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Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities

San José & field sites, Costa Rica

Paul Hanson

Area of expertise

Entomology

Degrees

  • B.S. in Biology, University of Minnesota
  • M.S. in Entomology, University of Minnesota
  • Ph.D. in Entomology from Oregon State University

Potential student research areas

  • Biological control of insect pests and weeds 
  • Biology of parasitic wasps (many of which are used in biological control)
    Plant/insect interactions 
  • Eusocial insects (ants, bees, and paper wasps)

Biography

Paul Hanson was born and raised in western Minnesota. In 1987, Paul came to Costa Rica to be a professor in the School of Biology at the University of Costa Rica, where he teaches courses in Insect Taxonomy, Biological Control, Social Insects, and General Biology. His research is primarily in biological control, including basic research on the taxonomy and biology of the parasitic wasps used in biological control. Other research interests include plant galls and biodiversity conservation. His UCR graduate students have done thesis research in diverse areas of Entomology.  Paul has advised many ACM students in the Spring Field Research program who have done graduate work in neotropical conservation and biology.

Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities

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Lisa Naughton, Associate Professor, Geography Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison My ACM semester in Costa Rica forever changed me and deepened my understanding of tropical ecology and Latin American society. I enrolled in the semester to fulfill my dream to “be Jane Goodall.” Thanks to the guidance and mentoring of my ACM field biology professor (Dr. Chris Vaughan), I did indeed spend two months studying squirrel monkey behavior. I loved the research, but after witnessing rapid deforestation and uncontrolled tourism development, my career interests shifted. From that semester on, I pursued a career in applied conservation research, mainly in tropical countries.

—Lisa Naughton, Associate Professor, Geography Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Costa Rica, Spring 1984

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