Sarah Bengston
Asst Professor
Weissman School of Arts and Sciences
Department: Natural Sciences
Areas of expertise:
Email Address: sarah.bengston@baruch.cuny.edu
> View CV- Biography
- Teaching
- Research and Creative Activity
- Grants
- Honors and Awards
- Service
Education
Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona Tucson Arizona
B.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville TN
Semester | Course Prefix | Course Number | Course Name |
---|---|---|---|
Spring 2024 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2024 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Fall 2023 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2023 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2023 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2023 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2023 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2023 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Spring 2023 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2023 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2023 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2023 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2023 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2023 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Spring 2023 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Spring 2023 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2022 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2022 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2022 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2022 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2022 | ENV | 5000 | Independent Study ENV I |
Spring 2022 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2022 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2022 | BIO | 5000 | Independent Study Biology I |
Spring 2022 | IDC | 4010 | Susan Locke Intd Caps ENV Sust |
Spring 2022 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2022 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2022 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2022 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2022 | IDC | 4010H | Hon: Intdis Caps in Env Sust & |
Spring 2022 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Fall 2021 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2021 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2021 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2021 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2021 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2021 | IDC | 3002H | Hon Sci & Tech NYC |
Fall 2021 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2021 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2021 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 5000 | Independent Study ENV I |
Spring 2021 | ENV | 5000 | Independent Study ENV I |
Spring 2021 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2021 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Fall 2020 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2020 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2020 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | BIO | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | PSY | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 3032 | Animal Behavior |
Spring 2020 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2019 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Fall 2019 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2019 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Spring 2019 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Spring 2019 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Spring 2019 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 1004 | Fund Of Ecol Research |
Fall 2018 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2018 | BIO | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 4900 | Capstone: Env Scienc |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 1003L | Fundamentals of Ecology |
Fall 2018 | ENV | 3030 | Principles of Evolution: Proce |
Journal Articles
Rahman, N., & Bengston, S. (2024). Decoupled trade-offs: higher survival rates in ants from fast pace-of-life colonies. Insectes Sociaux,
Bengston, S., Dornhaus, A., & Rabeling, C. (2024). The discovery of mixed colonies in Temnothorax ants supports the territoriality hypothesis of dulotic social parasite evolution in myrmicine ants. Insectes Sociaux,
Bengston, S. E., Dahan, R., & Waters, J. (2024). A test of the physiological constraint hypothesis for the evolution of Pace-of-Life Syndromes. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology ,
Aiello, J., Almaghrabi, M., & Bengston, S. (2024). The Neighbor Effect: territorial aggression and defense in ant colonies. In Progress.
Morales, M., & Bengston, S. (2024). Dear Enemies or Nasty Neighbors? Ants flexibly adjust aggression towards neighboring colonies based on the outcome of prior conflicts. In Progress.
Jandt, J., Bengston, S., & Toth, A. (2024). Social environment affects personality in Polistes wasps. . In Progress.
(2023). The discovery of mixed colonies in Temnothorax ants supports the territoriality hypothesis of dulotic social parasite evolution in myrmicine ants. BioRxiv,
(2023). Older, but not wiser: social wasp colony defensive behavior decreases with time, not experience. INSECTES SOCIAUX, 70(1). 81-96.
Bengston, S., Dahan, R. A., Donaldson, Z., Phelps, S. M., van Oers, K., Sih, A., & Bell, A. M. (2018). Genomic tools for behavioural ecologists to understand repeatable individual differences in behaviour. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2(6). 944-955.
Bengston, S. (2018). Life-history and behavioral trait covariation across 3 years in Temnothorax ants. Behavioral Ecology, 29(6). 1494-1501.
Bengston, S., Shin, M., & Dornhaus, A. (2016). Life-history strategy and behavioral type: risk-tolerance reflects growth rate and energy allocation in ant colonies. Oikos, 126(4). 556-564.
Bengston, S., & Dornhaus, A. (2015). Latitudinal variation in behaviors linked to risk tolerance is driven by nest-site competition and spatial distribution in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 69(8). 1265 - 1274.
Bengston, S., Pruitt, J. N., & Riechert, S. E. (2014). Differences in environmental enrichment generate contrasting behavioural syndromes in a basal spider lineage. Animal Behaviour, 93. 105-110.
Bibbs, C. S., Bengston, S., & Gouge, D. H. (2014). Exploration of Refuge Preference in the Arizona Bark Scorpion (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Environmental Entomology , 43(5). 1345-1353.
Bengston, S., & Dornhaus, A. (2014). Be meek or be bold? A colony-level behavioural syndrome in ants. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281(1791). 20140518.
Westling, J. N., Harrington, K., Bengston, S., & Dornhaus, A. (2014). Morphological differences between extranidal and intranidal workers in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus, but no effect of body size on foraging distance. Insectes Sociaux, 61(4). 367--369.
