Dr. Bulinski's Bees: How the Bellarmine Farm Uplifts Students
Dr. Kate Bulinski is no average professor; she’s just as integral to the Bellarmine ecosystem as the pollinators she works alongside at the on-campus farm.
As the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Doris A. Tegart Teaching Excellence Award, biodiversity stewart, and co-advisor to the Beekeeping Club, Dr. Bulinksi utilizes her vast knowledge of geology, paleontology, and Earth sciences to support all students who come to her with questions about the world – including questions about the students’ place in it.
“One of the things that I hope for whenever I’m meeting students is to help them find their purpose [and] the things that they’re curious about,” Dr. Bulinski said. “To be able to explore that, to be able to unlock a sense of wonder about the world so that it drives their educational experience, makes them curious, and makes them want to pursue their own path in life.”
“When I started the Environmental Science major, I didn’t have a really good understanding of the kinds of jobs I could get, or what the day-to-day looks like,” Karisma Burnett said.
Burnett, a third-year student studying Environmental Science with a minor in Biology, wasn’t sure what life would be like after making the move from Southern Illinois to Louisville, Kentucky, let alone what her career opportunities would be after completing university. After taking three classes with Dr. Bulinski, she feels she has a “better idea” of what she plans to pursue.
“We see our students get into all different kinds of career paths after they graduate, and we want to continue that work,” Dr. Bulinski commented. “We always hear about the ‘jobs of the future’ – how we don’t even know what they’re going to be yet. We are adapting [our classes] to the needs of the environmental jobs of the future.”
It’s up to passionate environmentalists like Dr. Bulinski and Karisma Burnett to decide what the future will look like – in more ways than one.
As the co-advisor of the Beekeeping Club, Dr. Bulinski collaborates with a team of fellow professors and students to empower local populations of pollinators. The Bellarmine Farm, located next to Allen Hall, hosts two beehives buzzing with more than just potential.
“We set up hive gardens, talk about native bee populations, and provide a community for people to come together,” Nichole Diaz, President of the Beekeeping Club, said. “Even students who are scared of bees can help facilitate pollination.”
Diaz describes Dr. Bulinski as “the backbone” of the Beekeeping Club. Without Dr. Bulinski’s previous beekeeping experience, mentorship, and assistance in acquiring the funds and community support, the Beekeeping Club might not have been founded.
“We had our first honey harvest in the fall of 2024,” Diaz said. “We sold out of honey in the first thirty minutes.”
The Beekeeping Club’s impact extends wider than just the campus farm and the happy customers with honey jars, however.
“We’ve done a lot of work with libraries and schools,” Diaz reminisced. “We learn how to beekeep and teach others the same art.”
Since a third of the world’s food production depends on bees, it’s important to instill these skills in the next generation of environmental scientists – something Dr. Bulinski and the surrounding faculty understand intimately.
“We’re always dreaming big about the future,” Dr. Bulinski said. “We’re looking towards helping students be the problem solvers of the future. We see ourselves as the premier institution for Environmental Studies in the region.”
Outside the farm and within the classroom, Dr. Bulinski educates Bellarmine students on a range of topics as diverse as the ecosystems she adores, including paleontology, geology, and Earth sciences.
She credits Bellarmine’s multifaceted approach to education as a “profound experience”, enabling her to educate her students with a focus on experiential learning. This approach has led her students to places greater than the classroom – the Bellarmine Farm, Appalachia, and even Peru!
“We’re part of a global, interconnected world,” Dr. Bulinski said. “It’s really important for us to embrace that.”
Burnett agrees: “[Bellarmine University] gets you ready for the real world before you actually step out into your career or your personal life. It prepares you for the real world better than any other school would.”
“The Bellarmine impact is really a holistic kind of approach to education. It’s not just about what a student learns in a classroom,” Dr. Bulinski said. “It’s the kinds of things that prepare them for life. They get to go out and explore different career paths through internships and other kinds of professional development. They get to meet all different kinds of people through organizations on campus. They get to have those direct relationships with faculty.”
It’s that very relationship with faculty that leaves Burnett and Diaz speaking highly of their interactions with Dr. Bulinski.
“Dr. Bulinski is a very unique person,” Diaz said of her club advisor. “She has an amazing spirit, and anyone who interacts with her gets upbeat and hyped.”
“Sincere,” Burnett said. “That’s a good word for her.”
Looking to take a class with Dr. Bulinski and explore our Environmental Science department? We’ll be offering Understanding Planet Earth, Paleontology, and Introduction to Earth Science for the Fall 2025 semester.
If you’re interested in joining the Bellarmine Beekeeping Club, you can visit their Engage page to learn more about how you can make crafts, procure honey, and educate others on the importance of insect pollinators.