Krispn Given is the 2023 recipient of the Prestigious Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching/Extension Service/Regulatory Award from the Eastern Apicultural Society
www.easternapiculture.org
“It was a big surprise and deeply honored to receive this award!”
-Krispn Given
Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching/Extension Service/Regulatory Award
Supported by Anita Weiss Foundation
This award was founded in 1999 as a memorial to Dr. Roger Morse, who pioneered today’s Master Beekeeper Program. Dr. Morse was an American bee biologist and beekeeper. Morse was a professor of entomology at Cornell University from 1957 to 1989 who was an illustrious researcher, author, and educator, held in great esteem by generations of scientists and citizen beekeepers. The award is presented each year at the annual awards banquet and dinner.
The 2023 winner of the Roger A. Morse Outstanding Teaching/Extension Service/Regulatory Award is Krispn Given. In 2003 he joined the Department of Entomology at Purdue University, he is the Senior Apiculture Specialist specializing in honey bee breeding and research. He has been involved in many beekeeping education programs and he teaches a class in queen rearing and a more advanced course in instrumental insemination that draws folks from around the world each year.
At Purdue, he maintains a honey bee breeding program now in its 26 year with close to 120 colonies breeding for behavioral resistance to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. He is best known for his innovative work in honey bee breeding and developing the popular IN Mite-biter honey bee, a strain of bees that groom themselves free of the mites then bite them. He worked with honey bee geneticist Dr Greg Hunt for 16 years and together they developed a bee that is more resistant to the varroa mite. Today he is recognized as one of the preeminent international authorities in the fields of instrumental insemination and honey bee breeding. Many beekeeper’s and commercial beekeepers are using the mite-biter stock in their operations with great success. Given said he is “deeply honored” to be a recipient of this award “The field of honey bee breeding is so critical to reducing the negative impacts of varroa” It is our pleasure to recognize Krispn Given as the 24th Rodger A. Morse winner.
Krispn Given received the award Friday August 4, 2023, at the awards banquet dinner.