Bibbs, C. S., Bengston, S., & Gouge, D. H. (2014). Activity trends and movement distances in the Arizona bark scorpion (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Environmental Entomology , 43(6). 1613-1620.
Bengston, S., & Jandt, J. M. (2014). The development of collective personality: the ontogenetic drivers of behavioral variation across groups. Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology, 2. 81.
Jandt, J. M., Bengston, S., Pinter-Wollman, N., Pruitt, J. N., Raine, N. E., Dornhaus, A., & Sih, A. (2014). Behavioural syndromes and social insects: personality at multiple levels. Biological Reviews , 89(1). 48-67.
Bengston, S., & Dornhaus, A. (2013). Colony size does not predict foraging distance in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus: a puzzle for standard scaling models. Insectes Sociaux, 60(1). 93--96.
Dornhaus, A., Powell, S., & Bengston, S. (2012). Group size and its effects on collective organization. Annual Review of Entomology , 57. 123-141.
Presentations
Bengston, S., & Rahman, N. (2024, October 28). Multi-level selection in Temnothorax ants may result in decoupled life-history trade-offs.. Ecological Society of America. Phoenix, Arizona: ESA. In Progress.
Bengston, S., & Rahman, N. (2024, August 28). Multi-level selection in Temnothorax ants may result in decoupled life-history trade-offs.. International Union of the Study of Social Insects North American Section. Prescott, Arizona, USA: IUSSI.
Bengston, S. Tracking an Evolutionary Bifurcation in Action. The Biogeography of Behavior. University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK: National Science Foundation.
Bengston, S. (2020, July 31). Tiered trade-offs: Colonies balance life-history trade-offs across levels of organization. Animal Behavior. digital: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston, S. E., Dahan, R., & Rabeling , C. (2018, December 31). Pace - of - life variation in ant colonies. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Sao Paulo, Brazil: IUSSI.
Bengston, S. E., Dornhaus , A., & Rabeling, C. (2018, December 31). A new case of social parasitism in ants and the effects on between species interactions. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Sao Paulo, Brazil: IUSSI.
Bengston, S. E. (2017, December 31). Invited symposium speaker: Behavioral Biodiversity. Animal Behavior Society. Toronto, Canada: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston, S. E., Dahan, R., & Rabeling , C. (2017, December 31). Pace - of - life variation in ant colonies. Animal Behavior Society. Toronto, Canada: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston, S. E., Dornhaus , A., & Rabeling, C. (2016, December 31). A new case of social parasitism in ants and the effects on between species interactions. Animal Behavior Society. Columbia, Missouri
Bengston, S. E., Dornhaus , A., & Rabeling, C. (2016, December 31). A new case of social parasitism in ants and the effects on between species interactions. International Conference for Entomology. Orlando, Florida: ICE.
Bengston, S. E., Dornhaus, A., & Rabeling, C. (2016, December 31). Facultative social parasitism in Temnothorax supports the territoriality hypothesis.. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Orland, Florida: IUSSI.
Bengston, S. E., & Dornhaus, A. (2015, December 31). Life history strategy and behavioral type: Risk-tolerance reflects growth rate and energy allocation.. Animal Behavior Society. Anchorage, Alaska: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston , S. E. (2014, December 31). Competition and crowding affects group level risk taking.. Mind Brain and Behavior. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.
Bengston , S. E. (2014, December 31). Be meek or be bold? A colony-level behavioral syndrome.. International Society of Behavioral Ecology. New York, NY: ISBE.
Bengston, S. E. (2014, December 31). Collective behavior and personality. Behavioral variation across multiple scales.. Life in the Aggregate. HHMI: Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Bengston, S. E., & Dornhaus, A. (2013, December 31). Colony level behavioral syndromes: Personality across multiple scales.. Animal Behavior Society. Boulder, CO: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston, S. E. (2012, December 31). Ecological context, not colony size, affects foraging behavior in the ant Temnothorax rugatlus.. International Society of Behavioral Ecology. Lund, Sweden: ISBE.
Bengston, S. E., & Dornhaus, A. (2012, December 31). Environment, not colony size, affects foraging distance in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus.. Animal Behavior Society. Albuquerque, NM: Animal Behavior Society.
Bengston, S. E., & Dornhaus, A. (2012, December 31). Colony Personalities: Behavioral syndromes in social insects. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. Greensboro, NC: IUSSI.
Reviews
Bengston, S., Jandt, J., & Dornhaus, A. (2011,December 1). Food exploitation by social insects: ecological, behavioral, and theoretical approaches.. Chicago, IL,United States: Quarterly Review of Biology.
Research Currently in Progess
Bengston, S., & Keiser, C. N.(n.d.). Intermediate Disturbance as a Mediator of Behavioral Biodiversity. In Progress.
