Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Mark L. Winston, FRSC
Professor and Senior Fellow, Morris J. Work Centre for Dialogue
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre
3309-515 W. Hastings St.
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5K3 Canada
e-mail: winston@sfu.ca
Education
B.Sc. Boston University Biology 1971
M.A. Boston University Marine Biology 1975
Ph.D. University of Kansas Entomology 1978
Biographical Sketches (two versions for publicity purposes)
Mark L. Winston has had a distinguished career researching, teaching, writing and commenting on bees and agriculture, environmental issues, and science policy. More recently, he has utilized dialogue in classrooms, corporations, non-profit organizations, government and community settings to develop leadership and communication skills, conduct strategic planning, inspire organizational change, and thoughtfully engage public audiences with controversial issues. Winston’s work has appeared in numerous books, commentary columns for the Vancouver Sun, The New York Times, The Sciences, Orion magazine, and frequently on CBC radio and television and National Public Radio. His research, communication, and dialogue achievements have been recognized by many awards, including the Manning Award for Innovation, Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy, British Columbia Gold Medal in Science and Engineering, Academic of the Year, Eve Savory Award for Science Communication, Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, election as a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada, the 2015 Governor-General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction for his bestselling book Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive, and an Independent Publishers 2019 Gold Medal “IPPY” Award for his book Listening to the Bees. He currently is a Professor and Senior Fellow in Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue, a Professor of Biological Sciences, and the SFU Library’s inaugural Nonfiction Writer in Residence (2020-2021).
Mark L. Winston is the recipient of the 2015 Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction for his book Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive, and an Independent Publishers 2019 Gold Medal “IPPY” Award for his book Listening to the Bees. One of the world’s leading experts on bees and pollination, Dr. Winston has had an illustrious career researching, teaching and writing on bees and agriculture, environmental issues and science policy. He directed Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue for 12 years, where he achieved international recognition as a distinguished Canadian educator concentrating in creating leadership development opportunities for students that contribute to social change in communities. As a consultant and thought leader, he partners with universities, corporations, non-profits, governments and communities to advance communication skills, engage public audiences with controversial issues through dialogue, and implement experiential learning and community engagement in educational institutions. As an award-winning writer and editor, Dr. Winston works with students as well as scientists, other professionals and writers to develop proposals and manuscripts for non-fiction writing, from newspaper opinion pieces to books. He currently is a Professor and Senior Fellow in Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue, a Professor of Biological Sciences, and the SFU Library’s inaugural Nonfiction Writer in Residence (2020-2021).
Awards (Sample)
Gold Medal in the Natural Sciences, Science Council of B.C. 1992
Hambleton Award for Outstanding Research, Eastern Apicultural Society 1992
Manning Award for Innovation, Manning Foundation (Alberta, Canada) 1997
Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Controversy, SFU 1998
Killam Research Fellowship, Canada Council, 2000-2002
Academic of the Year, Confederation of University Faculty Associations (B.C.) 2001
Eve Savory Award for Science Communication, Science Council of B.C. 2001
Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (elected 2003)
Fred Rathje Memorial Award, Canadian Honey Council 2004
Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, NSERC 2004
President’s 40th Anniversary Award, Simon Fraser University 2006
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, for excellence in higher education, 2012
Named room, “Mark L. Winston Collaboration Room,” at Simon Fraser University, 2014
Science in Society General Book Award, Canadian Science Writers Association, 2014
Governor-Generals’ Literary Award for Nonfiction, 2015
Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Environment/Ecology, 2019
Professional Activities (sample from 2008-2018)
Action Canada: National fellowship program for emerging leaders. Designed and facilitated leadership skills development sessions, advised program, mentored Fellows
Natural Resources Canada Biofuels Sustainability Workshop: Advised NRC Canada concerning consultation process around sustainability of biofuels (Toronto)
British Columbia Institute of Technology: Facilitated two-day Summit on Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): Chaired session, Speaking Scientific Truth to Power: The Roles of National Science Academies, San Diego
Hollyhock Educational Retreat Centre: Facilitated numerous workshops on Communicating with Impact and Developing Dialogue Skills, Cortes Island B.C. and Vancouver
Canadian Science Writers Association: Conducted writing workshops, Personalizing the Impersonal, Calgary Alberta and Guelph Ontario
Seminars, workshops and public lectures on dialogue and education: Memorial University (Newfoundland), Havergal College (Toronto), Arizona State University (Tempe) Humber College (Toronto), Langara College (Vancouver), Durham College (Ontario), Royal Roads University (Victoria)
Banff Centre for the Arts: Faculty member, Science Communication, (2006-2010)
Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability (IHSTS): Facilitated dialogues on the future of anesthesiology in B.C. (2013), “The Greatest Good” project focused on balancing health care resources and the quality of patient care (2014) and “Physicians Heal Thyself,” exploring the structure of family practice in B.C. (2015, http://ihsts.ca/projects/physician-heal-thyself/).
