Sarah Orr

Sarah Orr is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Tampa, specializing in insect ecotoxicology with a focus on environmental stressors' impacts on social insect pollinators including bees and wasps. She employs molecular, physiological, and behavioral approaches to study gene-environment interactions across biological scales from gene expression to colony performance.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Toxicology from North Carolina State University (2022), dissertation: Physiological Mechanisms of Major Ion Toxicity in Aquatic Insects
• M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Mercer University (2018), thesis: Potential Mechanisms of Inorganic Mercury Intoxication in Rat Kidney Cells
• B.S. in Biology from University of North Georgia (2016)

Dr. Orr's research centers on understanding how pesticides and heat disrupt pollinator development, behavior, and reproduction. Current projects investigate sulfoxaflor's effects on bumblebee reproduction, caste-specific gene expression in wasps, and morphological plasticity under stress. Her work bridges ecotoxicology, genetics, and conservation biology to address pollinator decline in agricultural landscapes.

Analysis of her 23+ publications reveals consistent focus on pesticide impacts (particularly sulfoxaflor), social insect genomics, and physiological adaptations to environmental stressors. Key themes include caste differentiation mechanisms, reproductive toxicity, and evolutionary signatures of sociality in Hymenoptera, published in journals like Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and Heredity.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Georgia Institute of Technology College of Sciences Outstanding Junior Research Faculty Award (2025)
• USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023-2025)
• University of North Georgia “20 Under 40” Award (2023)

Dr. Orr actively mentors 11+ students across institutions including Georgia Tech and Agnes Scott College, with current projects funded by a USDA NIFA Fellowship on pesticide-induced developmental disruption. She serves as a journal peer reviewer and conducts community outreach through K-12 programming and events like the Atlanta Science Festival.

She leads a research laboratory at the University of Tampa investigating pollinator health through molecular, physiological, and behavioral assays, collaborating with teams at Georgia Tech and other institutions on projects spanning from gene expression to colony-level performance metrics.