It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the AAPA Officers and the 2021 AAPA Awards Committee, this year’s AAPA Awards Recipients:
Student Research Award: Ms. Abigail Chapman, University of British Columbia
Extension Activities Award: Dr. Jennifer Tsuruda, University of Tennessee
Postdoctoral Researcher Travel Award: Dr. Selina Bruckner, Auburn University
Congratulations, winners!
The AAPA Student Research Award supports graduate student research on honey bees. This award is given annually to a recipient whose proposed research promises the best contribution to this field of study. The winner of the 2021 Student Research Award is Abigail Chapman, who will receive a $2,500 grant to support her research. Abigail Chapman is a member of the AAPA and holds a BSc degree from University of British Columbia. She is currently a MSc (M.S.) student at the University of British Columbia, under the direction of Dr. Leonard Foster. Her proposal is titled “Towards a better understanding of honey bee queen immunity” and promises to shed light on the role of queen quality on colony health.
The AAPA Extension Activities Award supports extension activities conducted by a member of our association. This award is given annually to a recipient whose proposed extension activities promise the best contribution to improving outreach and education on honey bees. The winner of the 2021 Extension Activities Award is Jennifer Tsuruda, who will receive a $1,000 grant to support her extension activities. Dr. Tsuruda is a member of the AAPA and holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Davis. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee. Her proposal is titled “Pollinating a Public Garden with Science-based Information” and will increase awareness about pollinators through the creation of signs that educate the public about the importance of public gardens.
The AAPA Postdoctoral Researcher Travel Award supports extension activities conducted by a member of our association. This award is given annually to a recipient whose proposed research and extension activities promise the best contribution to the field of apiculture. The winner of the 2021 Postdoctoral Researcher Travel Award is Selina Bruckner, who will receive a $1,000 grant to support her travel to ABRC 2021. Dr. Bruckner is a member of the AAPA and holds a Ph.D. degree from Auburn University. She is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Auburn University. Her proposal titled “Can effective knowledge gain facilitate the adoption of Best Management Practices by beekeepers?” will create more effective ways to deliver educational materials to beekeepers by including information such as demographics.
And a huge thank you for the wonderful job done by the AAPA Awards Committee, Dr. Reed Johnson, Dr. Hongmei Li-Byarlay, and Dr. Daniel Schmehl.
With kind regards,
Dr. Maggie Couvillon, Secretary/Treasurer of AAPA
Dr. Margarita López-Uribe, Vice President
Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, President
