Advisory Council Member

Maryann Tomasko Frazier

Maryann received her B. S. in Agriculture Education from Penn State University in 1980. In 1983 she completed a Masters of Agriculture in Entomology, specializing in apiculture. She has worked as the assistant state apiary inspector in Maryland and for two years as a beekeeping specialist in Sudan and later in Central America and Africa. For 27 years she held the position of Senior Extension Associate in Penn State’s Department of Entomology and was responsible for honey bee extension throughout the state and cooperatively across the Mid-Atlantic region. She has worked collaboratively with members of PSU’s Center for Pollinator Research (CPR) to understand how pesticides impact honey bees and other pollinators. In addition, she has worked with a team of CPR and Kenyan researchers to understand the impacts of Varroa mites on East African honey bee subspecies and help Kenyan beekeepers become more productive. She has taught courses in beekeeping, general entomology and teacher education and has participated in the Entomology Department’s innovative public outreach program. Maryann retired in 2016, but continues to keep bees, assist new beekeepers, and organize tours to Kenya for beekeepers, educators and others interested in experiencing the Kenyan culture and keeping of bees in East Africa.