ANNOUNCING THE 2018 STUDENT RESEARCH GRANT AND DEVELOPING NATIONS RESEARCH AWARDS
Emily DuVal, 1st Member-at-Large
Chair, 2018 Student Research Grant Committee
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Student Research Grants and the Developing Nations Research Awards. We received many high-quality proposals, but as in previous years, the number of applications exceeded the number we could fund. Of the 95 applications submitted, 39 were awarded funding.
Each proposal was reviewed independently by at least three referees, who provided evaluations and constructive feedback for the student grant writers. As always, members of the Society went above and beyond to provide constructive reviews. The Research Grant Committee extends a very heartfelt thank you to the following referees:
Maria Abate, Nicole Abate Anita Aisenber,g Mariia Alb,o Dan Albrecht Suzanne, Baker Peter Bednekoff, Lauren Bergey, Carol Berman, Dimitri Blondel, Jane Brockmann, Cari Cannon, Mauricio Cantor, Kenneth Chapin, Marie-Claire Chelini, Tom Contreras, Chelsea Cook, Blair Costelloe, Michael Cramer, Leslie Curren, Eliane deFreitas, Kim Derrickson, Cody Dey, Peter Dijkstra, Sarah Fauque, Rebecca Fox, Gabriel Francescoli, Becca Franks, Caitlin Gabor, Bennett Galef, Jennifer Gleason, Stacy Goodman, Kathleen Grogan, Andrea Grunst, Melissa Grunst, Andre Guaraldo, Charles Gunnels, Morgan Gustison, Becca Hale, Carrie Hall, Jennifer Hellmann, Elizabeth Hobson, Anne Jacobs, Jennifer Jandt, Jarred Jenkins, Jason Keagy, Nick Keiser, Clint Kelly, Lynna Kiere, David Kikuchi, Sarah King, Wendy King, Kelly Kissane, Kate Laskowski, Joseph Leese, Gavin Leighton, Maureen Leonard, Stuart Leonard, Elinor Lichtenberg, Isaac Ligocki, Russell Ligon, Hangkyo Lim, Philip Loftus, Barney Luttbeg, Jay Mager, Lilian Manica, Sue Margulis, Jennifer Mather, Kimberley Mathot, Tamra Mendelson, OlÌvia MendonÁa-Furtado, Abraham Miller, Douglas Mock, Malavika Narayana, Paul Nealen, Martha Nelson-Flower, Brian Palestis, Bret Pasch, Kathryn Peiman, Paulo Peixoto, Mario Pesendorfer, Stephen Pratt, Andrea Presotto, Mariana Pueta, Claudia Rauter, Sandra Rehan, Michael Reichert, Clare Rittschof, Malcolm Rosenthal, Paulo Santos, William Searcy, Brett Seymoure, Melissa Shyan-Norwalt, Melissa Slater, Adam Smith, Robert Srygley, Andrew Stoehr, Brent Stoffer, Aaron Sullivan, Jill Villarreal, Charles Walcott, Sean Walker, Mrinalini Watsa, Stacey Weiss, MaryJane West-Eberhard, Erica Westerman, Danielle Whittaker, Tim Wright, Biplang Yadok, Jessica Yorzinski.
We were helped immensely by Lorena McMahon and Adam Kohm at SPLtrak, who administered the online grant submission and review system that ran very smoothly. Melissa Hughes (2nd Member-at-Large) and Chris Templeton (3rd Member-at-Large) made important contributions during the entire process. Thank you to them also. Most importantly, we want to thank all the members of the Society who have supported this program over the years and who have donated funds to make this program such a success.
GEORGE W. BARLOW AWARD
Monica A. Mowery, University of Toronto Scarborough, Understanding Invasiveness in Brown Widow
E. O. WILSON CONSERVATION AWARD
Tom Roth, Utrecht University, Influence of Fruit Availability on Party Size of
DAVID TUBER APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AWARD
Carolyn Loyer, University of Washington, Does canine cognitive bias predict agonistic interactions in companion dogs?
AMY R. SAMUELS CETACEAN BEHAVIOR AND CONSERVATION AWARD
Elizabeth Zwamborn, Dalhousie University, Follow the leader or take a vote? How long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) structure their social interactions
STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS
Piero Amodio, University of Cambridge, Are octopuses creative tool users or tool specialists?
Celina Baines, University of Toronto Mississauga, Does dispersal behavior in water striders (Aquarius remigis) depend on phenotype and mating dynamics?
