A doctoral student in entomology is being honored by the world’s largest entomological society for her contributions to the field.

Sakshi Watts is one of the student honorees being recognized by the Entomological Society of America in its 2024 Awards and Honors.

Each year, the group honors scientists, educators, and students who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to entomology. Honorees will be recognized at the society’s annual conference in November held in Phoenix, Arizona.

A first-generation international graduate student, Watts is part of the research team at the Center for Integrative Bee Research, or CIBER, supervised by Boris Baer, an entomologist and co-founder of the center.

Her research focuses on growth, resilience, and social immunity of survivor (feral) and commercial honey bees in Southern California. Watts’ work aims to address critical challenges in beekeeping and global food security. She has presented her findings at various conferences and seminars.

Watts said she was deeply honored to receive the 2024 Alate Award by the Entomological Society of America and is excited to present her findings at the meeting. This Alate Award honors students currently enrolled Minority-Serving Institutions to promote interest in entomology and to stimulate interest in attending the society’s annual Meeting.

“This award is a significant milestone in my journey, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally through this experience," she said.

Baer praised Watts’ work with CIBER.

“Sakshi’s research is such an exciting journey to understand our local honeybees and how they deal efficiently with environmental stressors and provide novel insights into the fascinating lifestyle of a true super organism,” he said.

In addition to her research, Watts serves as a mentor to many undergraduate and graduate students.