Dr. Marina Claudia Caillaud is a Lecturer in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University, where she teaches courses on insect biology, with a particular emphasis on honey bees and a deep commitment to innovative, inclusive, and engaging science education.
Dr. Caillaud was educated in France. Her BS was in Biological and Agricultural Engineering with a concentration in Insect Biology. She then earned an MSc in Ecophysiology and Population Dynamics of Land Invertebrates from Université Paris-Sorbonne studying the behavior and neurophysiology of honey bees. Her PhD in Genetic Resources and Plant Breeding from Université Paris-Saclay focused on the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying resistance to aphids in wheat germplasm.
Early in her career, Dr. Caillaud worked as a research scientist at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in France before moving to Cornell University, where her research focused on the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms underlying insect feeding behavior and plant virus transmission. Since 2013, she has served as a Lecturer at Cornell University, where she taught several widely attended courses, including Honey Bee Biology, Alien Empire, and Plagues and People.
Dr. Caillaud is particularly passionate about creating dynamic and inclusive learning environments that encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and respect for diverse perspectives. She incorporates active-learning strategies, interdisciplinary perspectives, and global examples into her courses, helping students understand the societal importance of biological sciences, insects and of course bees.
