Trio of entomology research stories scores national honors for Fred Miller
The stories were the last ones Fred Miller wrote before retiring as science editor for the experiment station.
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
June 24, 2024
Fast facts:
- Miller’s stories describe research by Allen Szalanski, Neelendra Joshi
- Same stories also won at state-level contest
(275 words)
(Newsrooms: with art)
ST. LOUIS — A trio of stories by a “closet entomologist” describing Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station research on honey bees has won first place in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest.
The stories were the last ones Fred Miller wrote before retiring as science editor for the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Miller won in the category of “Information for the Media, news or feature releases, multiple releases.”
The stories in the series were “Researchers trace ancestry of Arkansas honeybees to original ‘colonists’,” “Molecular survey of parasite threats helps Arkansas beekeepers protect their colonies,” and “Entomologists study how colors attract wild bees to improve surveys, other research.”
The stories featured work being done by Allen Szalanski, professor and insect geneticist and Neelendra Joshi, associate professor of entomology, both of the Division of Agriculture.
“I’m pleased and grateful that this series of bee stories did well in the state and national contests,” Miller said. “Not only is it one of the last projects I worked on before I retired, but stories about insects have always been some of my favorites.
“I guess I’m a closet entomologist,” he said.
The National Communications Contest is sponsored by the National Federation of Press Women. More than 250 professional communicators earned honors during the celebration at the 2024 national conference in St. Louis on June 22.
About 1,850 entries were submitted for this year’s contest, which begins at the state level before advancing.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices.
Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 25 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu