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Group photo 2021

Lab Photo 2021

That dog does not belong to any of us


Michael himself

Michael L. Smith

Assistant Professor at Auburn University Affiliate Member of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Postdoctoral Fellow, Collective Behavior – Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior / University of Konstanz
Ph.D., Neurobiology and Behavior – Cornell University A.B., Molecular Biology – Princeton University

Michael is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University. He’s interested in how honey bee colonies function, how their nests are organized, and how individual bees detect the developmental state of their colony.

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Peter Marting with bees and smoke

Peter R. Marting

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ph.D., Animal Behavior, Arizona State University M.A., Biological Sciences, University of Missouri – Columbia B.S., Biological Sciences, University of Missouri - Columbia

Peter is a creative behavioral ecologist interested in collective behavior, environmental effects, species interaction, and natural history. He takes a highly integrative approach to exploring mechanisms and consequences of behavior by incorporating fieldwork, digital tools, genetic analysis, metabolic measurements, and microbiomics.

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Prathibha with bees

Prathibha P. Chandran

Ph.D. Researcher - joined 2021

B.S./M.S., Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, India

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Erica Maul with kitty, the beetle

Erica R. Maul

Ph.D. Researcher - joined 2022

B.A., Environmental Studies, Wellesley College

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Ethan Rowe with obs hive

Ethan Rowe

Ph.D. Researcher - joined 2021

B.S., Zoology, University of Wyoming

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Claire S. Bailey

Claire with bees

Undergraduate Researcher

B.A. in Organismal Biology, Auburn University, expected graduation May 2023


Clair Dickinson

Olivia with frame

Undergraduate Researcher

B.S. in Organismal Biology, Auburn University, expected graduation May 2024


Kaitlyn McInerney

Kaitlyn with observation hive

Undergraduate Researcher

B.S. in Organismal Biology, Auburn University, expected graduation May 2025


Olivia Smith

Olivia with frame

Undergraduate Researcher

B.S. in Software Engineering, Auburn University, expected graduation May 2024


Maritza R. Spott

Maritza with bees

Undergraduate Researcher

B.S. in Software Engineering, Auburn University, expected graduation May 2023


This could be you!

bee illustration

Postdoctoral Researcher

Ph.D., bla bla bla B.A., bla bla bla


Or this!

bee illustration

Ph.D. Researcher

B.A., bla bla bla


…or maybe this!

bee illustration

Undergraduate Researcher

B.A. in Biology - Auburn University, expected graduation XXXX

The Smith Bee Lab officially OPENED at Auburn University on January 1st 2021. We are currently accepting applications at all levels. Learn more


… but you can’t be a Postdoc, PhD, and Undergrad all at once (look, there are physiological limits)