Speaker Bio

Dr. Sammy is the founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation and 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. Honey bee and native bee health is declining worldwide with record loss rates in honey bee populations becoming routine (higher than 40% annual losses reported for 2018). These insects are so integral to crop production that challenges to their health threaten food security worldwide.

As he closely examines the biology of honey bees, their associated parasites, and related threats, he considers how discoveries can best be made available to everyone. 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. This holistic methodology propelled him to Thailand to study the Tropilaelaps mite which is widely regarded as the next global threat to honey bee populations.

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. His current work, aptly named the Fight the Mite Initiative, was funded largely by generous support from the beekeeping community in response to his work in rehabilitating the industry. 

Dr. Sammy's award-winning research on Varroa destructor has changed the standing paradigm on how the parasite feeds upon, and ultimately kills, honey bees. At the forefront of this scientific inquiry, he has had many opportunities to share his work internationally. 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.