This project posits that intermediate levels of disturbance, such as those associated with stochastic, localized extinction events, may promote behavioral biodiversity. These events may therefore may affect the outcome of competitive interactions and the susceptibility of the population to invasive species.
Bengston, S., Rabeling, C., & Dahan, R.(n.d.). Evolutionary Bifurcation of Social Parasitism. In Progress.
An investigation of the evolutionary life-history transition to two evolutionarily independent forms of social parasitism in a single species. This is an ongoing, integrative approach using field observation, controlled lab studies and genomic sequencing.
Bengston, S.(n.d.). Pace-of-Life Syndrome evolution across levels of biological evolution. In Progress.
Investigating how behavior, life history and metabolism interact to form Pace-of-Life Syndromes across eusocial, social, sub-social and solitary species with specific focus on teasing apart group selective forces from inclusive fitness models. This is equal parts empirical and theoretical.
Title | Funding Agency Sponsor | Start Date | End Date | Awarded Date | Total Funding | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Predicting the unpredictable: the evolutionary implications of stochastic environmental events. | PSC-CUNY 51 | 07/01/2020 | 12/31/2022 | 04/17/2020 | 3499.45 | Completed |
Testing the adaptive vs. constraint hypotheses in pace -of-life syndromes with ant metabolic networks | Eugene Lang Fellowship | 06/01/2020 | 12/31/2021 | 05/17/2020 | 6771.01 | Completed |
The behavioral dynamics of native recolonization after major disturbance | PSC-CUNY 50 | 07/01/2019 | 06/30/2020 | 04/15/2018 | 3499.52 | Completed |
RAPID: The role of distrurbance in maintaining behavioral variation in native species | National Science Foundation | 09/01/2018 | 06/30/2020 | 02/28/2019 | 36507 | Completed |
"Documenting a new case of social parasitism in Western Rock Ants to understand how social parasites evolve " | Eugene Lang Fellowship | 06/01/2021 | 06/30/2022 | 4350 | Withdrawn |
Honor / Award | Organization Sponsor | Date Received | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Warder Clyde Allee Award | Animal Behavior Society | 2015 | Award for best student paper and presentation. |
Galileo Scholar | University of Arizona | 2015 | Research award for graduate students at the University of Arizona |
Darwin/Wallace Biodiversity Scholar Award | University of Arizona | 2014 | Research award for organismal biology graduate students at the University of Arizona |
Chapman Graduate Student Prize for Research in Insect Science | University of Arizona | 2013 | Best student research in the Entomology and Insect Science Group |
College of Science Graduate Teaching Award | University of Arizona | 2013 | Best student teacher of the year. |
College
Committee Name | Position Role | Start Date | End Date |
---|---|---|---|
LSAMP REU Home Mentor | Faculty Mentor | Present | |
Natural Sciences Department CLT Job Search | Committee Member | Present | |
WSAS DEI Alliance Member | Committee Member | Present | |
WSAS Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Secretary | Committee Member | Present | |
Department of Natural Sciences ENV Lecturer Hiring Committee | Committee Member | Present | |
WSAS Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Chair | Committee Chair | Present | |
Department of Natural Sciences ENV Tenure Track Assistant Professor Hiring Committee | Committee Member | Present |
Professional
Organization | Position Role | Organization State | Organization Country | Start Date | End Date | Audience |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
International Union for the Study of Social Insects Conference Committee | Chairperson | 5/1/2020 | Present | |||
International Society of Social Insects Awards Committee | Committee Member | Arizona | United States | 2/1/2018 | Present | |
Animal Behaviour | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2012 | Present | |||
Behavioral Ecology | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2013 | Present | |||
Proceedings of the Royal Society B | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2014 | Present | |||
International Union for the Study of Social Insects | Committee Chair | 5/1/2020 | Present | |||
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2014 | Present | |||
International Union for the Study of Social Insects Conference Host | Chairperson | Arizona | United States | 7/1/2018 | Present | |
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2012 | Present | |||
Myrmecological News | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2012 | Present | |||
Insects Sociaux | Reviewer, Journal Article | 1/1/2011 | Present | |||
International Society for the Study of Social Insects North American Chapter Awards Committee | Committee Chair | California | United States | Present | National | |
Social Insects of the North East Region | Program Organizer | New York | 8/6/2024 | 5/25/2025 | Regional | |
International Society for the Study of Social Insects NAS Breakout Meeting | Program Organizer | Arizona | United States | 9/1/2022 | 8/29/2024 | International |
Animal Behavior Society | Session Chair | Tennessee | United States | 7/31/2020 | ||
Animal Behavior Strategic Planning Committee | Committee Member | Illinois | United States | 8/1/2015 | 8/31/2018 | |
Insect Behavior Journal Club | Chairperson | 8/1/2012 | 5/31/2015 |