It’s more than just bird-watching for Assistant Professor of Biology Susan Willson, who studies bird populations and conservation issues from Peru to Zanzibar.  Willson is a tropical avian ecologist who has expanded her expertise to include invertebrate populations of army ants.

Alissa Rafferty ’09 and April Costa ’09 accompanied Willson to her primary study site in Peru to examine bird populations of obligate army-ant followers in the Amazonian rainforest; Willson is finishing two papers from the work she did with these students and hopes to publish both this summer.  Additionally, she advised Kaitlyn Evans ’10 on her Senior-Year Experience research about stakeholder views of marine conservation on an atoll off of Zanzibar.

 “Students here are great and I love the small class sizes.  I get e-mails from students saying things like ‘I just saw my first Eastern meadowlark’ or ‘Check out this picture, it’s a Northern mockingbird.’ It’s great to see students genuinely excited about what they are learning,” says Willson.

Many of Willson’s courses involve a field component, which she says she appreciates because it allows her and the students to learn together.  Additionally, she values the fact that all of her courses not only focus on birds, but also ecological principles and conservation practices.

Willson has also taught in the First-Year Program and is active in African studies, Caribbean and Latin American studies, and the Center for International and Intercultural Study.  “This allows me to get beyond biology and think more broadly and internationally,” says Willson. 

Willson enjoys yoga and riding; she plans to participate in SLU community horse shows this summer, competing in both jumping and dressage.  She and her husband recently opened a new eatery in Canton, featuring Latin American fare.  Her large vegetable garden provides ingredients for the Spicy Iguana’s menu.        
                             
--Josh Johnson ’10