Robinson holds a University Swanlund Chair at the University of Illinois. He is also the director of the University of Illinois Bee Research Facility, director of the Neuroscience Program, leader of the Neural and Behavioral Plasticity Theme at the Institute for Genomic Biology, and a professor of entomology with affiliate appointments in the Departments of Cell & Developmental Biology, Natural Resources& Environmental Sciences, and Animal Biology and in the Beckman Institute of Science and Technology. He is the author or coauthor of over 200 publications, pioneered the application of genomics to the study of social behavior, led the effort to gain approval from the National Institutes of Health for sequencing the honey bee genome, and heads the Honey Bee Genome Sequencing Consortium.

This talk was recorded at TEDxUIUC 2010 (4/10/10), which was organized at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign by a group of students led by Cristian Mitreanu.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, selforganized events that bring people together to share a TEDlike experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, selforganized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are selforganized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)