ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst

This choice board invites students to write a news story about the first American Indian woman to receive a medical degree; create an Instagram-style video showcasing the Blackwell Sisters’ achievements in the field of medicine; Create a graphic novel or picture book about an African American medical pioneer during the Civil War, and much more.

Pesticides pose significant threats to pollinators, and honey bees are frequently exposed through foraging and beekeeping practices. We assessed honey bee pesticide exposure by analyzing 92 pesticide residues in honey from 30 hobbyist apiaries across Massachusetts, along with store-bought honey and commercial wax foundation. For all samples, we calculated the risk of multiresidue toxicity to honey bees and assessed the role of landscape composition in predicting pesticides in local honey. Both honey and wax contained multiple pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids and piperonyl butoxide. Store-bought honey accumulated at least two times more residues than local but did not differ significantly in toxicity. Overall, honey toxicity levels remained below thresholds of concern for bees and human consumption. Although our study had low agricultural land (~6 %), croplands were positively correlated with pesticides in honey, while wetlands (~ 15 %) were negatively correlated. Additionally, our study suggests that commercial wax exacerbates pesticide exposure.

An “embedded” research approach aims to inform programme improvement and has the potential to facilitate more interactive horizontal engagement and knowledge co-production. Concurrently, this approach demands negotiating relationships with institutions and individuals. The purpose of this chapter is to identify the values, opportunities and challenges of conducting embedded research with allied health professionals, drawing from our experience assessing the Health On the Go (Salud Al Paso) Program in Quito, Ecuador. The analysis shows that an embedded research approach requires supporting personnel to become partners, and as staff members become co-creators of knowledge, researchers have less vertical control over the study. Conducting research with health personnel may be stimulating for them when their opinions are valued and may help them reflect on their own practices. Furthermore, it may also demonstrate the importance of jointly assessing a health promotion initiative. Qualitative techniques, such as focus groups, may be useful for participants to contrast their perceptions and opinions with those of their colleagues. It is important to follow a three-step process: (1) developing a relationship of trust by being transparent, (2) being flexible when engaging and communicating with decision-makers and (3) co-producing knowledge while remaining continuously reflexive on potential biases.