An Un-Bee-lievable Grant
CAMPOS Faculty Scholar Felicity Muth Receives Funding from The National Geographic Society
As part of UC Davis’ $1.039 billion in external research awards, Felicity Muth received funding from The National Geographic Society for her project, "Ecology Shaping Cognition: An Exploration with Wild Bees." As a CAMPOS Faculty Scholar and assistant professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior, Muth advances our understanding of how environments shape cognition in bumblebees and other bee species.
Muth specializes in animal behavior and cognition including aspects of learning and memory that have a clear function in the natural world. Originally from London, Muth carried out her undergraduate and doctoral studies in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh and the University of St. Andrews, working on nest construction in birds. After earning her Ph.D., she switched to working on bumblebee cognition at the University of Arizona and University of Nevada, Reno where she was funded by L’Oreal for Women in Science, the AAUW and the USDA.
CAMPOS Faculty Scholar
When she joined UC Davis in 2024, she was chosen as one of seven CAMPOS Faculty Scholars for her pioneering research in her field and commitment to equity in higher education. Muth is a strong proponent of science communication and even wrote a children’s book on bee diversity titled Am I Even a Bee? She has been interviewed on NPR’s Science Friday and on KUNR, talking about bee cognition and the challenges faced by women in science.
One of Three National Geographic Explorers
Muth’s project is part of a research initiative, the Wildlife Intelligence Project, inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall and the Templeton Prize. She represents one of three National Geographic Explorers researching animal cognition and behavior that will impact “how humans view, interact and connect with wildlife,” according to the National Geographic website. Her work will investigate cognitive differences between queen and forager bumblebees, as well as the impact of dietary generalism on bees' cognitive abilities. Muth's team will study bees in natural environments to determine how they learn and solve problems while foraging, on public land in Nevada and California.
Learn more about the grant here, and follow along with Muth’s work here.