Department of Fisheries and Oceans: Facilitated workshop on complexity and fisheries management
Advisor, Grandview-Woodlands Citizen Assembly: Convened by City of Vancouver to engage citizens on neighborhood planning
Building QMUNITY: Facilitated community consultation about programs and services in the new Vancouver queer community centre, http://qmunity.ca/news/buildingqmunity-report/
Legislative Assembly, Northwest Territories: Facilitated Caucus priority setting for the 18th Legislative Assembly
BC Nurses Union (Human Rights and Equity Caucus), facilitated workshop on dialogue skills in a human rights context, Vancouver 2016
Bee Audacious: Visions for the Future of Bees, Beekeeping and Pollination: Conceived, organized, facilitated and wrote the final report for a major international conference to develop audacious ideas to support the health and economic benefits of bees, beekeeping and pollination, California 2016
Nonfiction Writing for the Weekend Student, Writers Studio course, Simon Fraser University, Spring 2017, https://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/courses/cpw/non-fiction-series-for-the-weekend-student.html
What Can We Learn From Government in the Northwest Territories?: Organized and facilitated roundtable for the Northwest Territories Office of the Premier, Vancouver 2018
Art and Science Projects (Example: Honey, Hives and Poetry)
I’m collaborating with award-winning poet Renée Sarojini Saklikar in a project connecting poets with beekeepers, chefs, urban farmers, food bank workers and others to celebrate and explore the boundaries of language and bees. The project inhabits the intersection of the global movement to grow healthy food in cities, a growing awareness of threats to honeybee and wild bee pollinators and the vibrant poetry scene in Vancouver. Poetry is the ideal voice through which to capture our memories and reflections about food, going beyond sustenance to connect the personalities who harvest and the land from which they gather.
Lectures/Readings (Sample)
Vancouver Institute: Nature Wars: People vs. Pests (2000); Bee Time: What Can We Learn From the Demise of Bees? (2016)
Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts: reading, Sechelt, B.C. 2000, 2016
Crop Protection Institute: Science, Technology, and Nature (Keynote), Winnipeg 2000
Apimondia: Beekeeping in the New Millennium (Keynote), Vancouver 1999
British Beekeepers Association: Knights Memorial Lecture, Stoneleigh, U.K. 2000
Joint International Conference, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology and International Society of Exposure Analysis: Opening Keynote Address, 2002
Bacon and Eggheads Parliamentary Lecture Series: Pollinators in a Genetically Modified World, Ottawa 2002
National Policy Research Conference: Travels in the Genetically Modified Zone (Plenary Address), Ottawa 2002
World Conference Science Journalists: Complexity and Controversy, Montreal 2004
International Union for the Study of Social Insects: Pheromonal Mediation of Honey Bee Social Behavior, A Symposium in Honor of Mark Winston, Washington DC, 2006
Council of Science Editors: Communicating Science, Vancouver 2008
Celebration of Writing Week: Writing About Science (Keynote), Houston, Texas 2008
Canadian Entomological Society: Writing About Science (Plenary Lecture, as part of
Mark Winston Retrospective), Vancouver 2010
Memorial University, Havergal College, Arizona State University, Humber College, Langara College, Durham College, Royal Roads University: Experiencing Your Education
Eastern Apicultural Society and Young Harris Bee Institute: Keynote, Lessons Learned from the Bees, Pennsylvania 2013 and Georgia 2013
Douglas College: How Do We Know? Scientific Information and Public Policy: GMO’s, Pesticides and the Demise of Bees, New Westminster BC 2014
American Beekeeping Federation: Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive, Anaheim Calif., keynote, 2015
American Assoc. Professional Apiculturists/Apiary Inspectors of America: Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive. Tucson, Ariz. 2015
Bookstore Readings/Signings, Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive: Munro’s (Victoria), Chapters (Vancouver), Elliott Bay (Seattle), Powell’s (Portland), Boulder Book Store (Boulder) Changing Hands (Tempe), and many others
Eastern Apicultural Society: Value or Values: Audacious Ideas for the Future of Beekeeping, keynote lecture, Guelph Ontario 2015
Yosemite National Park, Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series, in honour of the 125th anniversary of Yosemite, “Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive” 2015
Winnipeg Writers Festival, Annual Gala, Winnipeg, “Bee Time: Lessons From the Hive,” 2016
Convocation Speaker, Langara College, Vancouver BC 2016
Other Professional Achievements
Graduate Student Supervision: 19 M.Sc./M.P.M. and 8 Ph.D. degrees, 1982-2008
Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publications: 156 (1972-2008)
Research Funding: $223,000 annual average, 1990-2008, when the bee lab closed
External Funding Centre for Dialogue: $10,607,500 (2008-2014)
Popular Writing: Approximately 200 popular articles published since 1992 in outlets including Encyclopedia Britannica, The Sciences, Orion Magazine, Globe and Mail, and the New York Times, as well as regular columns in the Vancouver Sun and Bee Culture covering science, nature, environment and bees. Most recently:
