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

Woman in a grocery aisle reviewing the labels.
Shop smarter this summer: An ag economist's guide to smarter grocery shopping

By learning how to cut through the hype and focus on what truly matters, you can shop smarter...

Read More
Channing Arndt and Erwin Corong of GTAP
Global analysis network provides leverage for new Thompson Chair

Channing Arndt, research professor in agricultural economics and director of the Global Trade...

Read More
Electron microscopy close up of cotton fibers in gray scale
Mapping the development of cotton fibers through multiomics profiling

Daniel Szymanski and his former postdoctoral scholar Youngwoo Lee, lead author on their paper...

Read More
A photo of the coast of Costa Rica, including trees and shoreline
Students Experience Wonders of Costa Rica Through Study Abroad Trip

The Costa Rica Rainforest Experience study abroad trip allowed students to experience the wonders...

Read More
Jared Trask sits with brown and white chickens in a grass field
Of mice, birds and men: Purdue researcher builds a simulation of how wild birds and rodents affect the spread of avian flu on farms

Trask is writing a new narrative about rats, birds and people as he pursues his doctorate in...

Read More
Facade of Pfendler Hall
FNR Celebrates Awards, Honors from Spring, Summer 2026

Several Forestry and Natural Resources students, staff and recent alumni have been recognized for...

Read More