U of M grad wins national awards in U.S.
VERONICA CARR STAFF
Tanya Pankiw is proof that University of Manitoba grads can make a difference.
A Texas Agricultural Experiment Station assistant professor and former grad from the U of M, Pankiw was awarded the 2006 National Research Initiative Discovery Award last Tuesday at the 2007 Texas A&M University Agriculture Conference in College Station.
Despite competition from 30 other nominations across the United States for the award and research grant of $10,000, Pankiw’s project on honey-bee pheromone regulation prevailed.
“Pankiw has managed to crack the code of chemical communication and we are very proud of her, not only for the success she has had in her research program but also the recognition she has received for it on a national level,” said Kevin Heinz, dean of entomology at Texas A&M University.
Pankiw’s research focuses on honey-bee pheromones and their effects on individual bees and colonies. Pheromones are chemicals emitted by living organisms to send messages to individuals of the same species. Once pheromones are understood in a species, scientists can start to manipulate them in order to control the organism’s action.
“If you think about communication in any language, you know it’s a neverending science and what she is working on has only scratched the surface, so there is plenty still to come,” continues Heinz.
The next step in Pankis’ research will most likely be to develop synthetic compounds that will act as pheromones so beekeepers can control their production more then they are presently able to do.
“It’s been about 10 years now that I’ve been studying this specifically — even when I was at the U of M — so now it feels like it’s really starting to make an impact,” remarks Pankiw who says she’s “really excited for where her research is taking her.”
After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in plant science and entomology at the U of M, Pankiw moved to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. to obtain a doctorate in biology. After graduating, Pankiw received a job offer she couldn’t refuse and moved to College Station, Tex. to continue her research surrounding honeybee pheromones.
Cam Jay, Pankiw’s former master of science advisor and professor emeritus of entomology, says he’s not at all surprised by her accomplishments. “Tanya (Pankiw) always showed great promise. She was a brilliant young lady and evidently still is.”
Pankiw and Jay still keep in contact and Pankiw makes frequent visits home to her family in Dufrost, Man..
