Where

Penn State campus, University Park, PA

A major theme of this year’s conference will be translating the results of recent research advances in the biology and health of pollinators into solutions that can be applied in the field to conserve and expand pollinator populations. The conference will cover a range of topics in pollinator research, from genomics to ecology, and their application to land use and management, breeding of managed bees, and monitoring of global pollinator populations. Recent global initiatives in policy, education, and extension will also be highlighted.

The conference plans to feature three world-renowned keynote speakers: Rachael Winfree (Rutgers University) who will discuss what pollinators can tell us about biodiversity and ecosystem services in real-world landscapes, Gene Robinson (University of Illinois), who will share insights from the application of genomics to pollinator behavior and health, and Sonny Ramaswamy (Director, USDA-NIFA) who will discuss highlights and successes of the US federal strategy to promote pollinator health.

Other confirmed speakers include Dennis vanEngelsdorp (University of Maryland), Marina Meixner (Bieneninstitut Kirchhain, Germany), Taylor Ricketts (University of Vermont), Luisa Carvalheiro (University of Brasilia, Brazil), Ed Rajotte (Penn State University), Amy Toth (Iowa State University), Guy Smagghe (Ghent University, Belgium), Lucy King (Save the Elephants), Andrew Barron (Macquarie University, Australia), Hollis Woodard (University of California, Riverside), Mark Brown (Royal Holloway University of London), Dan Cariveau (University of Minnesota), Katharina Ullman (The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation), Vicki Wojcik (Pollinator Partnership), and Matthew Smart (USGS). Symposia will include invited and contributed talks and posters related to epidemiology and modeling of global pollinator populations, managing landscapes for ecosystem services, pollinator nutrition and habitat, integrated pest and pollinator management, molecular tools for managing pollinator populations, and education and outreach.

The conference will be preceded by a one-day Pollinator Conservation Short Course hosted by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation on Sunday, July 17, 2016. The Short Course will also be held at Penn State in University Park, PA and it will feature presentations on creating and protecting pollinator habitat, as well as related research of Penn State scientists. Please contact Jillian Vento for more information.

When this conference was held in 2013, it attracted over 230 participants from 15 countries, representing universities, government agencies, industry, non-profit organizations, and several stakeholder groups. For more information, you can review details about the 2013 and 2010 conferences, including an abstract book and several of the policy-related presentations.

For more information about the conference, please email Kim Swistock, or the conference organizers, Christina Grozinger (Penn State), Shelby Fleischer (Penn State), Neal Williams (UC Davis) and Rufus Isaacs (Michigan State University).

The Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State is a dynamic consortium of more than 25 faculty involved in research, education and extension efforts focused on improving pollinator health, conservation and ecosystem services. For more information on the Center, please visit our website.

For more information, please see the conference agenda, online registration and abstract submission site.