Diana Cox-Foster

Research Leader

Diana Cox-Foster is a Research Leader and Entomologist at USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit (PIRU) in Logan, Utah. PIRU focuses on biology, management, and systematics of all bee species. Stakeholders include bee keepers, bee managers, growers who use Apis and non-Apis bees for pollination, and land managers of natural ecosystems. PIRU has the U.S. National Pollinating Insect Collection, with research on conservation of bee biodiversity. Cox-Foster examines the impact of pathogens and pesticides on bee health, for honey bees, bumble bees, and solitary bees. Cox-Foster received a B. S. in Entomology and Zoology at Colorado State University and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cox-Foster gained skills in molecular biology as a post-doc at Vanderbilt University. In 1987, Cox-Foster joined Penn State University as a faculty member and served as a full professor. At PSU, Cox-Foster was one of the initial scientists responding to colony collapse disorder in honey bees and co-director of the CCD working team. She transitioned to USDA-ARS in October 2015.