Lauren Ponisio is an academic expert in ecology, conservation, pollinators, data science and bees. Ponisio studies bees and their roles as pollinators, both in managed and natural-plant communities. She’s currently leading a pilot study that could change how forestlands in the Northwest are managed, particularly post-harvest and post-fire, to the benefit of wild bees. Her research has examined ways to persuade California almond growers to adopt more bee-friendly agricultural practices; discovered how native bee species may be best equipped to survive intensive agricultural practices and climate change; and analyzed how forest fires can help maintain pollinator biodiversity. A National Geographic Society Early Career Award winner and honored as a Global Food Initiative 30 Under 30 in Food Systems, Ponisio earned a Moore/Sloan Data Science Postdoctoral Fellowship and National Institute for Food and Agriculture Fellowship.
In addition to her research in biological sciences, her mission is to promote human diversity in the sciences.
Recent Media:
- New study finds single-crop farming could harm bees (KGW, April 14, 2024)
- Bringing back California’s wild bees (High Country News, Dec. 21, 2022)
- UO team works in burned forestland to give bees a better chance (KGW-TV, Dec. 18, 2022)
- Making Nature Less Predictable (bioGraphic, Dec. 2, 2022)
- Burned forest abuzz with bees after University of Oregon plants flowers (KEZI, Sept. 9, 2022)
- Queen of the Bees: Biologist Lauren Ponisio has a plan to help the pivotal pollinators in the Pacific Northwest (OregonNews, Spring 2022)
- Researchers look for ways to boost bee-friendly practices (OregonNews, Oct. 1, 2021)
- Study unlocks how wild bees can survive habitat pressures (OregonNews, April 12, 2021)
- Wildfires open forests for wildlife and research (Oregon Public Broadcasting, Jan. 27, 2021)
- 563: Dr. Lauren Ponisio: Working to preserve and restore populations of bees and other pollinators (People Behind the Science Podcast, July 20, 2020)
- Bee biologist can't stop buzzing about her work (CBS Los Angeles, July 8, 2020)
- Fighting Bugs with Bugs: A new organic farming technique uses native plants to attract critters that eat harmful insects (Scientific American, Dec. 18, 2016)
- Organic farming techniques are closing gap on conventional yields (The Conversation, Dec. 15, 2014)