Cole Knaus

Cole is a M.S. student in the Strange Lab. Following graduation from the University of Minnesota in 2023 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology, Cole worked as a Rusty Patched Bumble Bee eDNA Technician for the USGS. Cole gained experience not only identifying bumble bees such as Bombus affinis but also collecting eDNA samples from various flower species. During his undergraduate experience, an interest in Lepidopteran rearing led him to an internship at the Minnesota Zoo as a Butterfly Conservation Research Assistant. Here, he helped rear the threatened Dakota skipper and federally endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterflies alongside a team of entomologists. Experience with Minnesota bumble bee identification and insect rearing as well as an interest in bumble bee conservation led him to the Strange Lab. Cole hopes to continue to pursue research related to endangered pollinator conservation.