of the British landscape.
I started as an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in 2017.
Contact: Email me | Google Scholar Profile | Download CV | The BeeGroup @ VT Facebook Page
Assistant Professor, Pollinator Biology & Ecology
I am a broadly trained bee researcher with a particular interest in the foraging and recruitment behaviors of the honey bee. I earned my undergraduate degree from Loyola University in New Orleans (B.S. in Biology, minor in Chemistry) and then spent a year as an AmeriCorps *NCCC volunteer. I completed a M.S. in Neurobiology at Duke University before moving overseas for my Ph.D. with Professor Francis Ratnieks at the University of Sheffield, where I investigated mechanisms of nestmate recognition in honey bees and stingless bees. As a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Anna Dornhaus at the University of Arizona, I investigated proximate and ultimate explanations for worker size variation in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens. For a second postdoc, I rejoined the lab of Francis Ratnieks, now at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. There I worked to develop the honey bee, in particular its waggle dance communication, as a bioindicator for the "health" of the British landscape.
I started as an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in 2017.
Contact: Email me | Google Scholar Profile | Download CV | The BeeGroup @ VT Facebook Page
Graduate students
Bradley Ohlinger
Brad is broadly interested in social insect communication, especially the individual and group-level behaviors used to allocate foragers according to the needs of their colony. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Science at Albright College and his M.S. in Biology from Bloomsburg University, where he studied flower constancy and innate color choice in the honey bee and the alfalfa leaf-cutter bee.
For his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, Brad is investigating honey bee foraging across different landscapes in Virginia. In particular, he will use the honey bee waggle dance to understand the spatial and temporal availability of food for honey bees in representative areas. Brad is co-advised by Dr. Maggie Couvillon and Dr. Roger Schürch, and his research is supported by The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR).
Brad is broadly interested in social insect communication, especially the individual and group-level behaviors used to allocate foragers according to the needs of their colony. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Science at Albright College and his M.S. in Biology from Bloomsburg University, where he studied flower constancy and innate color choice in the honey bee and the alfalfa leaf-cutter bee.
For his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, Brad is investigating honey bee foraging across different landscapes in Virginia. In particular, he will use the honey bee waggle dance to understand the spatial and temporal availability of food for honey bees in representative areas. Brad is co-advised by Dr. Maggie Couvillon and Dr. Roger Schürch, and his research is supported by The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR).
Laura McHenry
Laura is interested in the intersection of animal behavior, wildlife ecology, and conservation. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Kenyon College and also spent time studying the socioecology of Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) living alongside humans in Morocco and the relationship between wildlife conservation and public health in Kenya and Tanzania.
For her Ph.D. at Virginia tech, Laura is studying honey bee communication and in the context of foraging recruitment. When a forager honey bee finds a profitable resource out on the landscape – like a good source of pollen or nectar – she may perform a waggle dance back at the hive to “tell” her nestmates where to get the good stuff. Then, bees who observed her dance may set out to follow their sister's instructions to find and forage that same floral resource. Fascinatingly, however, while some bees succeed, others never make it. Why does recruitment sometimes fail? Laura will use the waggle dance alongside feeder-training experiments to better understand honey bee communication both when it succeeds, and when it appears to break down.
Laura is interested in the intersection of animal behavior, wildlife ecology, and conservation. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Kenyon College and also spent time studying the socioecology of Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) living alongside humans in Morocco and the relationship between wildlife conservation and public health in Kenya and Tanzania.
For her Ph.D. at Virginia tech, Laura is studying honey bee communication and in the context of foraging recruitment. When a forager honey bee finds a profitable resource out on the landscape – like a good source of pollen or nectar – she may perform a waggle dance back at the hive to “tell” her nestmates where to get the good stuff. Then, bees who observed her dance may set out to follow their sister's instructions to find and forage that same floral resource. Fascinatingly, however, while some bees succeed, others never make it. Why does recruitment sometimes fail? Laura will use the waggle dance alongside feeder-training experiments to better understand honey bee communication both when it succeeds, and when it appears to break down.
Chad Campbell
Chad is interested in pollination ecology and the relationship between honey bees, native bees, and their habitat. He has over a decade of experience as a beekeeper, native landscape consultant, and teacher. Chad earned his B.S. in Environmental Science at Brevard College, where he focused on studying native plants and the effects of urbanization on habitat. That experience led Chad to complete an M.S. in Forestry from Virginia Tech, where he investigated the effects of urbanization on soil carbon sequestration (Campbell et al. Forests 2014).
