• ●Collaborative research with Dr. Huang, a new faculty member, who has submitted a USDA NIFA grant to explore innovative approaches for controlling bee viruses.
• ●Partnerships with computer science graduate students using an electronic nose and other technologies to monitor hive health.
• ●The presence of four apiary locations near Frankfort, with approximately 54 hives managed by Kentucky State, along with additional research and demonstration sites.

Joni Nelson, Extension Specialist, described extensive statewide outreach and grant-funded support:

• ●Kentucky State administers Beginning Beekeeper Grants through a small farm grant program funded by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADF) and tobacco settlement funds.
• ●The university has provided approximately $61,000 in beginning beekeeper grants and, through the broader Small-Scale Farm Grant program, has distributed about $5.1 million to small farmers in 115 counties across Kentucky.
• ●Kentucky State's Bee School is held annually in March in Bradford Hall and is open to students and beekeepers at all levels, offering workshops on hive management, diseases, and pollinator habitat.
• ●The university operates a mobile autoclave unit—likely one of a kind in the United States—that sterilizes beekeeping equipment free of charge for Kentucky beekeepers. The unit is clearly marked with Kentucky State branding and travels statewide to help producers eradicate pathogens and parasites from equipment.

Dr. Kristin Conrad (acknowledged in the presentation) leads efforts focused on native pollinators, including:

• ●Habitat restoration and native plantings on rights-of-way and other lands in partnership with Columbia Gas, NYSORCS, and Roundstone Native Seed.
• ●Educational workshops on the diversity and importance of native bees to agricultural and natural ecosystems. - Educational workshops on the diversity and importance of native bees to agricultural and natural ecosystems.

During discussion, Regents:

• ●Praised the apiculture program's impact on farmers, the agricultural economy, and environmental sustainability.
• ●Encouraged Kentucky State to continue exploring applied doctoral programs—particularly at the intersection of agriculture, health, and engineering—with potential focus areas such as bee products with medicinal properties (e.g., anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, or anti-cancer applications).

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