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Heather Hines is a Professor in the Department of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on insect evolution, diversity, and conservation, with a specific emphasis on bees and wasps. Hines integrates biology, molecular techniques, and ecological approaches to investigate various aspects of biodiversity. Her lab explores the processes generating morphological diversity in insect lineages, particularly through the study of evolutionary genetics and mimetic coloration in butterflies and bees. She also examines the developmental genetic mechanisms by which gall wasps (Cynipidae) induce unique plant gall morphologies, as well as the dynamics of plant-pollinator coevolution and how floral secondary compounds influence bee visitation patterns. Additionally, Hines studies the social strategies of bumble bees, focusing on socially parasitic species and their genomic adaptations. Her work aims to elucidate speciation processes among bee lineages using integrative taxonomic methods. In response to declining bee populations, Hines is dedicated to identifying the factors driving these declines, incorporating both lab and field techniques into her research.
Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA
Teaching and conducting research in the Department of Entomology.
GRE scores are highly recommended but not strictly required for Applied Linguistics.