

Geoffrey R. Williams
Associate Professor & Graduate Program Officer
Entomology & Plant Pathology
(334) 844-5068
grw0010@auburn.edu
Get In Touch
Address:
301 Funchess Hall
Auburn Univ, AL 36849
Biography
EDUCATION
- 2013 – Ph.D. in Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
- 2005 – B.Sc. (Honours) in Animal Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- 2022-Present – Associate Professor, Auburn University, Auburn, United States
- 2016-2022 – Assistant Professor, Auburn University, Auburn, United States
- 2014-2016 – Senior Research Associate, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- 2013-2014 – Research Associate, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- 2011-2012 – Post-doctoral Research Scientist, Swiss Confederation, Bern, Switzerland
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- American Association of Professional Apiculturists
- Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists
- COLOSS Honey Bee Research Association
NOTABLE SERVICE
- Coloss – Vice President
- Bee Informed Partnership
- Scientific Reports – Editorial Board Member
Research
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Pollinator health | Eco-toxicology | Parasitology | Integrated Pest Management | Conservation ecology
Current efforts directed towards understanding and improving the health of insect pollinators in Alabama and abroad, with a focus on exotic parasites and anthropogenic land-use.
Courses
NA
Publications
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
- Friedli, A., Williams, G.R., Bruckner, S., Neumann, P., Straub, L. 2020. The weakest link: Haploid honey bees are more susceptible to neonicotinoid insecticides. Chemosphere 242: 125145.
- Straub, L.*, Williams, G.R.*, Vidondo, B., Khongphinitbunjong, K., Retschnig, G., Schneeberger, A., Chantawannakul, P., Dietemann, V., Neumann, P. 2019. Neonicotinoids and ectoparasitic mites synergistically impact honeybees. Scientific Reports 9: 8159. *Equal contributions.
- Straub, L., Villamar-Bouza, L., Bruckner, S., Chantawannakul, P., Gauthier, L. Khongphinitbunjong, K., Retschnig, G., Troxler, A., Vidondo, B., Neumann, P., Williams, G.R. 2016. Neonicotinoid pesticides can serve as inadvertent insect contraceptives. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 283: 20160506.
- Chantawannakul, P., de Guzman, L.I., Li, J., Williams, G.R. 2016. Parasites and pests of honey bees in Asia. Apidologie 47: 301-324.
- Williams, G.R., Troxler, A., Retschnig, G., Roth, K., Shutler, D., Yañez, O., Neumann, P., Gauthier, L. 2015. Neonicotinoid insecticides severely affect honey bee queens. Scientific Reports 5: 14621.
- Williams, G.R., Alaux, C., Costa, C., Csáki, T., Doublet, V., Eisenhardt, D., Fries, I., Kuhn, R., McMahon, D.P., Medrzycki, P., Murray, T.E., Natsopoulou, M.E., Neumann, P., Oliver, R., Paxton, R.J., Pernal, S.F., Shutler, D., Tanner, G., van der Steen, J.J.M., Brodschneider, R. 2013 Standard methods for maintaining adult Apis mellifera in cages under in vitro laboratory conditions. In V. Dietemann., J.D. Ellis., P. Neumann (Eds.) The COLOSS BEEBOOK, Volume I: standard methods for Apis mellifera research. Journal of Apicultural Research 52: paper 4.
- Williams, G.R., Tarpy, D.R., vanEngelsdorp, D., Chauzat, M.-P., Cox-Foster, D.L., Delaplane, K.S., Neumann, P., Pettis, J.S., Rogers, R.E.L., Shutler, D. 2010. Colony Collapse Disorder in context. BioEssays 32: 845-846.