This proposal is for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Biology and Society in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. The purpose of the fellowship is to expand the Co-PI's dissertation research, which is on the ecologist, environmentalist, and public figure L. C. Birch. The plan is to encompass contemporary and historical interactions among three central branches of modern biology - ecology, systems biology, and ethology - including their philosophical and social dimensions, while remaining centered on Birch and his work, influences, and impacts. The expansion beyond the dissertation will include Birch-like research and engagement with larger communities. The ultimate goal is to enable the Co-PI to acquire a deeper and broader understanding of Birch's work and vision.
Intellectual Merit: ASU is uniquely positioned to broaden these investigations. The School has dedicated emphases in organismal, integrative, and systems biology and in ecology, evolution, and environment. In addition, it is organized to facilitate collaborative work pursued across disciplines. The Co-PI's primary investigation will center on the theoretical and methodological connections among ecology, systems biology, and ethology not only in current research programs but also historically, tracing back the intertwined development of these three fields to their emergence in the early part of the 20th century. Using ASU's resources in science-society relations, the Co-PI will also investigate the social and cultural contexts in which these closely related fields were shaped.
Broader Impacts: Beyond the primary research phase, the Co-PI will also work with the NSF-funded Embryo Project to examine current and past embryo studies, the use of embryos in experiments, and the social and cultural ramifications of the embryo as technology for improving life. In both the Embryo Project seminars and several team-teaching opportunities in the School's courses on Science and Society, the Co-PI plans to further develop historical and contemporary connections between biological research and the social sphere, addressing topics such as government policy, institutional support, public perception, and interface with religion/culture.
