Education and Professional Experience
2022 – Present Postdoctoral Researcher. University of Alberta. Advisor: Prof. Olav Rueppell
2018 - 2022 Postdoctoral Researcher. Cornell University / Iowa State University. Advisors: Dr. Amy Toth, Dr. Michael Sheehan.
2012 - 2018 PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Iowa State University (Prof. Amy Toth). Summa Cum Laude.
2006 - 2011 B.A. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Minor: Linguistics). University of Arizona. Cum Laude.
2011- 2012 Biological Science Technician – Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, USDA-ARS. Anderson lab. Microbial diversity and nutrition in honey bees.
2010 - 2011 Undergraduate researcher – Dornhaus Lab / University of Arizona Engineering Department. Bumble bee flight aerodynamics.
2010 Tumamoc Hill Plant Diversity Research. Rosenzweig Lab, University of Arizona.
2008 - 2010 Undergraduate researcher – Dornhaus Lab, University of Arizona Colony emigration in ants. Bumble bee division of labor.
Publications
Walton A. and Toth A.L. (2021) “Diet restriction, aggression, and brain neuropeptide expression in a social wasp.” Functional Ecology.
Miller S.E., Jernigan C.M, Legan A.W., Miller C.H., Tumulty J.P., Walton A., and Sheehan M.J. (2021) “Animal behavior missing from data archives.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
Walton A., Toth A.L., and Dolezal A.G. (2021) “Developmental environment shapes honey bee worker response to virus infection.” Scientific Reports.
Walton A., Sheehan M.J., and Toth A.L. (2020). “Going wild for functional genomics: RNA interference as a tool to study gene-behavior associations in diverse species and ecological contexts.” Hormones and Behavior.
Walton A., Tumulty J.P., Toth A.L., and Sheehan M.J. (2020) “Hormonal modulation of reproduction in Polistes fuscatus social wasps: dual functions in both ovary development and sexual receptivity.” Journal of Insect Physiology.
Walton A., Jandt J.M., and Dornhaus A. (2019) “Guard bees are more likely to act as undertakers: variation in corpse removal in the bumble bee Bombus impatiens.” Insectes Sociaux.
Walton A., Dolezal A.G., Bakken M.A., and Toth A.L. (2018) “Hungry for the Queen: Nutritional environment affects a honey bee worker's response to queen pheromone”. Functional Ecology.
Walton A. and Toth. A.L. (2016) “Variation in individual worker honey bee behavior shows hallmarks of personality.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Corby-Harris V., Meador C.A.D, Snyder L.A., Schwan M.R, Maes P., Jones B.M., Walton A., and Anderson K.E. (2016) “Transcriptional, translational, and physiological signatures of undernourished honey bees (Apis mellifera) suggest a role for hormonal factors in hypopharyngeal gland degradation.” Journal of Insect Physiology.
Corby-Harris V., Jones B.M., Walton A., Schwan M.R., and Anderson K.E. (2014) “Transcriptional markers of aging and sub-optimal nutrition in the fat bodies of young adult Apis mellifera." BMC Genomics.
Anderson K.E., Sheehan T.H., Mott B.M., Maes P., Snyder L.A., Schwan M.R., Walton A., Jones B.M., and Corby-Harris V. (2013) “Microbial ecology of the pollination landscape: Core and non-core bacteria in the alimentary tract, corbicular pollen and beebread of honey bees (Apis mellifera)." PLoS ONE.
In revision or submitted
Tumulty J.P., Miller S.E., Van Belleghem S.M., Weller H.I., Jernigan C.M., Vincent S., Staudenraus R.J., Legan A.W., Polnaszek T.J., Uy F.M.K., Walton A., Sheehan M.J. “Evidence for a selective link between cooperation and individual recognition.” (in revision)
Other writing projects
Editor for the instructor’s manual for college textbook: Dugatkin, L.A. (2020) Principles of Animal Behavior (4th edition). W. W. Norton & Company. New York, NY.
