People

Natural disturbances such as flooding, drought, and wildfire increasingly impact biodiversity. Wild bees play key ecological roles in the wake of such disturbances, as they provide pollination services that promote recolonization by plants. Jess is interested in how native bee diversity responds to large-scale disturbances, and which life history traits (diet, nest location, nest architecture, sociality) are best represented among colonizing species. Jess is also interested in competition between native bees and honey bees, plant-pollinator networks, and how pathogens impact bee reproductive biology. She has an MS in Museum and Field Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder, where her thesis research assessed the response of the urban wild bees to an extreme flood on Colorado’s Front Range.

Mullins, J.L., Strange, J.P., Tripodi, A.D. 2020 Why are queens broodless? Failed nest initiation not linked to parasites, mating status, or ovary development in two bumble bee species of Pyrobombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus). Journal of Economic Entomology 113:575-581. 

Ellie Fausett is interested in how ecosystems are impacted by introduced species. Her previous research uncovered patterns in introduced species establishment and the environmental disruptions that followed the establishment of the Asian Longhorn Tick within the state of Georgia. Ellie is interested in studying native species recovery on Santa Cruz Island and looks forward to understanding how native ant communities recover after the removal of the Argentine ant. Ellie received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and an MPH in Environmental Health from Emory University.