Cross-Pollinating Ideas: What Bee Research in Greece Taught Me About Global Science Collaboration

This summer, I spent two months on the island of Lesvos, Greece, the setting of the National Science Foundation-sponsored Pollinators, Climate Change, and the Aegean Archipelago Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Our team of seven students and four senior researchers from various backgrounds in the U.S. worked to untangle the interacting stressors impacting bees in Greece and around the world. Throughout the program, led by John Barthell, Victor Gonzalez, and John Hranitz, I developed tremendously important skills in designing streamlined experiments, collecting field data, analyzing observations, and communicating my findings. However, as I look back on the experience, the most transformative aspect of this opportunity was the chance to engage in international collaboration, which not only enhanced the research process but also opened my eyes to the importance of global scientific cooperation.