Jamie Ellis, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory, will receive the 2020 Excellence in Extension Award from national organizations. The award was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Cooperative Extension and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
The Excellence in Extension Award is given annually to one Cooperative Extension professional who excels at programming, provides visionary leadership and makes a positive impact on constituents served.
The honey bee laboratory’s mission is to advance the understanding of honey bees in Florida, the U.S. and globally, with the goal of improving the health and productivity of honey bee colonies everywhere. Ellis is also a professor and Extension specialist in the UF/IFAS department of entomology and nematology.
Ellis advances the laboratory’s mission through basic and applied research with managed and wild honey bees. He communicates his findings to assorted clientele groups through diverse Extension programming, and trains future generations of bee educators, researchers and conservationists. His work has contributed to a four-fold increase in the number of managed honey bee colonies and a five-fold increase in the number of beekeepers in Florida.
“Dr. Ellis is a model for faculty not just at our university but within the land-grant system and across the world,” said Nick Place, dean of UF/IFAS Extension. “He is the go-to person for all things honey bees. Dr. Ellis has gained national and international recognition for his innovative Extension programming, which has allowed beekeepers and other stakeholders to adopt science-based practices that improve the health and productivity of honey bee colonies. Dr. Ellis’ program has also increased the public’s awareness about the importance of honey bees within the food system and how all of us can support pollinators.”
Earlier this year, Ellis suggested ways growers can help prevent undue harm to pollinators; learn more here.
Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences