MUSC Catalyst 8-15-2014

Page 1

Aug. 15, 2014

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 32, No. 50

Honeybee observation hive offers sweet view By Dawn Brazell Public Relations

S

ome of the hardest workers at MUSC just got new glass digs in a palatial garden setting. It’s a well–deserved honor, according to Susan Johnson, Ph.D., director of the Office of Health Promotion at the Medical University of South Carolina who orchestrated the July 31 celebration of the new, observational hive in MUSC’s half–acre Urban Farm, located on the corner of Bee and President streets. MUSC partnered with the non-profit The Bee Cause Project in getting the hive as part of a pay–it–forward model. “Tami Enright gave us our hive for free, but we’re raising money for the next one,” Johnson said of the $2,000 hive. “We’ve decided to do an annual fundraiser for them. We want to continue to promote the cause. It’s so critical for food pollination and the bee colonies.” Honeybee populations worldwide are dwindling. Though not all causes are known, factors contributing to the decline include mite infestation and a type of beetle that can clean honey out of a hive in just weeks causing the bees to starve, said Enright, the executive director of The Bee Cause Project. Another disturbing phenomenon is known as Colony Collapse Disorder, which causes bees to abandon their hives en masse. This disorder was first documented in 2006 when beekeepers in the U.S. experienced an unprecedented loss of

4

photo by Sarah Pack, Public Relations

A bee gathers pollen from a sunflower in MUSC’s Urban Farm. 30 to 90 percent of their hives during the winter. That loss has continued since then, averaging about 30 percent annually. It is thought there are several causes, including pesticide exposure, pathogens and parasites, and nutrition and management practices. Beyond helping a good cause, MUSC

Fellowships Awarded Mentoring fellowship aims to support women and research.

getting the hive fits perfectly into the Urban Farm’s educational goal, Johnson said. “The mission of the urban farm is to build and teach that connection about food and health, and sustainability and wellness. It gives us a chance to partner with an organization that fits our mission

and is also connected to the schools. We want to reach out to them and create those partnerships.” Enright said it’s a great partnership. “MUSC has such a nice reach with the community and the schools, and our

MUSC President David J. Cole, page 6

8

See Bees on page 6

Epic Success

3

Around Campus

Epic Go-Live is an enterprise-wide success.

5

Meet Chris

10

Employee Wellness

READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
MUSC Catalyst 8-15-2014 by Cindy Abole - Issuu