U of M Department of Entomology achieves $5 million goal for Honey Bee Faculty Chair

The Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) is pleased to announce the successful achievement of its $5 million fundraising goal to establish a Honey Bee Faculty Chair. This pivotal milestone ensures the continuation of the department’s legacy of groundbreaking honey bee research that started at the U of M more than a century ago and continues today at the U of M’s Bee Lab, known internationally for promoting healthy bees and sustainable beekeeping practices.

The newly established Honey Bee Faculty Chair will honor the pioneering work of Dr. Marla Spivak, a renowned expert in honey bee research. Spivak will retire from the U of M at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years of discovering ways to improve bee health and leading others through her teaching, research, and extension work.

Since 1913, the U of M has been at the forefront of honey bee research, addressing critical issues related to bee health and ecology. The creation of the Honey Bee Faculty Chair ensures that this imperative work continues well into the future, building on the vast body of research that Spivak has driven over the past three decades.

The endowment will provide perpetual funding to support a distinguished faculty member dedicated to honey bee research, facilitating innovative studies, collaborative projects, and educational programs. “We are deeply grateful to our generous donors who have made this achievement possible,” said Sujaya Rao, head of the Department of Entomology. “The establishment of the Honey Bee Faculty Chair will allow us to attract and retain a top-tier researcher who will continue the vital work initiated by Marla and her predecessors. This endowment ensures that our entomology department, and the state of Minnesota, remain leaders in honey bee research and conservation.”

Spivak, a MacArthur Fellow and Distinguished McKnight professor, echoes that sentiment. “An endowed chair will mean that we continue our long tradition of training leading bee researchers,” she said. “Supporting and sustaining bee research, education, and outreach is how we can invest in a resilient future: nutritious food and robust ecosystems depend on healthy bees.”

The Department of Entomology is grateful to the many donors, both individual and organizational, who together made the $5 million goal a reality. In particular, they would like to recognize the Manitou Fund, the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, and the One Hive Foundation for their generous support.