So Eun Moon Successfully Defends Honors Thesis

Congrats to So Eun Moon (Sophia) for her successful honors defense!  

Environmental Science & Policy - Wildlife Ecology and Management student, Sophia Moon joined Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp’s in January of 2018. She has been actively involved in research with the Bee Lab, under mentor-ship of Grad Student Anthony Nearman, ever since. In 2019, Sophia was awarded the Ernest N. Cory Undergraduate Scholarship for her extraordinary efforts in Entomology. This week we congratulate her once more, this time for successfully defending her entomology honors thesis, "The Effects of DMPF on Honey Bee Pathophysiology."

​DMPF is an active metabolite in amitraz, commonly used in hives to suppress varroa mite.  Sophia performed necropsies on bee samples from across the US and compared patterns in DMPF concentrations in comb wax to 19 pathophysiological traits.  She discovered potential associations with honey bee organs such as Malpighian tubules, rectum, sting gland, and venom sac, suggesting possible effects of DMPF on colony health.

It has been wonderful having Sophia in the Entomology Honors Program. We wish her all the best in her future pursuits!