Maryann received her B. S. in Agriculture Education from The Pennsylvania State University in 1980. In 1983 she completed a MAg in Entomology, specializing in apiculture. She has worked as the assistant state apiary inspector in Maryland and as a beekeeping specialist in Sudan. In addition, she participated in beekeeping development projects in Central America, Uganda and later in Kenya. 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 and diseases on East African honey bee subspecies. She has taught courses in beekeeping, general entomology and teacher education and has participated in the PSU’s Entomology Department’s innovative public outreach program.  Maryann retired in 2016, but continues to keep bees, assist new beekeepers, and serves on the One Hive Foundation board. In addition, she organizes tours to Kenya for beekeepers, educators and others interested in experiencing Kenyan culture and beekeeping in East Africa. It is the enthusiasm, commitment and love of Kenya that has inspired individuals participating in these tours to form the non-profit BEE in Kenya.