Education

2016 University of North Georgia, B.S.
2018 Mercer University, M.S.
2022 North Carolina State University, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

Genetics
Genetics Laboratory 

Career Specialties

Sarah Orr is an insect ecotoxicologist who investigates how environmental stressors interact with genetic pathways to shape development, behavior, and reproductive traits in social insect pollinators. Her work focuses on bees and wasps, using molecular, physiological, and behavioral approaches to understand caste differentiation and improve pollinator health in agricultural landscapes.

Professional and Community Activities

Orr's research focuses on the effects of environmental stressors, such as pesticides and heat, on social insect pollinators like bumblebees. Her work spans multiple levels of biological organization, from gene expression and reproductive physiology to colony-level behavior and performance. Current projects in her lab explore how sulfoxaflor exposure disrupts bumblebee reproduction, the evolution of caste-specific gene expression in social wasps, and the role of morphological plasticity in response to environmental stress.

She has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Heredity, Insect Science, and Environmental Pollution. Her research is supported by a USDA NIFA Fellowship investigating pesticide-induced developmental disruption in pollinators.

In addition to her research, Orr is actively engaged in community outreach and science communication. She has volunteered at public science events such as the Atlanta Science Festival and has led educational programming in K–12 classrooms. She also serves as a peer reviewer for multiple scientific journals.

Honors and Awards

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

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