![Headshot of Priyal Patel](/49c2d3/globalassets/global/media/qu/photography/1_today/priyal-patel-580x417-20230606.jpg)
Assistant Professor of Biology
The Lawson lab has two main research areas: (1) pollinator health and nutrition and (2) the evolution of social behavior. Native pollinator diversity is crucial for a healthy and functioning ecosystem and the stability of agricultural production. Outside of bumble bees, very little is known about the nutritional requirements of native bee populations. The Lawson lab works to understand questions such as: How does the nutritional landscape shape the native bee community? How does floral resource availability impact foraging habits? How does nutritional availability affect physiology? The main focus of the second project is the evolution of social behavior. One of the major transitions in animal evolution is the shift from solitary to social living. The goal of comparative studies of social evolution is to understand the factors involved in this transition and to answer questions such as: What are the commonalities of social behavior across socially living taxa? What are the ecological/ demographic/ life history predictors of these commonalities?
Education
- PHD, Vanderbilt University
Areas of Expertise
- Pollinator ecology and health
- Social behavior
- Entomology
- Evolution
Organization
- Biological Sciences
Office Location
- Buckman Center BC-145
Mail Drop
- BC-SCI
Courses
-
BIO 252 Ecology and Biodiversity
Fall 2024 -
BIO 252L Ecology and Biodiversity Laboratory
Spring 2024 -
BIO 358 Conservation Biology
Fall 2024 -
BIO 358L Conservation Biology Lab
Fall 2024 -
BIO 383 Evolution
Spring 2024 -
BIO 491 Independent Research in Biological Science
Spring 2024 -
BIO 492 Independent Research in Biological Sciences
Spring 2024 -
BIO 493 Independent Research in Biological Sciences
Spring 2024 -
BIO 651 Thesis II in Molecular and Cell Biology
Spring 2024 -
ENV 101 Introduction to Environmental Studies
Fall 2024 -
ENV 102 Intro Environmental Studies in the Community
Fall 2024
Experience
Quinnipiac University
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Hamden, CT
2019 - Present
Sacred Heart University
Full-time Lecturer
Fairfield, CT
2018 - 2019
University of New Hampshire
National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Durham, NH
2014 - 2018
Vanderbilt University
Doctoral Student
Nashville, TN
2009 - 2014