MAY 21, 2025 — Meet Oceanna Escribano Perez ’25, a recent UTSA graduate and former biology student in the HONEY Pathway Program.
Led by Ferhat Ozturk, an associate professor of practice in the UTSA Department of Biology, Health and the Environment, the program explores the medicinal properties of honey and its potential applications in health care. Students in the HONEY Pathway program conduct in-depth research to uncover new uses of honey in medicine that make a positive impact on human health.
Ozturk and his students are collecting honey samples from San Antonio and other regions of Texas in search of the leading medical-grade honey. This medicinal honey can help heal infected wounds and prevail against antimicrobial resistance—when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.
As a professor, Ozturk has not only shared his expertise in the field but also his enthusiasm for exploring the medicinal potential of honey.
Escribano Perez, named the 2025 Texas Honey Queen, is an apprentice-certified beekeeper working under the guidance of Ozturk and is gaining hands-on experience in the HONEY Pathway program.
Through the Texas Honey Queen Program, the Texas Honey Queen serves as an official representative of the Texas Beekeepers Association (TBA) to educate the public on all aspects of bees, honey and the beekeeping industry. The Texas Honey Queen is selected annually from qualified candidates at the TBA convention in the fall of each year.
UTSA Today went behind the scenes to the beehives with Escribano Perez as she collected honey and shared what’s next for her as the 2025 Texas Honey Queen.
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Academic Classroom: Lecture Hall (MH 2.01.10,) McKinney Humanities BldgWe invite you to join us for Birds Up! Downtown, an exciting welcome back event designed to connect students with the different departments at the Downtown Campus. Students will have the opportunity to learn about some of the departments on campus, gain access to different resources, and collect some giveaways!
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