Prof. Dr. Meral KEKEÇOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Meral Kekeçoğlu received her PhD in apiculture from the Agricultural University of Athens in 2007. In 2008, she was appointed to the Department of Biology at Düzce University, where she served as Head of the Department between 2009 and 2012. Since 2009, she has also been the Director of the Düzce University Beekeeping Research, Development and Application Center (DAGEM).
She has over 100 national and international publications, numerous international conference papers, and many projects, mainly in the fields of beekeeping, bee products, and apitherapy. Her genetic studies on the Yığılca honey bee led to the official registration of this ecotype. She also pioneered studies on honey bee venom in Turkey and initiated its production and use in the healthcare sector.
She has received several prestigious awards, including the European Enterprise Promotion Award (2011), the Sabancı Foundation “Turkey’s Changemaker” Award (2012), and was named one of “Turkey’s Extraordinary 3 Women” by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (2016). Through internationally supported projects she has contributed to the employment of over 200 women and raised awareness among more than 1000 primary school students through TÜBİTAK-supported initiatives.
She is a member of the European Beekeeping Federation Scientific Commission, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Bee Products Mirror Committee, and Türkiye Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TÜGET) Scientific Commission. She is married and has one daughter.