Fall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 waning back to school moon<\/p>\n
Marla comes to all the hobby beekeeper meetings.\u00a0 She also taught the Beginning Beekeeping Course.\u00a0 She’s bright, quick and has the power to explain things simply.\u00a0 Good choice, MacArthur.<\/p>\n
“Marla Spivak\u2019s work with bees and their keepers has earned her a $500,000 \u201cgenius grant\u201d from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.<\/p>\n
Spivak is a distinguished professor of apiculture and social insects at the University of Minnesota, but earned her doctorate in 1989 at Kansas University, where she studied under Chip Taylor, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.<\/p>\n
Her work on honeybees\u2019 health has helped protect honeybee populations from disease.<\/p>\n
She has focused on genetically influenced behaviors that make entire colonies resistant to disease, and has bred more disease-resistant strains of bees for use throughout the industry.<\/p>\n
The genius grants provide money based on creativity, originality and potential to make important contributions in the future. Other fellows from this year include an indigenous language preservationist, a stone carver and a quantum astrophysicist.<\/p>\n
No stipulations are placed on the monetary awards. Fellows are nominated and selected in secret by people whose anonymity is carefully guarded.<\/p>\n
Taylor on Tuesday praised Spivak\u2019s work, saying she was unique among scientists in the field. \u201cShe works more closely with beekeepers than any of the researchers I\u2019ve ever known,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s been extremely successful in getting them to cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, he said, her research more than others\u2019 has had an impact on more people.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s absolutely dedicated to both the science that she\u2019s doing and the industry that she\u2019s working with,\u201d Taylor said.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 waning back to school moon Marla comes to all the hobby beekeeper meetings.\u00a0 She also taught the Beginning Beekeeping Course.\u00a0 She’s bright, quick and has the power to explain things simply.\u00a0 Good choice, MacArthur. “Marla Spivak\u2019s work with bees and their keepers has earned her a $500,000 \u201cgenius grant\u201d from the John D. and … Continue reading Bee Diary: September 29, 2010<\/span>