Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk

Bromenshenk received his Ph.D. in insect ethology (behavior) from Montana State University. He co-founded Bee Alert Technology in 2003 and is the statewide director of Montana's EPSCoR program (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research). His research focuses on insect behavior, ecotoxicology, population dynamics, and environmental chemistry. He recently served as president of WAS - Western Apiculture Society. Dr. Bromenshenk has 40 years experience working with honeybees.

Dr. Scott Debnam

Dr. Scott Debnam is a graduate of the University of Montana Wildlife Biology program and has 23 years experience managing the research colonies for the University of Montana. He completed his Master's degree in Pollination Ecology in 2016 through the University of Montana's Organismal Biology, Ecology, & Evolution program and his Ph.D. in Insect Physiology from the Division of Biological Sciences in 2022. His research focuses on nest thermoregulation and the economics associated with thermoregulation. He, of course, uses the honeybee as the model species for this research. Debnam is a Yale Scientific Teaching fellow who possesses extensive expertise with honey bee ailments and pests. He possesses an intimate knowledge of the insects that he is eager to pass on to others. 

Phillip Welch

Welch is a graduate of the University of Montana Biology Program. He has a broad skill-set based in the natural sciences coupled with 19 years experience managing honeybees for agriculture and for scientific studies. Phillip has participated in research at Sandia National Labs, the University of Montana, and Bee Alert Technology. These studies have ranged from training bees to find land mines to finding better ways of monitoring hive health for commercial beekeepers. Phillip is also a backyard-beekeeper who enjoys the benefits of pollination in his family garden and orchard.

Guest Instructor: Dr. Dale Hill

Dr. Dale Hill is a semi-retired animal nutrition consultant with 14 years of laboratory experience and over 50 years of animal nutrition formulation experience with multiple animal species. His university training includes B.S. Animal Sciences from Colorado State University, M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He has worked for livestock nutrition companies, vitamin-trace mineral premix companies, a milk replacer company and a major pet food company. Dale completed a major update to the Nutrition chapter of the Hive and the Honeybee textbook in 2015, developed the protein supplement sold as Dadant’s AP23, and has served as President for Mississippi Valley Beekeepers and Illinois State Beekeepers. He kept honey bees for over 15 years, and now teaches and mentors new beekeepers. Dale teaches the Nutrition section of UM's Master Beekeeping course.

Guest Instructor: Cam Lay

Cam Lay is a retired regulatory entomologist. His work experience includes 25 years as a pesticide regulatory official in South Carolina and Maine, dozens of court cases as a private consultant in structural entomology and pesticide use, and a decade of serving as Montana’s state entomologist and apiarist. He has obtained two degrees in the process of attending five colleges, which he cites as evidence that you can fool at least some of the people some of the time. Cam helps teach the Pesticides section of UM's Journeyman Level course.

Guest Instructor: Tamila Morgan

Tamila Morgan, a graduate of the University of Washington, conducted innovative field research on bumblebees in the Canadian Rockies during her undergraduate years. Afterward, she trained and worked as a commercial pilot and flight instructor before taking a break to raise their family. Tamila is the founder of the Stilly Valley Bee Collective, where she mentors members, and conducts classes. She operates her own queen breeding program through grafting and honing her instrumental insemination skills. Tamila's treatment-free bee stock thrives on a small farm in the Pacific Northwest. She is a Certified Master Beekeeper from the University of Montana and is currently participating in the new Commercial Beekeeping program. Tamila teaches at UM's Beekeeping Summer Field Days.