Lisa P Barrett, University of Wyoming, Personality, problem solving, and pair bonds: An investigation of coordination in zebra finches
Elizabeth Bergen, Cornell University, Stochastic Variation In Female Mating Preferences As A Target Of Male Mate Choice
Mae Berlow, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Impacts of Urban Noise on Avian Behavior, Stress Hormones, and Gut Microbiome
Carlos Biagolini-Jr., Universidade de Brasilias, The role of habitat in extra-pair paternity in Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina)
Nicholas Brown, McMaster University, Nest-site selection as a strategy to maximize the benefit-to-cost ratio of providing parental care
Zachary Cannizzo, University of South Carolina, Exploration of the Impacts of Newly Colonized Habitats on the Ritualistic Aggression Behavor of a Range-Shifting Species
Noori Choi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Anthropogenic interference in the communication of ground dwelling predator
Casey Coomes, University of Tennessee Knoxville, If you can't take the heat: The effects of heat stress on communication behaviors in an endotherm
Brittany Coppinger, University of Tennessee, Flock Density and Its Influences on Social and Vocal Complexity
Jessica Cusick, Florida State University, Investigating Proximate Causes of Individual Variation in Cooperative Behavior
Zachary Emberts, University of Florida, The Evolution of Sacrificing a Limb to Escape Predation Olivia Feagles, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Testosterone: The Power behind Multimodal Signaling in Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor)?
Claire Hemingway, University of Texas at Austin, State-dependent Decision-making Strategies in Frog-eating Bats
Michael Henderson, Boise State University , Consequences of Nest-site Selection for an Arctic Specialist in a Dramatically Changing Environment
Harrison Jones, University of Florida, Behavioral Plasticity of a Threatened Migratory Bird Across an Andean Fragmentation Gradient
Kanza Khan, University of Southern Mississippi, Developing a model of the placebo effect in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Laura LaBarge, State University of New York, University at Buffalo, Perceived Predation Risk and Sociality in a Wild Primate
Chase LaDue, George Mason University, Investigating the Variation of Musth in Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus)
Elizabeth Lange, Florida State University, Socially Mediated Plasticity and Polymorphism: Integrating Theory and Experiment to Predict the Maintenance of Alternative Reproductive Tactics
Casey Lee, Colorado State University, Behavioral Impacts of a Gradient of Anthropogenic Noise on a Keystone Species
Ashley Love, Oklahoma State University, The Influence of Maternal Disease on Offspring Behavior and Disease Susceptibility
Amelia Meier, Duke University, Using African Forest Elephant Behavioral Ecology to Inform Anti-Poaching Strategies
Meredith Miles, Wake Forest University, The physiology and evolution of high-speed gestural displays
Rebecca Moss, James Cook University, Species Interactions and Plasticity in Female Mate Assessment Camila PavÛn, Laboratorio de EtologÌa, EcologÌa y EvoluciÛn. Instituto de Investigaciones BiolÛgicas
Clemente Esta, MANTAINANCE OF ALTERNATIVE MATING TACTICS IN A NEOTROPICAL GIFT-GIVING SPIDER
Kevin Potts, University of Mississippi, Anti-Predator Behavior and Optimization of Oviposition Site Choice of Odonates in Response to a Predatory Fish
Amanda Rowe, Stony Brook University, DNA barcoding and the race for conservation: Implementing novel methods to understand the nutritional ecology of Microcebus rufus for optimized management strategies in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
Clint Sergi, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Analyzing the causes of individual variation in web architecture in Latrodectus hesperus
Elyan Shor, University of Memphis, Seasonal and Neuroendocrine Regulation of Immune Function and Glucocorticoids in the Siberian Hamster (Phodopus sungorus).
Levi Eldon Storks, University of Missouri, The Neuronal Substrates of Intraspecific Variation in Behavioral Flexibility in the Lizard Anolis sagrei
Chris Tyson, UC Davis, Uncovering the Behavioral Benefits of Prolonged Pair Bonds in Seabirds
Erin Weigel, University at Buffalo, The use of multiple play signals in captive infant and juvenile western lowland gorillas
Emma White, University of New England, The role of true paternity in fitness in a grassland songbird
Dalon White, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Investigating the Intersection Between Warmer Environmental Conditions and Behavioral Traits Using Two Common Centrarchids
Dana Williams, UCLA, Social transmission of foraging knowledge in yellow-bellied marmots
DEVELOPING NATIONS RESEARCH AWARDS
Ramiro Arrieta, Argentine Dryland Research Institute - National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Behavioral Factors Affecting the Rate of Extra-pair Paternity in a South Temperate Population of Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)
Anna Bastian, University of Cape Town, Acoustic mate choice - Is echolocation a trait under female sexual selection?
