My research utilizes preserved specimens housed in insect collections to study ecological changes in bumble bees. Insect collections provide a unique source of information on past and present populations, and by analyzing the data associated with preserved specimens we can see how species respond to long-term processes such as agriculturalization and climate change. During my time at the Kaplan Lab, I have worked to compile a complete collecting record for Indiana bumble bees, and I use this dataset to analyze shifts in phenology and occupancy in these species across time.

Part of this research has involved completing a digitization project for bumble bees at the Purdue Entomological Research Collection, as well as visiting local institutions in and around Indiana to explore their collections holdings.

With my work I hope to learn more about how our local bumble bee species have responded to change and produce a useful resource for other pollinator research in the Midwest region.