Research
Current Research
(photo credit Alex Wild)
Ecological and Evolutionary Consequences of Variation in Complex Systems
My research as a Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona has looked at understanding variation in complex systems. Complex systems are made up of multiple interacting components. Variation in these the components can affect the performance and stability of these system, but it is unclear when variation should arise. I am interested in understanding the conditions that generate this variation.
The body size distribution of workers in bumble bee colonies is an excellent system to study variation in complex systems. Bumble bee colonies are complex systems, where colony success is based on the performance of its workers. Workers within a colony can vary up to 10 fold in size, but why they vary is unknown. By understanding why workers vary in size, it will help us understand the conditions that would favor the generation of variation in complex systems.
Past Research
(photo credit R.L.Curry)
Animal Personality and Singing Behavior
As a master's student at Villanova University, I studied animal personality, focusing on answering the question if the singing behavior in birds is a component of personality. I carried out my research in a long term study population of Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) monitored by members of the Curry Lab.
Song Repertoire
Another facet of my master's research was examining the structure and use of the song repertoire of Carolina Chickadees in a southeastern Pennsylvania population
(photo credit J. Mays)
Feeding Behavior
As an undergraduate student at The College of New Jersey, I studied feeding behavior in the Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon). I investigated temperature selection by individuals after prey selection.