Welcome! My name is Benjamin Blanchard. I am drawn to the vast diversity of biological life, and in particular, I am fascinated by ants. I have engaged in research ranging from the taxonomy and distribution of Pacific Island ants to ecological interactions involving the ant community on Konza Prairie. During the 2013-2014 academic, I volunteered as an oral English teacher through the nonprofit organization WorldTeach. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the CEB program at the University of Chicago, based in Dr. Corrie Moreau’s lab at the Field Museum, where I will investigate the evolution of morphology and the impact of morphological specialization on evolutionary and ecological dynamics (see here). I can play trumpet, erhu, and Javanese gamelan, and I have a fondness for Chinese teas.
This blog is about ants, Chinese, and other important topics. But mostly ants.
Feel free to contact me at bblanchard@uchicago.edu.
Education
(2009-2013) B.S., Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
(Fall 2014 – Ongoing) Ph.D., Candidate. Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago. Advisor: Dr. Corrie Moreau
Internships
(May-August, 2011) NSF-Research Experience for Undergraduates, Kansas State University. Advisor: Dr. Anthony Joern
(May-August, 2012) NSF-Research Experience for Undergraduates, American Museum of Natural History. Advisor: Dr. Ronald Clouse.
(May-August, 2013) Research Intern. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Advisor: Dr. Evan Economo.
Publications
Clouse, R. M., M. Janda, B. Blanchard, et al. (in press) Molecular phylogeny of Indo-Pacific carpenter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Camponotus) reveals waves of dispersal and colonization from diverse source areas. Cladistics.
Guénard, B., B. Blanchard, C. Liu, D.R. Yang, and E.P. Economo. 2013. Rediscovery of the rare ant genus Bannapone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Amblyoponinae) and description of the worker caste. Zootaxa 3735(3):371-379.
Sarnat, E.M., B. Blanchard, B. Guenard, J. Fasi, and E.P. Economo. 2013. Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of the Solomon Islands and a new survey of Makira Island. Zookeys 257:47-88.
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