Dr. Beryl Jones 
Assistant Professor

Beryl is broadly interested in the role of phenotypic plasticity in shaping the evolution of novel traits. She is enamored with social insects, and uses a comparative approach to study the molecular underpinnings of social behaviors in bees. She received a B.S. from the University of Arizona before completing her Ph.D. in Dr. Gene Robinson’s lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied mechanisms of reproductive plasticity in two bee species. Prior to joining the faculty at University of Kentucky, she did a postdoc with Sarah Kocher at Princeton University studying enhancer evolution. At UK, she studies wild bee pollinators with a combination of genomics and field-based studies.

Savanna Ploessl
PhD Student

Savanna is interested in how gene regulation contributes to developmental plasticity, social organization, and behavioral evolution. In the Jones Lab she uses a wide range of bee species to explore the evolution of transcription factor binding motifs across transitions in sociality, investigate lineage-specific versus conserved regulatory mechanisms, and link behavior and reproductive physiology to gene expression differences. Savanna received her B.S. in Entomology from Purdue University where she studied invertebrate diversity in urban gardens in Dr. Laura Ingwell's lab and co-authored policy recommendations for pollinator-friendly solar installations with Dr. Brock Harpur. She is passionate about native pollinator conservation, increasing awareness around ground nesting bees, and engaging diverse audiences in entomology outreach and citizen science.

Evelena (Evie) Cecil
​PhD Student

Evie is interested in how social bee species communicate and cooperate based on genetic and environmental factors. She hopes to gain insight into chemical communication and social behavior of bees, using genomics and chemical analyses. Evie received her B.S. in Wildlife Management with a concentration in Conservation Management at Eastern Kentucky University, where she studied the effects of forest characteristics on native bee populations in Costa Rica in Dr. Valerie Peters’ lab. She is excited to learn in-depth about bees, and share with others their unique and important role in our ecosystems.

Leo Carpenter
M.S. Student

Leo is interested in how environmental stressors alter bumble bee behavior and gene expression. In the Jones lab, he’s looking forward to examining the effects of stress in agro-ecosystems and lab settings on bumble bee colony health, foraging, cooperation and individual gene expression. They earned their B.S. with Honors in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology at Missouri State University, where they researched bumble bee communities, pollinator-plant interactions, and foraging behavior in Dr. Avery Russel’s lab. He also studied freshwater mussels, pseudoscorpions, and several butterflies. Leo is eager to work with farmers, researchers, and community science efforts to improve native pollinator awareness, habitats, and populations. 

Elijah Cruz Cardona
Lab Tech Senior

Cruz seeks to understand wild bee needs in urban and rural environments. He received a B.S. in Biology from Eastern Kentucky University where he studied stingless bee habitat preferences in Costa Rica under Dr. Valerie Peters. In the summer of 2023, he worked in Dr. Daniel Cariveau’s Lab at the University of Minnesota studying the effects of prescribed burns in restored prairies on native bees and plants. He is currently the Laboratory Technician Senior for the Jones lab, assisting students and faculty with their projects.