ANT COURSE 2011

http://www.antweb.org

Southwestern Research Station (SWRS), Portal, AZ, USA August 4-14, 2011

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: April 1, 2011
Application form:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=3DdGNTcVh1ZzVGNjd1aVU5cnV1dWZNbVE6MA


COURSE OBJECTIVES. - ANT COURSE is designed for systematists, ecologists,
behaviorists, conservation biologists, and other biologists whose research
responsibilities require a greater understanding of ant taxonomy and field
research techniques. Emphasis is on the identification of the ant genera
and species occurring in North America. Lectures will include background
information on the ecology, life histories and evolution of ants. Field
trips are structured to teach collecting and sampling techniques, and
associated lab work provides instruction on specimen preparation, sorting
and labeling. Information on equipment/supply vendors, literature, and
myrmecological contacts are also presented.

COURSE SIGNIFICANCE. - Ant Course is a unique opportunity to acquire
training that is unavailable elsewhere. This course will provide students
with 1) the confidence and skills to identify the ant genera of North
America; 2) an understanding of modern specimen processing and curation
techniques; 3) an appreciation for the biological diversity of ants, and 4)
experience keying to the species level.

SPONSORS. - California Academy of Sciences and Museum of Comparative
Zoology.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION. - ANT COURSE will be taught from August 4 - 14, 2011
at the Southwestern Research Station (SWRS) in Portal Arizona (
http://research.amnh.org/swrs/). The Station is centered amid the richest
ant fauna in North America. This is an ongoing course, offered annually.

PARTICIPANT ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA. - ANT COURSE is open to all interested
individuals. Priority will be given to those students for whom the course
will have a significant impact on their research with ants. An
entomological background is not required. We aim to include students with a
diverse interest in biology, including ant systematics, ecology, behavioral
biology, genetics, and conservation. The high instructor to student ratio
will allow students to receive individual attention. ANT COURSE is presented
in English and limited to 30 participants

COSTS. - Tuition for the 10-day COURSE is $475 for current students and $675
for non-students. In addition, the Southwestern Research Station (SWRS) fee
for this period, covering dormitory room and board, is $625. Transportation
costs between home and Tucson (air) or SWRS (auto) are to be borne by all
participants.

FELLOWSHIPS. - Four fellowships are available for 2011. Two fellowships
cover tuition fees and two fellowships cover station fees. Foreign students
may apply for additional fellowships to assist in travel. Those interested
in attending the course should seek all possible avenues to secure funding
for the course. You should only apply for the Ant Course fellowship if you
cannot find other support and it is essential for your participation in the
course. Beware that if you apply for an ant course fellowship it implies
that fellowship funding is essential to your participation in the course.
Thus, if you are not selected for a fellowship, you might not be accepted
into the course. Please notify the course if your funding request status
changes before the application due date.

COURSE APPLICATION. - Application and course information at
http://www.antweb.org. The first step is to fill out a form at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=3DdGNTcVh1ZzVGNjd1aVU5cnV1dWZNbVE6MA
In addition, you must also submit a CV, personal statement, and letter of
reference to AntCourse@gmail.com.

By April 5, you will be notified that your application is complete. If you
do not receive a confirmation that your application has been received by
April 5, please contact Brian Fisher at AntCourse@gmail.com. You will be
notified of your acceptance to the Course around APRIL 15-20.

ANT COURSE is limited to 30 participants. Selection of participants will be
carried out by committee, based on your reasons for wishing to take the
course at this time. Priority will be given to those students for whom the
course will have a significant impact on their research with ants. Because
the Course will be offered yearly, and because many well-qualified
candidates cannot be accepted because of limited capacity, we urge
applicants not selected for this session to apply again the following
year.

2011 Possible INSTRUCTORS - Final list announced Spring 2011:
Brian Fisher (Coordinator), Dept. of Entomology, California Academy of
Sciences, San Francisco, CA, bfisher@calacademy.org
Stefan Cover (Coordinator), Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard
University, Cambridge, MA, cover@oeb.harvard.edu
Chris Burwell, Curator (Entomology), Queensland Museum, Australia
Lloyd Davis, Gainesville, FL
Mark Deyrup, Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, FL
Bob Johnson, Dept. of Biology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Mike Kaspari, Dept. of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK
Jack Longino, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
Corrie Moreau, Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History,
Chicago, IL
Andrew Suarez, Departments of Entomology and Animal Biology, University of
Illinois, Urbana, IL
James Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve, Gray Summit, MO
Walter Tschinkel Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Phil Ward, Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA

Special Guests
Raymond Mendez, Work as Play, Portal AZ
Howard Topoff, SWRS, P.O. Box 16553, Portal AZ

Application and course information at http://www.antweb.org


Corrie Saux Moreau, Ph.D.
Assistant Curator, Division of Insects
Department of Zoology
Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605
USA
Office: (312) 665-7743
Fax: (312) 665-7754
cmoreau@fieldmuseum.org

*** NOTE NEW WEBSITE: www.moreaulab.org ***


cmoreau@fieldmuseum.org