Awards
2018 Graduate Student Travel Award – Iowa State University Graduate Student Organization
2017 Graduate Teaching Excellence Award – Iowa State University Graduate College
2017 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant - NSF
2017 Professional Advancement Grant – Graduate Professional
Senate, Iowa State University
2016 Professional Advancement Grant – Graduate Professional
Senate, Iowa State University
2015 Professional Development Grant – EEB, Iowa State University
2014 Teaching-as-Research Grant - Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, Iowa State University
2014 Professional Advancement Grant – Graduate Professional
Senate, Iowa State University
2014 Pollinator Research Travel Grant (USDA) - Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Cairns, Australia.
2013 Graduate Research Fellowship Program: Honorable Mention - NSF
2012 Office of Biotechnology First Year Fellowship – Iowa State University
Presentations/Posters
2022 “Egg heads: gene manipulation confirms vitellogenin regulates aggression in Polistes fuscatus wasps”. Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. San Diego, CA.
2021 Invited symposium speaker. “Nutritional resource limitation as a regulator of cooperation and cohesion in insect societies”. Animal Behavior Society. Virtual conference.
2021 “The differential effects of RNAi-mediated knockdown of vitellogenin in paper wasp workers and foundresses”. Virtual Poster. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories – Social Insect Genomics.
2021 “The differential effects of RNAi-mediated knockdown of vitellogenin in paper wasp workers and foundresses”. Seminar Speaker. Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Iowa State University.
2020 “The effects of vitellogenin gene expression on aggression in Polistes fuscatus paper wasp foundresses and workers”. The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Virtual presentation.
2020 “Ethological Genomics: studying gene-behavior association within ecological context”. Animal Behavior Society. Virtual presentation.
2020 “Hormonal modulation of reproduction in Polistes fuscatus social wasps.” 27th Annual EEB Spring Symposium. Iowa State University.
2019 Invited seminar speaker. “Individuality in the Hive: Behavioral variation and its proximate causes in insect societies.” Division of Biological Sciences. University of Missouri- Mizzou.
2019 Invited seminar speaker. “Individuality in the Hive: Behavioral variation and its proximate causes in insect societies.” Department of Entomology. Iowa State University.
2019 Invited symposium speaker. “Individuality in the Hive: Behavioral variation and its proximate causes in insect societies”. Animal Behavior Society. Chicago, IL.
2018 Invited symposium speaker. “Starve a Worker, Feed a Colony: Nutrition, ovary size, and cooperation in social insect societies.” Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil.
2017 “Does resource limitation promote cooperation? Nutrition restriction and social cohesion in insect societies.” The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Denver, CO.
2016 “Larval and adult pollen diets affect honey bee worker response to the queen.” International Congress of Entomology. Orlando, FL.
2016 “Larval and adult pollen diet affects a honey bee worker’s response to the queen.” 23rd Annual EEB Spring Symposium. Iowa State University.
2015 Invited symposium speaker. “Personalities and behavioral syndromes: Sub-caste variation in honey bee behavior.” The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Minneapolis, MN.
2015 “The effect of a pollen deficient diet on queen response in honey bees.” Graduate and Professional Students’ Research Conference. Iowa State University.
2014 “Individual Personalities in an Insect Society.” Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Cairns, Australia.
2014 “Individual Personalities in an Insect Colony: From Molecules to Societies.” 21st Annual EEB Spring Symposium. Iowa State University.
2010 “Learning and Colony Emigration in Temnothorax albipennis ants.” The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. San Diego, CA.
Teaching Experience
Instructor of record
2017 Animal Behavior Lecture Course (~150 students, 3 times weekly)
2015-2016 Social Insect Undergraduate Seminar (~5 students, weekly)
Lecturer
2018 Evolutionary Biology Online Course (Iowa State University). My lecture videos are still used annually for this summer course.