Lia Kajiki, University of BrasÌlia, The Social and Genetic Mating System of a Neotropical Manakin Endemic to the Cerrado Biome
Romina Scardamaglia, FCEN-UBA, Information Parasitism In An Avian Brood Parasite? Communal Roosts as Possible Centres Of Information For Host Nest Location
Laura Schaedler, Universidade Federal do Paran, Phenotypic interaction networks in blue manakins (Chiroxiphia caudata)
ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS OF THE 2017 GRANTS PROGRAM FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS IN PUERTO RICO
In fall 2017, ABS sponsored a small grants program for animal behavior graduate students in Puerto Rico, to aid in the recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This was a one-time allocation of funds, to help students with damage to infrastructure and ongoing research programs. The Executive Committee allocated $5000 of discretionary funds to this effort, and ABS members generously donated an additional $3050 in response to the call for support.
With this support, we were able to support 10 applicants, with funds divided evenly among awardees. Each application was independently reviewed by at least two MALs, and rated as suitable or unsuitable for funding (based on whether or not the work described included animal behavior).
Awardees are: Jose Arce, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez Stephanie Feliciano, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Maria E. Ramirez, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras David Clark, Jr., University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Elizabeth Evans, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Wickensonn Norze, University of Puerto Rico Valeria De La Rosa-Reyes, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus Agnes M. Acevedo Canabal, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus Adolfo Rodríguez Velázquez, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Maria Isabel Herrera-Montes, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras
ANNOUNCING THE 2018 CONFERENCE TRAVEL AWARDS
Congratulations to the recipients of the conference travel awards. These awards were administered by Melissa Hughes, with the assistance of Emily DuVal and Chris Templeton (the Members at Large). For both the Latin American Travel Awards and Graduate Student Travel Grants, two MALs separately rated each abstract, and those scores were combined with ratings of the submitted CVs to rank applications. Within those rankings, ties were broken by giving preference to PhD students and those who had not previously attended ABS. We received many more deserving applications than we were able to fund, and appreciate the widespread interest in these awards.
We were able to fund 5 of 17 applications for the Latin American Travel Awards. Award amounts varied this year to reflect travel costs from the students’ varied locations. LATA awardees for the 2018 conference are:
Jimena Lois Milevicich, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Joao Menezes, Universidade de Sao Paulo
Luane Ferreira, Laboratory of Bioacoustics, UFRN
Pedro Ribeiro, UFPR
Paulo Pulgarin, Universidad CES
We were able to fund 24 of 88 applications for the Graduate Student Travel Grants, with each award set at $500. GSTG awardees for the 2018 conference are:
Joseph Burant, University of Guelph
Sebastian Echeverri, University of Pittsburgh
Meredith Fitschen-Brown, Ohio University
Eve Humphrey, Florida State University
Todd Johnson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lily Johnson-Ulrich, Michigan State University
Whitley Lehto, University of Denver
Meredith Miles, Wake Forest University
Philip Queller, University of Texas at Austin
Natalie Roberts, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Juan Manuel Rojas Ripari, CONICET
Amy Shipley, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yasmin Shirali, University of Texas at Austin
Erin Siracusa, University of Guelph
Ummat Somjee, University of Florida
Jessie C. Tanner, University of Minnesota
Olivia Tomeo, Georgia State University
Reut Vardi, Ben-Gurion University
W. Tang Watanasriyakul, Northern Illinois University
Melinda Weaver, Arizona State University
Dalon White, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Eric Wice, Rice University
Maggie Wisniewska, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Yusan Yang, University of Pittsburgh
THE 2018 CAREGIVER TRAVEL GRANT
The Caregiver Travel Grant award provides financial assistance for active ABS members whose caregiving responsibilities for dependent persons would otherwise limit their ability to attend and present at the annual ABS meeting. Dependents include but are not limited to young children and aging parents. Award values vary according to funds available. Candidates are prioritized according to their need, abstract and CVs. Preference will be given to applicants who are presenting their work. This year, we were able to award one caregiver award so far and expect to award more as the grant deadline was recently extended. Each recipient receives $500 to put towards the care of those either traveling with them or staying behind. Awards were administered by Chris Templeton, with the assistance of Emily Duval and Melissa Hughes (the Members at Large).