Professor of Biology

434.544.8364
[email protected]

Dr. Benson joined the University of Lynchburg in 1998.

Biography: I am particularly interested in aquatic systems and have worked in marine systems in Jamaica, San Salvador (Bahamas), Mexico, Hawaii, North Carolina, Virginia, and New England. I have also explored numerous freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers locally in Virginia and elsewhere, including Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oaxaca (Mexico), and Veracruz (Mexico). My research interests are diverse. My master’s work addressed larval fish ecology in southeastern floodplains. More recently, I have focused on the behavioral ecology of decision-making, particularly foraging and mating. As a research subject, I have studied many taxa, including crickets, birds, fish, and, most recently, spiders.

Education

• BS, Biology – Muhlenberg College
• MS, Biology – University of Mississippi
• PhD, Biology – University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Teaching Areas

• Introductory Biology (majors and non-majors)
• Marine Biology
• Coral Reef Biology
• Animal Behavior
• Ecology
• Evolution

Research Interests

• Studying the reproductive behavior of Gambusia holbrooki, the eastern mosquitofish.
• Examining the behavior of Gambusia manni, the Bahamian mosquitofish.
•  Studying the reproductive behavior of Pisaurid spiders, particularly the species of the genus Dolomedes found at our field site.