Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, from the UNL Entomology Department was featured by the USDA-NIFA for World Honey Bee Day on Aug. 20, 2022. Wu-Smart is an associate professor and Extension specialist at UNL who has received funding from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
Wu-Smart says she became interested in bees while working as an intern at an inspection lab in Fort Lauderdale, FL. During that time, beekeepers were experiencing Colony Collapse Disorder. The need to help beekeepers coupled with the importance of saving the bees prompted Wu-Smart to pursue a graduate degree in Entomology.
In her Extension role, Wu-Smart's Bee Lab provides hands-on practical training for beekeepers through projects such as the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Farmer Open Apiaries and Educational Training Kits.
The goal of World Honey Bee Day include raising awareness of the essential role that bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy.
The entire story may be found on the NIFA website.