Renowned honey bee scientist Jamie Ellis has returned to the University of Georgia as director of its bee program. He started in the role on June 1 after building a major program at the University of Florida.
Ellis, a UGA alumnus, worked in the lab of Keith Delaplane as an undergraduate starting in 1996. He later earned a Ph.D. at Rhodes University in South Africa before joining the University of Florida faculty in 2006.
At UF, Ellis helped generate nearly 1,000 publications and more than $9.3 million in grants. He also delivered over 1,200 Extension talks across five continents and created a popular podcast with listeners in more than 70 countries.
Ellis said the move back to Georgia feels right despite leaving a program he built. He plans to meet with stakeholders and revive a beekeeping institute that ended in 2022.
"I want our program to be preeminent in all missions of the land grant university," Ellis said. "Our goal will be to improve the health and productivity of honey bee colonies."