Robert E. Page Jr. (Courtesy University of California, Davis)

Internationally acclaimed honey bee geneticist and University of California, Davis alumnus Robert E. Page Jr. is the recipient of the 2019 UC Davis Distinguished Emeritus Award.

Page is well known for his research on honey bee behavior and population genetics, particularly the evolution of complex social behavior, and for constructing the first genomic map of the honey bee, which led to other pioneering contributions not only to insect biology but to the wider field of genetics.

According to a news release, Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis department of entomology and nematology, praised Page as a “pioneer researcher in the field of behavioral genetics, an internationally recognized scholar, a highly respected author, a talented and innovative administrator, and a skilled teacher responsible for mentoring many of today’s top bee scientists.” Nadler nominated Page for the award.

Page received his doctorate in entomology from UC Davis in 1980 and joined the UC Davis faculty in 1989, serving as the chair of the department of entomology from 1999 to 2004. In 2004 he was recruited by Arizona State University to be the founding director of ASU’s school of life sciences. He also established ASU’s Honey Bee Research Facility.

Page received his award on Jan. 28 at the UC Davis Conference Center.