Dr. Benedict is on sabbatical for the 2025-26 academic year. She will not be teaching or taking new research students.
Our lab group typically welcomes undergraduate research students focused on animal behavior or museum studies. Check back in Fall 2026 for opportunities.
A survey of all living organisms focusing on diversity, life cycles, structure and function, ecology and evolutionary relationships.
An introduction to the subject of animal behavior from an evolutionary perspective. General topics include: mechanisms that generate behavior (neural, hormonal and genetic), the development of behavior, behavioral adaptations for survival, behavioral adaptations for mating, and the evolution of behavior.
Study of the general biology of birds. Students completing the course will be able to identify orders and families of birds, recognize local species, understand evolutionary relationships between taxonomic groups, be familiar with avian anatomy and physiology, and know the diversity of avian ecological and behavioral traits.
Explores strategies for effective teaching of undergraduate laboratories and other learning environments.
Study of the principles of behavioral ecology, including the evolutionary basis of behavior, economic models of behavior, interspecific interactions, and social behavior.
Study of the principles of animal communication. Topics include signal modalities, signal design and signal evolution.
Focused and variable topics in ecology and evolutionary biology. Most recently, the class read Darwin's "Origin of Species" along with modern research on related topics.