kirk william - Keele University
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the School of Life Sciences

High quality education across the life sciences

School of Life Sciences

Dr William Kirk

Title: Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Entomology
Phone: +44 (0)1782 733517
Email:
Location: Huxley Building : 106
Role: Member of Council, Member of Senate, Director of Learning and Teaching (Life Sciences), Course Director (Biology), First Aider
Contacting me: Try my office or arrange an appointment by e-mail.
william kirk

I was appointed as a Lecturer at Keele University in 1987 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005. I obtained a BA (Hons) in Applied Biology from Cambridge University in 1981 and then went on to complete my PhD on "The ecology of thrips in flowers" at Cambridge University in 1984. The award of a Rothmans Fellowship allowed me to do post-doctoral research on thrips at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute (now Waite Campus), University of Adelaide, South Australia in 1985. Further post-doctoral research was supported by a Research Fellowship from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

William Kirk in Greenhouse Research interests

My main research interests are the biology and ecology of thrips, with a view to exploiting this knowledge to develop novel means of managing thrips as pests in agriculture and horticulture. I also carry out research on the foraging behaviour of bees and have kept honeybees for many years. My latest book on "Plants for Bees" is a comprehensive guide to the plants that benefit the bees of the British Isles. I am currently Vice-Chairman of the International Bee Research Association, a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a Life Fellow of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, and Vice-President of the North Staffordshire Beekeepers' Association

Members of the Thrips Research Group

Mr Abiodun Olaniran

Ms Clare Sampson

Prof. Gordon Hamilton

Current research projects

1. Biological, semiochemical and selective chemical management methods for insecticide resistant western flower thrips on protected strawberry. Horticulture LINK. 2010-2015.

2. Pheromone identification for environmentally responsible control of thrips (PERFECT). FP7 Marie Curie IIF. 2010-2013.

3. The aggregation pheromone of the western flower thrips. ETF, Nigeria. 2010-2013.

4. Aggregation pheromones of thrips. 2011-2013.

5. Surveying pesticide levels in bee hives. BBSRC CASE and BBKA. 2010-2013.

 

 

  • LSC-0C006 Beekeeping for Beginners (Module Manager)

  • LSC-1C068 An Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping (Module Manager)

  • LSC-10031 Cell and Molecular Biology

  • LSC-10033 Ecology and Environment (Module Manager)

  • LSC-10037 Diversity of Life

  • LSC-20055 Life at the Extremes

  • LSC-20056 Research and Analytical Skills

  • LSC-30003 Applied Insect Ecology (Module Manager)

  • LSC-30004 Research Project (Biology)

  • LSC-30007 Dissertation for Biology