Bethany Beekly

Bio

Bethany Beekly, Ph.D. is a self-described "integrative neuroecologist"--meaning she is interested in in how neural and endocrine systems interact with ecological and environmental factors to produce behavioral and physiological patterns. She has been driven by a deep fascination with the diversity of animal behavior and physiology since she was a child. Her research questions are motivated by a desire to both understand the mechanisms underlying that diversity and to protect and conserve it for future generations to fall in love with.

She obtained a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan and completed two years of postdoctoral study in their department of Psychology. Bethany is also passionate about teaching and mentoring, loving nothing more than training new students in the lab and participating in their journeys of self- and scientific discovery. She currently works as a Lecturer in Biology and Psychology at the University of Michigan. As an educator, she is an advocate for inclusive, inquiry-driven teaching practices that emphasize the learning process, highlight diverse scientists' contributions to the study of biology, and make space for non-Western teaching and learning philosophies.