ANT COURSE 2005 Second Announcement

http://www.antweb.org

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: April 1, 2005


Southwestern Research Station (SWRS), Portal, AZ, August 4-14, 2005


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. Emphasis is on the classification and identification of more than fifty ant genera of 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 major 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, with partial funding from The E.O. Wilson Foundation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION. – ANT COURSE will be taught from August 4 – 14, 2005 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 biologists 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 and conservation. The high instructor to student ratio will allow students to receive individual attention. ANT COURSE is presented in English and limited to 25 participants
COSTS. – Tuition for the 10-day COURSE is $475 for current students and $675 for non-students. In addition, Southwestern Research Station (SWRS) fees for this period, covering dormitory room and board, are estimated at $440. Transportation costs between home and Tucson (air) or SWRS (auto) are to be borne by all participants.
FELLOWSHIPS. – Four fellowships are available for 2005. 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 can not find other support and it is essential for your participation in the course. Beware that if you apply for an ant course fellowship and you are not selected for a fellowship, you might not be accepted into the course. Please notify the course if your funding request changes before the application due date.
INSTRUCTORS: 2005
Brian Fisher (Coordinator), Dept. of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences, 875 Howard Street, San Francisco, California 94103; bfisher@calacademy.org Stefan Cover (Coordinator), Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Leeanne Alonso, Rapid Assessment Program, Conservation International Gary Alpert, University Entomologist, Harvard University - EH&S Department Lloyd Davis, Gainesville, FL Mark Deyrup Archbold Biological Station André Francoeur, Université du Québe Bob Johnson, Dept. of Biology, Arizona State University Jack Longino, Evergreen State College Mike Kaspari, Dept. of Zoology, University of Oklahoma Andrew V. Suarez, University of Illinois, School of Integrative Biology, Departments of Entomology and Animal Biology Phil Ward, Department of Entomology, University of California
Special Guests
Roy Snelling, Raymond Mendez, Howard Topoff
TA
Alex Wild, Department of Entomology, University of California