Rhonda Thygesen

Background

About Rhonda Thygesen

Rhonda (or "Rho" as known by her colleagues, friends, and family) is naturally curious and adventure-seeking. She brings this both to her research with honey bees and to her life outside where she can be found trail running, backcountry skiing, kayaking, gravel biking, and rock climbing. By being open about her intentions, Rho actively involves others in her interests and pursuits, often bringing out the best in herself and those around her. Rho is often described by others as aware, kind, and determined. Rho is currently completing her MSc with UBC in Vancouver studying honey bee health in blueberry crops in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Prior to this she studied at The King's University and graduated with her BSc in Biology in 2020. During her final years of her undergraduate degree she accomplished her senior thesis work and two other semester-long independent research projects. The topics of her projects included soil health, honey production, plant-insect interactions, bacteriophages, and honey bee disease and management.Rho has a keen interest in teaching and has been a TA throughout her BSc and MSc degrees. She has experimented with science communication work in the form of writing and photography as well. Rho plans on continuing her training by pursuing a PhD and hopefully inspiring future scientists and explorers as an undergraduate professor.