Dr. Robyn Underwood was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She studied Entomology and Applied Ecology for her bachelor's degree at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, where she fell in love with honey bees and beekeeping. She went on to study honey bees further by researching the use of formic acid to control parasitic mites in colonies kept indoors for the winter at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where she obtained her PhD. She returned to PA and continued conducting applied research while working as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Kutztown University, and later as an Assistant Research Professor at Penn State University, University Park, PA. Her research and extension work has allowed her to interact with the large network of beekeepers from across the commonwealth, as stakeholders, advisors, and students.  Robyn is very excited to have joined Penn State Extension in 2022, where she continues to engage with the beekeepers in PA and beyond while conducting applied research.

Cory Stevens comes to us from his 27 acre farm in Bloomfield, Missouri; which he
manages for wildlife and pollinator habitat. Cory and his wife Jaime own Stevens Bee
Company where they have selected a VSH line of bees they call "Missouri Mite
Hunters." Cory is a Past President of Missouri State Beekeepers Association. He was
certified as a Master Beekeeper by the Eastern Apicultural Society in 2013, and earned
a MS in entomology from University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He was trained by Sue
Cobey in 2014 to instrumentally inseminate queen bees. Cory slips bees into random
conversation with strangers, and annoys his wife by constantly talking about bees.

Russell Sprangel started keeping bees in 2017 with a hive setup and a new beekeeper’s course as a Christmas present, from his wife Lisa, which she totally regrets to this day.  He is the past VP and President of CCBA and past Vice President of HCBA.  He is an EAS Master Beekeeper, certified in Ithaca, NY in 2022.  He teaches during the beekeeping calendar in the clubs training Apiary, all any aspects of beekeeping students ask for.  Early in his second year of beekeeping he decided that queen rearing could not be the black magic everyone said, and you do not need 10 years of experience to do it.  So, with a little book learning, and no formal instruction, he jumped in to find what the fuss was about.  Turns out it is magical, but in a good way, and can be one of the most rewarding aspects of beekeeping even on the small hobby scale. 

Fred Nichols is on leave from the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) where he was a program manager in National Security and Intelligence Information Systems.  Prior to APL, he was a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) as Counselor to the Undersecretary for Preparedness at the Department of Homeland Security.  His portfolio was preparedness and risk mitigation for national critical infrastructure against all Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) as well as cyber threats.  Prior to government service, he was the Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Association of Manufactures.  He lives with his wife on a small farm in Poolesville Maryland.

Eric Malcolm is the Apiculture Extension Educator and Apiary Manager at the University of Maryland Bee Lab. His work focuses on keeping healthy bees, outreach, education, and helping beekeepers make informed decisions using their own observations, monitoring techniques, and scientifically proven best management practices. In his off time, he runs a sideline beekeeping business called Backyard Apiaries, that provides apiary management services to clients. In years past, he co-coordinated the Bee Informed Partnership’s Sentinel Apiary Program, a national citizen science program designed to help improve monitoring practices and establish essential skills for beekeepers of all levels. He is passionate about honey bee health, beekeeping, working with beekeepers, and in his free time enjoys learning about wild edible and medicinal plants, and mushrooms, enjoying time with his family, traveling, hiking, camping, and backpacking.