May 20 is World Bee Day! To celebrate, we’re introducing you to Olav Rueppell, honey bee expert and professor in the Faculty of Science. Spend a few minutes getting to know him a little better.
What is your first U of A memory?
When visiting Edmonton for the first time, I saw the Biological Sciences Building overlooking the river valley and felt excited.
What’s something your coworkers don’t know about you?
Since I started during the COVID-19 pandemic without much personal interaction, my colleagues probably don’t know much about me. I look forward to changing that. And one of the first things that will become apparent is that I like chocolate.
What’s your favourite distraction?
Hitting a ball with a racquet (just about any kind), running and biking.
If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be?
Computing science with a focus on artificial intelligence.
What’s a weird pet peeve you have?
I get annoyed at people who don’t take board games seriously.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
Gandalf the Grey.
If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be?
Any genuine performance that introduces me to a different culture — ideally in a country that I have not traveled to so far.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Life is not a marathon, it’s more like a triathlon.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
There are actually two: freedom and family.
What three words describe your U of A experience?
Welcoming, great people.
What’s one thing you’d like people to know about honey bees?
If you look closely, the concept of the busy bee is a myth and the queen doesn’t rule. And there are a thousand other things that I would like people to know about honey bees.
About Olav