Teaching assistant
2018 Evolutionary Biology Lecture Course (Iowa State University)
2017 Biological Investigations Lab Course (Iowa State University)
2014-2016 Animal Behavior Lab Course (Iowa State University)
2013-2014 Biological Diversity Lab Course (Iowa State University)
2008 Insect Discovery (University of Arizona) - a program for 1st and 2nd graders
Guest lectures
2021; 2020; 2015 “Nutrition and Cooperation in the Hive” guest lecture, and beekeeping practical demonstrations - ISU course: Bee Biology, Management, and Beekeeping
2021; 2020; 2019; 2016; 2015 – “Social Insect Personality” – ISU course: Animal Behavior
2020 – “Evo-Devo and the Evolution of Insect Sociality” – ISU course: Genes and Behavior
2018 – “Fossil History & Macroevolution” – ISU course: Evolutionary Biology
2018 – “Honey Bee Behavior” – ISU course: Current Topics in Bee Biology
2018 – “The Evolution of Eusociality” – ISU course: Discussions of Ecology and Evolution Research
2016 – “Social Insects: Pinnacles of Evolution and Dominators of Planet Earth” ISU course: Biology 101
Mentoring
2022 Dawit Shibiru Biology Undergraduate
2021 Julianna Hernandez Biology Undergraduate
2020 Kavita Jain Biology Undergraduate
2020 Maria Bellows Biology Undergraduate
2020 Nashali Gonzales Biology Undergraduate
2020 Sarah Frazier Biology Undergraduate
2019 Jessica Riojas Masters Student of Education
2017 Miles Lichtenstein Biology Undergraduate
2017 Roslyn Gray Biology Undergraduate
2016 Marit Bakken Biology Undergraduate (co-authored a publication)
2016 Natalie Whitis Biology Undergraduate
2015 Kate Hunter Biology Undergraduate
Outreach
2022 Avondale Elementary School Honey Bee Demonstration. Edmonton, Alberta. – Speaker/presenter
2022 Somerset Beekeepers Association. Somerset, England – Invited speaker (virtual)
2021 Two Bees in a Podcast. University of Florida – Podcast guest
2020 Research Experience for Teachers (program for local middle school and high school teachers to gain STEM experience. Ames, IA) – Invited speaker
2019 Future Science Leaders (middle-schooler summer program. Ithaca, NY) – Demonstration presenter
2021; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015 PollinatorFest (A pollinator appreciation event at Reiman Gardens, Ames, IA) – Volunteer (Honey bee biology; paper wasp appreciation displays).
2018 The Biological Sciences Club (ISU undergrad organization) – Invited speaker
2018 Central Iowa Beekeepers Association Winter Seminar – Invited speaker
2017 Reiman Gardens “Day of Insects” – Invited speaker
2016 ISU Insect Zoo Bug Village – Volunteer (Honey bee display)
2013 Portal to the Public at Science Center of Iowa - Volunteer
2011 Arizona Insect Festival – Volunteer (Social insect display)
Service / Affiliations
Symposia organizer
2018 “Social Insect Ecophysiology” Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil.
2017 “Phenotypic Plasticity: Cause and Consequence in Insect Sociality” The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America. Denver, CO.
2013, 2014, 2015 Graduate Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Symposium. Iowa State University.
Peer reviewing
Journals:
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
- Scientific Reports (2 manuscripts)
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- Journal of Evolutionary Biology
- Ecology and Evolution
- PLoS ONE (3 manuscripts)
- Insects
- Hormones and Behavior
- Animal Behaviour
- Biological Conservation
Departmental service
2022 Postdoc Chair - Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. Department of Biological Sciences. University of Alberta
2022 Postdoc Chair - Departmental Council. Department of Biological Sciences. University of Alberta
2019 Postdoc Chair – Job Search Committee. Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department. Iowa State University.
2016-2017 Graduate Student Chair – Supervisory Committee. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program. Iowa State University
2016-2018 New Graduate Student Mentor - Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department. Iowa State University.
2016-2017 Graduate Student Chair – Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Department Social Committee. Iowa State University.
2015-2016 New Student Recruitment Chair – Graduate Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Graduate Student Organization. Iowa State University.
2013-2015 Social Chair – Graduate Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Graduate Student Organization. Iowa State University.
Society affiliations
2010-Present Member – Entomological Society of America
2014-Present Member – International Union for the Study of Social Insects
2020-Present Member – Animal Behavior Society
2022-Present Member - SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science)
2022-Present Member - American Association of Professional Apiculturists