Mabuhay! Welcome to my website. My name is Jonathan Berenguer Uhuad Koch.
Education. In Hawai'i, I studied the pollinator potential of native Hylaeus (Colletidae) bees across the rugged lava landscape of Mauna Loa Volcano as an NSF-REU intern with the PIPES program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UHH). AfterI graduated from UHH, I took the very big step to leave home to pursue my graduate studies at Utah State University where I worked with declining North American bumble bees. During my Master’s program, I applied GIS techniques to natural history and contemporary specimen records to estimate bumble bee decline in the United States. For my Ph.D. I studied the evolution and ecology of North American bumble bees - resulting in peer-reviewed papers in Ecology and Evolution, Conservation Genetics, and PLoS One.
Post-doctoral Fellowships. In 2015, I was awarded a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the evolutionary ecology of an invasive species, spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in the Hawaiian Islands. Specifically I examined patterns of genetic diversity as it relates to host diversity and bioclimatic variability. In 2018, I was awarded the David H. Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship, where I served as the principal investigator of the nalo meli 'apa'akuma project. This fellowship support my efforts to sequence the genomes of the two yellow-faced bees: endangered Hylaues anthracinus and the non-endangered Hylaeus volcanicus. With this data, I am exploring ways we can use genetics tools to inform the conservation and managed of endemic bees of Hawai'i.
Current Adventure. I joined the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in 2020. At ARS, I lead a research program that aims to deliver scientific tools and innovative solutions that promote bee sustainability and availability to American farmers, producers, and industry. To meet this vision, my group conducts research that 1) investigates the extent and causes of bee population decline, 2) improves the management of wild and commercial bumble bee species, 3) understands bee biology as related to management goals, and 4) evaluates the genetics of bee species of commercial and ecological interest with the goal of conserving genetic diversity.
Outreach. I support community engagement in the sciences and have delivered a diversity of lectures and workshops on general entomology, apiculture, and pollinator management to preK-12 students, gardeners, and scientists. My 2012 publication, a Guide to the Bumble Bees of the western United States, co-authored with James Strange and Paul Williams was named a notable government publication by the American Library Association.
Maraming salamat for visiting my research page!
Education. In Hawai'i, I studied the pollinator potential of native Hylaeus (Colletidae) bees across the rugged lava landscape of Mauna Loa Volcano as an NSF-REU intern with the PIPES program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UHH). AfterI graduated from UHH, I took the very big step to leave home to pursue my graduate studies at Utah State University where I worked with declining North American bumble bees. During my Master’s program, I applied GIS techniques to natural history and contemporary specimen records to estimate bumble bee decline in the United States. For my Ph.D. I studied the evolution and ecology of North American bumble bees - resulting in peer-reviewed papers in Ecology and Evolution, Conservation Genetics, and PLoS One.
Post-doctoral Fellowships. In 2015, I was awarded a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship to study the evolutionary ecology of an invasive species, spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in the Hawaiian Islands. Specifically I examined patterns of genetic diversity as it relates to host diversity and bioclimatic variability. In 2018, I was awarded the David H. Smith Postdoctoral Fellowship, where I served as the principal investigator of the nalo meli 'apa'akuma project. This fellowship support my efforts to sequence the genomes of the two yellow-faced bees: endangered Hylaues anthracinus and the non-endangered Hylaeus volcanicus. With this data, I am exploring ways we can use genetics tools to inform the conservation and managed of endemic bees of Hawai'i.
Current Adventure. I joined the United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in 2020. At ARS, I lead a research program that aims to deliver scientific tools and innovative solutions that promote bee sustainability and availability to American farmers, producers, and industry. To meet this vision, my group conducts research that 1) investigates the extent and causes of bee population decline, 2) improves the management of wild and commercial bumble bee species, 3) understands bee biology as related to management goals, and 4) evaluates the genetics of bee species of commercial and ecological interest with the goal of conserving genetic diversity.
Outreach. I support community engagement in the sciences and have delivered a diversity of lectures and workshops on general entomology, apiculture, and pollinator management to preK-12 students, gardeners, and scientists. My 2012 publication, a Guide to the Bumble Bees of the western United States, co-authored with James Strange and Paul Williams was named a notable government publication by the American Library Association.
Maraming salamat for visiting my research page!
aloha,
Dr. Jonathan B. Uhuad Koch, PhD
"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan" - Dr. José Rizal
Dr. Jonathan B. Uhuad Koch, PhD
"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan" - Dr. José Rizal
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