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Samuel Ramsey          

Entomologist; Science Communicator; Founder & Director of the Ramsey Research Foundation

Dr. Samuel "Sammy" Ramsey, founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Entomology from Cornell University in 2011, and focused his research on Predatory & Parasitic Insect Behavior. He cultivated an interest and expertise in the close relationships between insects and other creatures (symbioses), and dedicated his doctoral research to understanding a parasite killing honey bees globally (Varroa destructor). In Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp's Honey Bee lab at the University of Maryland, College Park; he completed his formal education.

Dr. Sammy firmly believes that educating the public about this issue is key to solving it. Further, his strategies operate within the framework of Integrated Pest Management to use as little chemical insecticide as possible. Dr. Sammy strives to understand the behavior and biologies of these threats in isolation while developing preventative and emergency measures to preserve honey bee species at home and abroad.

Dr. Sammy firmly believes that the ability to articulate one's findings to anyone who wants to hear them is just as important as the skills needed to reach important findings in the lab. This conviction is evidenced by his engaging scientific presentations and his contagious excitement in supporting the entomological community. Through non-traditional forms of media such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, Dr. Sammy simply and effectively communicates complex subject-matter to inspire the next generation of curious minds who share his enthusiasm and sense of adventure to fall in love with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). He envisions an age where his appearance is no longer unusual or met with surprise when he headlines a conference and he is intentional in advocating for equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion at the highest levels.

Speech Topics

Popular Presentation Topics

  • Fight the Mite Thailand Edition: Understanding the Mysterious Tropilaelaps Mite (1 hour) -Invasive Species: The Vexing Reality of Our Global Ecosystem (50 minutes)
  • The Honey Bee Landlord: Why Everything Wants to Live in Your Hive (50 minutes
  • Varroa destructor Feeds on Bee Blood and Two Other Alternative Facts (1 hour)
  • Murder Hornets: The Battle Begins (50 minutes)
  • Our Invasive Species Trade Deficit: Why We Get More Species Than We Give (50 minutes)
  • Pollinators: Understaffed, Underpaid, and Underappreciated (50 minutes)
  • Tropilaelaps Mites: A Fate Worse Than Varroa (50 minutes)
  • Weird Wingless Flies: Why It Was Smart for Some Flies to Ditch Flight (45 minutes)
  • Tropilaelaps Up Close and Personal: Face to Face with a Mysterious Bee Mite (1 hour)
  • Varroa Management: How Mites Should be Treated (50 minutes)
  • Varroa Anatomy: Why it Matters to Your Bees (50 minutes)
  • Despicable Mites: Recent Findings in the Study of Tropilaelaps mercedesae and Varroa destructor (1 hour)
  • Drivers of Honey Bee Colony Losses: What the Data Actually Say (45 minutes)
  • Varroa After the Fat: Current Research Endeavors to Fight the Mite (50 minutes)
  • Honey Bee Internal Anatomy: A Live Guided Dissection (30 minutes) (not available virtually)

Biodiversity & Diversity in Bio: What’s the Point?

Is there such a thing as "diversity for diversity's sake" or is diversity a metric worth pursuing consistently? It turns out that the answer to that question is the same regardless of whether you're discussing biology or biologists. In this presentation, you'll get a better understanding of why ecosystems thrive with diversity, why human systems follow the same pattern, and what the major barriers are to achieving diversity in natural and man-made contexts.

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