Joseph Tauzer, Laidlaw Facility Manager, Receives Outstanding Service Award

Joseph Tauzer, manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, drew widespread applause when he accepted a service award from Chancellor Gary May at the UC Davis Staff Assembly’s Citation of Excellence Program.

The event took place Sept. 10 at the chancellor's residence.

Tauzer, who serves three faculty labs within the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, received the second-place award, a $1000 prize, in the highly competitive service category. He was one of eight individuals and one team feted at the celebration, and the only recipient this year within the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES).

Joining the celebration was newly selected CA&ES Dean Ashley Stokes, who accepted her UC Davis appointment in July 2025. She previously served as a professor of veterinary large animal clinical sciences at the University of Tennessee and dean of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s UT Extension.

Welcoming the crowd were Ashley Pelham, past chair of UC Davis Staff Assembly, and Stefan Toma, past chair, UC Davis Health Staff Assembly. Award committee co-chairs Mary Carrillo and Darolyn Striley announced the winners. 

“It’s wonderful to share this evening with tonight’s award winners, their families, and colleagues,” Chancellor May told the crowd. “Thank you all so much for being here to help us celebrate each of these deserving staff members who make UC Davis such a remarkable place.”

“Thank you so much for your outstanding contributions to UC Davis," he said. “Your accomplishments, hard work, and inspiring dedication to excellence have significantly enriched our university and made it a better place. Your work powers the engine of this world-class university every day. Your excellence powers our research, builds opportunity for our students, and creates a welcoming environment for everyone on our campus.”

'Crucial to Our Mission and Vision'

The chancellor praised their commitment to UC Davis. “Your commitment to our university and exceptional efforts are appreciated, and they are crucial to our mission and vision. Your tireless passion for your work and support for the UC Davis community make this a special place to learn and work. Your deep knowledge of our programs, skill at handling complex issues, and commitment to achieving the highest outcomes are the foundations of our success at UC Davis.”

“It takes the effort of individuals working behind the scenes to make our university run as well as it does,” the chancellor continued. “The individuals and teams we honor this afternoon have gone above and beyond all expectations to make UC Davis a more enjoyable, creative, inclusive and invigorating place to work. It’s my honor to be here to celebrate them this evening. Congratulations, all!"

Tauzer works with three principal investigators: professors Elina Niño and Neal Williams, and associate professor Brian Johnson. Niño is the founding director of the UC Davis-based California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP) and director of the UC Davis Bee Haven, a half-acre demonstration garden planted in the fall of 2009 next to the Laidlaw facility.

"I help plan and execute the logistics for various entomology experiments, including preparing grounds, managing irrigation, and controlling pests for native plant and bee experiments," said Tauzer, a longtime beekeeper. "I maintain a healthy apiary for research purposes and provide bees for pollinating specialty crops in other departments."

Assists with Multiple Bee Projects

Tauzer assists with CAMBP classes, the Bee Haven, Bee Health Hub services,  experimental miticide trials, and other honey bee-related projects. "Just about every month there is a youth outreach event that needs bees and I help with those as well. At the university I am passionate about safety in the work place and being a leader in the beekeeping safety implementation."

Tauzer, who grew up just outside of Woodland, was nominated by the trio of Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist and member of the department's awards committee, and Wendy Mather and Kian Nikzad, co-program managers of CAMBP. They gathered input from his supervisors, faculty, staff and students. The nominations are kept anonymous as to name, title and gender.

Tauzer "exemplifies outstanding leadership, consistently demonstrating integrity, compassion, and a deep commitment to our shared mission," the trio wrote. They praised his ability "to inspire trust and respect across faculty staff and students" and his "teamwork and ability to work well with others."

'Never Shies Away from a Challenge'

Tauzer has  "effectively established a larger vision for the facility space and organization and is diligently working on creating a unified and purpose-driven environment, comfortable and functional for all," they wrote. Tauzer "never shies away from a challenge and greatly enjoys solving problems and coming up with solutions" and "is ready to assist anyone, student and staff, at any time and with anything."

They described him as “an expert multitasker” and "an effective supervisor and mentor to a number of undergraduate and graduate students and other junior staff and has a remarkable ability to motivate others."

"(He) often comes in on the weekends and works late night hours to accomplish what needs to be done," they noted, "and even when these needs sometimes arise last minute as we work with living animals that don’t have watches and calendars...Despite being busy with multiple tasks and responsibilities, (he) always takes the time to check in with every team member, actively listens, and is extremely approachable. (His) hard work and initiative were also instrumental in reestablishing and revitalizing the a bee garden with other staff."

Niño commented that "Joe's subtle sense of humor makes him a pleasure to work with, and he is always positive, optimistic and hard-working."

Grew Up in Two Worlds

"I grew up between two worlds: Davis, a powerhouse of research, and Woodland, a leader in the agricultural industry," Tauzer said. "I work in a niche between Industrial agriculture and the environment."

He attributed two youth organizations, 4-H and FFA, with "giving me a passion for networking in the business world. In high school, I ran a livestock breeding program."  Following his high school graduation, "I worked for the Natural Resource Conservation Service which helped galvanize my love of research. My bee journey began with menial labor in my family's apiary business, and I later fell in love with bees while in community college in San Luis Obispo."

Queen Bee Production

"After college, I spent two years in queen bee production, and my expertise grew further as I worked in management of hive health and quality control for a commercial beekeeper," Tauzer related. "In 2016, I started volunteering at UC Davis and eventually became a paid intern, which led me to my current position in 2022."

Tauzer and his wife Kate, are residents of Winters have a son, Clayton, 2, and are expecting a daughter in several weeks. Kate is a fifth grade teacher at Sierra Vista School, Vacaville. They also own a business showing and breeding Corgis. "We want to provide excellent quality and ethically raised Corgis to the world," Joseph commented, "plus I love to lay in the puppy pile after work."

The list of 2025 Staff Assembly recipients:

Individual Awards

Health and Well-Being

• Marissa Anderozzi, Budget Analyst and Wellness Ambassador, Finance Operations and Administration Business Partners

Innovation

• Ryan Gorsiski, Student Services Manager, Chemical Engineering and Material Science and Engineering

Mentorship

• Joaquin Feliciano, Clery Coordinator, Office of Compliance and Policy
• Jenny Shorts, Academic and Staff Personnel Analyst, College of Letters and Science

Service

• Kim Evans, Staffing Coordinator, Student Dining & Housing Services
• Joe Tauzer, Staff Research Associate 2 NEX, Department of Entomology and Nematology

Supervision

• Seth Parrish, Director, Engagement and Enrollment, Global Learning Hub
• Eduardo Navarro Mata, Business Office Manager, Social Sciences Orange Cluster

Team Award - Campus & Community Contributions

Orientation Team

• Yolanda Henderson, Education and Case Specialist , Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program
• Erik Fifer, Education and Case Specialist, Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program
• Ashley Gallegos, Education and Case Specialist, Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program
• Taylor Cirksena, Education and Case Specialist, Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program
• Echelle Avelar, Education and Case Specialist, Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program
• Jaclyn Urzua, Education and Case Specialist, Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program

Thanks to generous support from the Office of the Chancellor and Human Resources, Staff Assembly awarded a total of $17,000 to staff members this year. (See more information on all other UC Staff Assembly award recipients, including scholarship recipients, here. A PDF includes the winning entries.)