For Chad’s Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, he is working to understand honey bees as bioindicators. He will use honey bee waggle dance data in order to identify preferred and non-preferred foraging areas. He will then vet these areas against the health and well being of non-Apis bees. In particular, he plans to establish sentinel sites stocked with both honey bee colonies and native pollinators (bumble bees and mason bees) and use pollen data to understand what forage the bees are accessing in those areas across the season. Additionally, he will analyze the effect of competition for resources to understand the relationships between honey bees, native bees and their habitat. Chad’s research is supported by The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Virginia Tech.
Chad is interested in pollination ecology and the relationship between honey bees, native bees, and their habitat. He has over a decade of experience as a beekeeper, native landscape consultant, and teacher. Chad earned his B.S. in Environmental Science at Brevard College, where he focused on studying native plants and the effects of urbanization on habitat. That experience led Chad to complete an M.S. in Forestry from Virginia Tech, where he investigated the effects of urbanization on soil carbon sequestration (Campbell et al. Forests 2014).
For Chad’s Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, he is working to understand honey bees as bioindicators. He will use honey bee waggle dance data in order to identify preferred and non-preferred foraging areas. He will then vet these areas against the health and well being of non-Apis bees. In particular, he plans to establish sentinel sites stocked with both honey bee colonies and native pollinators (bumble bees and mason bees) and use pollen data to understand what forage the bees are accessing in those areas across the season. Additionally, he will analyze the effect of competition for resources to understand the relationships between honey bees, native bees and their habitat. Chad’s research is supported by The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Virginia Tech.
Ian McKellips
Ian is interested in cultural control strategies that preserve honey bee health, maximize pollination, and support long-term hive sustainability. He received his B.A. in Biology from Christopher Newport University and also possesses expertise as a Master Gardener and an Apprentice Beekeeper from Washington State. Ian also served for nine years in the Navy, working in aviation cargo instruction and logistics management. He continues his service in the Navy Reserves.
For Ian's M.S., he will investigate the effects of alternative forage on the foraging dynamics of honey bees located in a fruit crop environment. We previously demonstrated that honey bees increase their use of apple orchards after the apple trees have completed their blooming, collecting nectar and pollen from the abundant wildflowers growing between the orchard rows and under the apple trees (Steele et al. 2022). However, this post-bloom forage also increases their exposure to pesticides (Couvillon, Steele et al. In Prep). Ian will experimentally determine if a newly planted wildflower meadow, as an alternative forage, will decrease honey bee post-bloom pesticide exposure when the hives are located in orchards. Ian's research is supported by the VA Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Ian is interested in cultural control strategies that preserve honey bee health, maximize pollination, and support long-term hive sustainability. He received his B.A. in Biology from Christopher Newport University and also possesses expertise as a Master Gardener and an Apprentice Beekeeper from Washington State. Ian also served for nine years in the Navy, working in aviation cargo instruction and logistics management. He continues his service in the Navy Reserves.
For Ian's M.S., he will investigate the effects of alternative forage on the foraging dynamics of honey bees located in a fruit crop environment. We previously demonstrated that honey bees increase their use of apple orchards after the apple trees have completed their blooming, collecting nectar and pollen from the abundant wildflowers growing between the orchard rows and under the apple trees (Steele et al. 2022). However, this post-bloom forage also increases their exposure to pesticides (Couvillon, Steele et al. In Prep). Ian will experimentally determine if a newly planted wildflower meadow, as an alternative forage, will decrease honey bee post-bloom pesticide exposure when the hives are located in orchards. Ian's research is supported by the VA Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Undergraduate student
Lindsay Johnson
Lab alumni
Mary Silliman, M.S. 2021
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Mary investigating honey bee foraging in row crop systems. Mary was co-advised by Dr. Maggie Couvillon and Dr. Sally Taylor.
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Mary investigating honey bee foraging in row crop systems. Mary was co-advised by Dr. Maggie Couvillon and Dr. Sally Taylor.
Taylor Steele, M.S. 2021
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Taylor investigated honey bee foraging in a fruit crop environment.
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Taylor investigated honey bee foraging in a fruit crop environment.
Micki Palmersheim, M.S. 2021
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Micki compared the abundance and diversity of insect pollinator visitors to 25 common garden plants.
For her M.S. at Virginia Tech, Micki compared the abundance and diversity of insect pollinator visitors to 25 common garden plants.
Junior researchers
Nate and Rosie
Our children are investigating the effects of periodic sleep disturbance on the well-being of their parents.
Our children are investigating the effects of periodic sleep disturbance on the well-being of their parents.