New York Times, 15 July 2014, “Our Bees, Ourselves,” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/15/opinion/bees-and-colony-collapse.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region®ion=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region&_r=0
Seattle Times, 10 November 2015, “Pathways to Urban Nature” http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2024979208_markwinstonopedbeesxml.html
The Scotsman, 17 December 2014, op ed “Saving Bees Can Teach Us Lessons” http://www.scotsman.com/news/mark-winston-saving-bees-can-teach-us-lessons-1-3635984
Vancouver Sun, 28 May 2015, “John Muir Words Stand Tall in Today’s Assault on Environment.” http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/Opinion+John+Muir+words+stand+tall+today+assault/11087593/story.html
Vancity Credit Union Report, July 2016, “Sweet Deal: The value of bees to British Columbia’s economy,” https://www.vancity.com/SharedContent/documents/reports/Vancity-Report-Value-of-bees-to-BC-economy.pdf
Audacious Visions for the Future of Bees, Beekeeping and Pollination. Conference Report April 2017.
Television
Apiculture: An Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping, 9 hr series, 1983-1993, KNOW
Beetalker, CBC television The Nature of Things, 2006 and frequently rebroadcast
Books
Winston, M.L. 1987. The Biology of the Honey Bee. Harvard University Press
French edition, 1993 (Frison-Riche)
Portuguese edition, 2003 (Porto-Alegre)
Winston, M.L. 1992. Killer Bees: The Africanized Honey Bee in the Americas.
Harvard University Press
Winston, M.L. 1997. Nature Wars: People vs. Pests. Harvard University Press
Received Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy, 1998
Short-listed, BP Natural World Book Prize, 1998
Chinese edition, 2003, Beijing University Press, Beijing, China
Winston, M.L. 1998. From Where I Sit: Essays on Bees, Beekeeping, and Science.
Cornell University Press
Winston, M.L. 2002. Travels in the Genetically Modified Zone. Harvard Univ. Press
Australian edition. Scribe Publications. 2002.
India/Southeast Asian edition. Universities Press, Hyderabad, India 2003.
Japanese edition, Seiryu Publishing Company, Japan. 2004.
Winston, M.L. 2014. Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive. Harvard Univ. Press
Science in Society General Book Award, Canadian Science Writers
Association. 2014.
Governor-General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction, 2015.
CBC Best Books of 2015
Seven months on national bestseller lists, including four weeks as the
number one bestselling non-fiction book in Canada 2015-2016
Korean edition, Hongik Publishing. 2014
Excerpts, Readers Digest, June 2016
Italian edition, il Saggiatore s.r.l. 2017
Audiobook (Audible Inc.) 2017
Winston, M.L. and R.J. Saklikar 2018. Listening to the Bees. Nightwood Editions,
Gibson’s B.C.
2018 CBC: 12 Poetic Works to Discover in 2018
- B.C. Bestseller list, 4 weeks on list, May/June 2018
2018. “Read of the Year.” Glasgow Review of Books
2018. 46 Coolest Summer Reads, Globe and Mail
2019. “KPU Reads”, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
2019. Gold Medal, Independent Publishers Book Award, Environment/Ecology
Consultant/Facilitation Activities (Sample)
Legal
Watson & Gopaul, Solicitors and Barristers (Vancouver) 1994
Marshall and Lamperson (Nanaimo) 1998, 2000
Paul Lee Barristers and Solicitors (Toronto) 2000
Greene, Broillet, Taylor, Wheeler, and Panish LLP (Los Angeles, Calif.) 2001
Borden Ladner Gervais (Vancouver B.C.) 2009
Whitelaw Twining (Vancouver B.C.) 2010
Guild Yule (Vancouver BC) 2015/2016
Film/TV
CBC Beachcombers, television series 1984
X-Files, television series, Herrenvolk 1996
First Wave Productions, television series, Ohio Valley 1999
Creative Animal Talent, movie, Say It Isn’t So 2000
Great Northern Productions, documentary, The Story of a Honey Bee 2000
Smallville, television series, Drone 2002
Shavick Enterprises, television movie, Killer Bees 2002
Tigress Productions, documentary, Taming the Swarm 2002
Government/NGO/Academic/Publishing
Magic School Bus Inside a Bee Hive, Scholastic, Inc. 1995
Frequent book proposal and completed manuscript reviewer, Harvard
University Press and other publishers
Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee, Case Studies 2002-2003
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Enforcement and Investigations 2003
Science Alberta Foundation 2007
Natural Resources Canada (Biofuel Sustainability) 2009
British Columbia Institute of Technology 2009
BC Government Employees Union 2011
Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability (IHSTS) 2013
UBC Genomics, 2013
Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 2014
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2014
Arizona State University, 2014
Trek Outdoor Education Program, 2015
Legislative Assembly, Northwest Territories, 2015
BC Nurses Union (Human Rights and Equity Caucus), 2016
Vancity Credit Union, 2016
YMCA Young Leaders, 2016
Fraser Health
Public Dialogues at or Sponsored by the Centre for Dialogue (sample since 2008)
Imagi-NATION: Exploring Citizenship in our Community: A one-day dialogue that brought a myriad of cultures and perspectives together to explore citizenship in the Vancouver community.
