Skip to Main Content

Dr. Hongmei Li-Byarlay Receives 2023 John Osmun Award

On September 29, 2023, Dr. Hongmei Li-Byarlay received the John V. Osmun Alumni Professional Achievement Award in Entomology! John V. Osmun was Head of the Department of Entomology from 1956 - 1972. Upon retirement from the Purdue Entomology faculty in 1987, an award fund, The John V. Osmun Alumni Professional Achievement Award in Entomology, was established in his honor. The award is in recognition of John Osmun’s long career, professionalism, and great respect for Entomology alumni.

hongmei-with-award.jpeg

Dr. Hongmei Li-Byarlay obtained her BSc from Tianjin Normal University (China) in 1999, her MS from Nan Kai University (China) in 2002 and her PhD from Purdue Entomology in 2007. She subsequently completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Illinois (2008-2013) and the University of North Carolina (2014-2017). Since 2017 she has been a professor at Central State University, a historically black college and university and a new 1890 land grant institution in Wilberforce, Ohio, achieving tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2022.

Dr. Li-Byarlay’s research focuses on honey bee genetics and genomics, balancing both fundamental research into bee genetic processes and applied research supporting bee health. Her recent work has been strongly supported by NSF and USDA grants across a range of programs, many of which develop under-represented undergraduate student scholars while addressing industry and public needs for pollinator protection. She is a prodigious mentor with over 40 student mentees across her time at Central State.

Congratulations Dr. Li-Byarlay!

Watch Dr. Li-Byarlay's talk and award presentation here:

Featured Stories

a person in a green shirt smiling
Faculty Spotlight: Olayiwola Adeola

Professor Olayiwola Adeola reflects on 33 years of research, teaching, and mentoring in animal...

Read More
Corn field at Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE).
Caffery named new pesticide administrator for the Office of Indiana State Chemist

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Office of Indiana State Chemist has appointed Sarah Caffery as...

Read More
Purdue College of Agriculture professors Stephen Cameron and  Bryan Pijanowski
Agriculture professors elected to rank of AAAS Fellow

Purdue College of Agriculture professors Stephen Cameron and Bryan Pijanowski have been elected...

Read More
Two women examining plant seedlings inside an growth chamber
Discovery reveals how a specialized structure in plant cells helps regulate photosynthesis

Purdue University scientists have discovered a key mechanism that regulates how plants develop...

Read More
Yaguang Zhang stands in front of the orange sun sculpture at Purdue
Using sun shadows and simulations to combat snowy roads

Yaguang Zhang, a clinical assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering as well...

Read More
Picture of Jerry Shively smiling in front of grey background.
Shively named 2025 Fellow by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Gerald “Jerry” Shively, associate dean and director of International Programs in...

Read More
To Top