About
Academic background
I received my Ph.D in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University in 2003. I was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center for Insect Science at the University of Arizona from 2003-2005.
Research interests
I study behavioral evolution. Much of my work explores how communication systems and social behavior coevolve to shape the way animals look, think, and act. I explore questions like: Why are animals brightly colored? How have animals adapted to deal with the challenges of social life? How does communication coevolve with cognition?
Taxonomically, my research focuses on social insects, primarily Polistes paper wasps. My two favorite species are Polistes fuscatus, which have variable facial patterns that are used for individual recognition, and Polistes dominula, which have visual signals of fighting ability.
Research Areas(s)
- Communication, Cognition, Social Behavior
Field(s) of Study
- Behavioral evolution, organismal biology, evolutionary processes
Graduate Student(s)