A 2010-Piece Puzzle: Examined the complexities of issues in the Vancouver community related to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Games.
Audacious Visions for Vancouver: An afternoon of creativity and audacious thinking. Content from the event was incorporated into the city of Vancouver’s Green City Action Team plan.
Thought Luck: This dialogue, attended by representatives of the arts and academic communities, explored what the university might do for the Vancouver community, and the community for the university, as our School for Contemporary Arts moves into its new downtown campus.
Planning Metro Vancouver as if Food Matters: Organized by Centre for Dialogue Fellow Peter Ladner, as part of the international Gaining Ground conference.
Foreign Policy Camp: Organized by Fellow Shauna Sylvester and her project Canada’s World, this multimedia-infused conference was held simultaneously in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal, and engaged 400 Canadians face-to-face and 200 Canadians online to rethink Canadian foreign policy.
Liz Lerman: We awarded the 2009 Jack P Blaney Award for Dialogue to choreographer, performer, writer, educator, speaker and MacArthur Genius Liz Lerman. The gala event at the Scotiabank Dance Centre included the award presentation and an animated keynote performance, followed by a reception. Ms. Lerman also participated in numerous workshops, dialogues and performances.
Age of Unequals: with Richard Wilkinson, leading researcher and best-selling author in the field of inequality and health. We collaborated with BC Population Health, Mass LBP, Carnegie Action Project and the Centre for Policy Alternatives to host a two-day series of public talks, workshops and seminars. Inaugural Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue.
Growing Out of Hunger: featuring Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power Community Food Centre, Milwaukee & Chicago, who is transforming the cultivation, production, and delivery of healthy foods to underserved urban populations (Bruce and Lis Welch Community Dialogue), as part of the Planning Cities as if Food Matters program organized by Fellow Peter Ladner.
We Want In: Housing the Next Generation, Sept. 2011, in collaboration with the Urban Development Institute, the Social Planning and Research Council of BC, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association and other partners. This two-day workshop showcased local and international projects that have delivered affordable housing for single and family buyers and renters with household incomes between $35,000 and $80,000, and excited developers, financiers, public policy makers, politicians and citizens about what can be done to hasten the construction of affordable entry-level housing in this region.
Karen Armstrong: “12 Days of Compassion:” We presented the 2012 Jack P. Blaney Award for Dialogue to Ms. Armstrong, an internationally renowned historian and public commentator on religion and compassion. The 12 days were replete with events that stimulated a regional conversation about compassion, reaching many thousands of participants live and considerably more globally through webcasts.
Restorative Justice and the Vancouver Riot: U.K. expert Richard Gavrielides presented a public lecture, met with numerous justice officials and had extensive media coverage in this May 2012 Welch Community Dialogue program.
Building a Culture of Participation: Dave Meslin, one of Canada’s most influential citizen engagement change makers, presented ideas from his groundbreaking project, The Fourth Wall, that empower residents to shape their cities far beyond the simple act of voting. How can break citizen passivity and create a culture of local citizen engagement? How can we open the doors to meaningful dialogue and participation, allowing us to collectively build the cities we want to live in?
Chief Robert Joseph, “Reconciliation:” We presented the 2014 Blaney award to Chief Robert Joseph, recognize his tireless work to renew relationships among Canada’s Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples, built on a foundation of openness, dignity, understanding and hope. Between January and March 2014, SFU’s Centre for Dialogue hosted a series of community-engaged events that highlighted concepts of reconciliation. (http://www.sfu.ca/dialogue/programs/blaney-award.html)
Building Citizen Engagement: Infrastructure Needs in a Democracy: Carolyn Lukensmayer, founder of AmericaSpeaks, delivered an evening lecture and facilitated a day-long workshop in which she shared the highly innovative approaches and strategies she and her organization has used for well over a decade in engaging citizens with significant public policy issues in the United States.