About the School of Life Sciences (SoLS)
I am one of nearly 100 faculty members
in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. In July 2003, the Departments of
Biology, Plant Biology, and
Microbiology, along with the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular
Biology, merged into the School of Life Sciences. The vision of SoLS is to bring together the tremendous
collection of biologists within the university in order to foster
cross-disciplinary education and research and to push the frontiers in all of
the life-science subdisciplines.
As
a result, we have assembled an amazing group of behavioral ecologists within
SoLS. I am fortunate enough to
have collaborative opportunities in SoLS with colleagues who study behavioral
endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, reproductive physiology, metabolism, vision,
immunology, pigment biochemistry, social behavior, life-history variation, and
stress physiology in animals. In
fact, there is a core group of biologists interested specifically in animal
coloration that makes us one of the stronger groups in this field
worldwide. I encourage students
interested in becoming a part of my lab to visit the websites of some of these
faculty members to learn more about the diversity of projects and interests
within SoLS.
The ÔcolorÕ group
Dr. Ron Rutowski, Ecology and
evolution of coloration and color vision in butterflies
Dr. Mike Moore, Behavioral
endocrinology of alternative color morphs in lizards
Drs. Tom and
Ana Moore, Carotenoid biochemistry, synthesis, and photoactivity
Dr. Joe Macedonia,
Coloration and pigmentation in lizards and invertebrates
Dr. Brian Sullivan
(ASU West), Visual and vocal signaling in amphibians and reptiles
Dr. Matt Kwiatkowski
(ASU West), Sexual selection and color variation in chuckwallas
Other behavioral ecologists in SoLS at ASU
Dr. John Alcock, Evolution
of insect mating systems (and author of ÔAnimal BehaviorÕ textbook)
Dr. Jim Collins, evolution
of morphology and life-history variation in amphibians; also global amphibian
declines
Dr. Dale DeNardo, Thermal
physiology and reproduction in snakes
Dr. Pierre Deviche, Neuroendocrine
control of reproductive systems in birds
Dr. Jennifer Fewell,
Evolution of task organization in social insects
Dr. Leah Gerber, Behavior and
conservation of marine mammals
Dr. John Harrison,
Respiratory, thermal, and nutritional physiology in insects
Dr. Phil Hedrick, Conservation and
evolutionary genetics of endangered species
Dr.
Bert Holldobler, Information processing and communication in ant societies
Dr. Miles Orchinik,
Behavioral neuroendocrinology of stress
Dr. Robert
Page, Evolutionary and behavioral genetics of honeybees
Dr. Andrew Smith, Population
ecology and conservation of lagomorphs
Dr. Glenn Walsberg,
Energetics, metabolism, and thermoregulation in birds and mammals
Dr.
Susan Bertram, Variability of sexually selected traits in crickets