Zachary Shaffer
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Mail code: 4501Campus: Tempe
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Zachary Shaffer is an Assistant Teaching Professor with the School of Life Sciences. With a focus on teaching large enrollment introductory biology courses, he is the co-director of the biology-focused early start program, BIOBridge. In addition to his teaching, he is a researcher focused on studying the insect societies and has worked with a range of species including ants, honeybees, carpenter bees, and paper wasps (among others). Although most of Shaffer's research has been focused on social insect biology he has broad interests - which extend into topics including: evolution, ecology, complex systems, and physiology.
PhD, Biology, ASU, 2014
Masters Degree, Curriculum and Instruction, ASU, 2000
BA, Biology, University of Kansas, 1996
As a behavioral ecologist, Zack Shaffer's research interests range into fields including animal behavior, evolution, and ecology. Of special interest are questions surrounding the evolution of cooperation - especially in the insect societies (ants, honeybees, wasps, and others).
Publications:
Shaffer, Z., Sasaki, T., Pratt, S. 2013 Animal Behaviour. ‘Linear recruitment leads to allocation and flexibility in collective foraging by ants’.
Sasaki, T., Janssen, MA., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, SC 2016 Current Zoology ‘Exploration of unpredictable environments by networked groups’
Sasaki, T., Penick, C., Shaffer, Z., Haight, K., Pratt, S., Leibig, J., 2016 American Naturalist. ‘A simple and general model of dominance hierarchy formation’.
Shaffer, Z, Sasaki, T., Haney, B., Janssen, M., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. 2016 Scientific Reports ‘The Foundress’s dilemma: group selection for cooperation among queens of the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus’
Ostwald, M., Shaffer, Z., Pratt, S., Fewell, J. September 2019 Animal Behaviour, ‘Multimodal cues facilitate nest recognition in carpenter bee aggregations’
Valentini, G., Masuda, N., Shaffer, Z., Hanson, J., Sasaki, T., Walker, S.I., Pavlic, T.,Pratt, S. 2020 Proceedings of the Royal Society, B. ‘Division of labor promotes the spread of information in colony emigrations by the ant Temnothorax rugatulus.’
Ostwald, M., Lyman, B., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J. 2020 Insect Sociaux. ‘Temporal and spatial dynamics of carpenter bee sociality revealed by CT imaging’.
Ostwald, M., Dahan, R.A., Shaffer, Z., Fewell, J. 2021 Frontiers. 'Fluid membership drives variable relatedness in groups of a facultatively social bee'.
Shaffer, Z., Dreyer, S., Clarke, R.M., Pratt, S.C., Fewell, J. 2022 Frontiers. 'Efficient allocation of labor maximizes brood development and explains why intermediate-sized groups perform best during colony-founding in the ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus'.
Ostwald, M., Fox, T.P., Hillery, W.S., Shaffer, Z., Harrison, J.F., Fewell, J. 2022 Animal Behaviour. 'Group-living carpenter bees conserve heat and body mass better than solitary individuals in winter'.
Courses
2025 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2024 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
ANB 602 | Current Issues In Behavior |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
LIA 394 | Special Topics |
2024 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 100 | The Living World |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2023 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2023 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2022 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
2022 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 345 | Evolution |
BIO 345 | Evolution |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
LIA 194 | Special Topics |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
2021 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 194 | Special Topics |
2021 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 432 | Why People Steal,Cheat,and Lie |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
2021 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
BIO 282 | ConceptualApproachBioMajors II |
BIO 282 | ConceptualApproachBioMajors II |
BIO 282 | ConceptualApproachBioMajors II |
2020 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 281 | ConceptualApproachBioMajors I |
BIO 281 | ConceptualApproachBioMajors I |
BIO 100 | The Living World |
BIO 100 | The Living World |
BIO 100 | The Living World |
BIO 100 | The Living World |
2020 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 182 | General Biology II |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 494 | Special Topics |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
2019 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |
BIO 112 | Discovery - Why Sex? |
BIO 112 | Discovery - Why Sex? |
BIO 181 | General Biology I |