Amdam lab, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
The mild climate of Phoenix, Arizona makes an ideal backdrop for studying the social evolution of honey bees, which thrive in this diverse desert landscape. With over 300 days of sunshine, bad weather rarely intervenes with field experiments. The brief late summer monsoon season and early winter rains soak the Sonoran desert, providing dazzling displays of wildflowers in early spring.
When not pursuing an experiment, lab members enjoy hiking the surrounding mountains, exploring the cultural scene of Phoenix, kicking back with friends for an impromptu potluck and touring the majestic Southwest. With the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, the Painted Desert, and the Petrified Forest and many more natural wonders all within a six hour drive of campus, sudden urges of Wanderlust are easily satisfied.
The diverse, integrative program at ASU allows students to exchange ideas with graduate students, visiting researchers and professors from other departments on a regular basis. A research one university, our core facilities and extensive libraries provide students with all the tools to succeed in scientific research.
Much like the social insects we study, our diverse lab members help each other in joint projects, teaching one another useful skills to succeed in the rapidly evolving world of scientific research.
