Susan Riechert

Susan Elise Riechert (born October 20, 1945)[1] is an American behavioral ecologist known for her research on evolutionary game theory and the behavior of spiders.[2] She is also known for her "biology in a box" teaching materials, used by hundreds of thousands of elementary and secondary school students in Tennessee.[3] Until her retirement in 2020, she worked at the University of Tennessee as UTK Distingushed Service Professor and as UTK Chancellors Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.[4][5] She was president of the American Arachnological Society for 1983–1985,[6] and president of the Animal Behavior Society in 1997.[7]

Early life and education

Riechert lost much of her hearing through scarlet fever as a child. Her interest in spider behavior began through an undergraduate class in zoology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After nearly drowning trying to catch fish for the class, she switched to a subject that was safer to catch, spiders.[5] She earned a B.A. in 1967, an M.A. in 1970, and a Ph.D. in 1973, all at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[1]

Recognition

The Animal Behavior Society elected Riechert as a fellow in 1993.[8] In 2008, Riechert was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, "for distinguished contributions to the field of behavior and ecology".[9] She won the Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award for 2016.[10] The Animal Behavior Society gave Riechert their 2018 Penny Bernstein Distinguished Teaching Award.[11] A festschrift symposium, sponsored by the Animal Behavior Society, was held in her honor in 2020.[12]

References
  1. "Resumes of candidates" (PDF). Newsletter of the Animal Behavior Society. Vol. 30 no. 3. August 1985. p. 10.
  2. "Unraveling the top arachnid: The meaning of spider behavior is yielding to inquiries by new kinds of arachnologists: behaviorists and ecologists". Mosaic. Vol. 9 no. 6. National Science Foundation. November–December 1978. pp. 10–18. See in particular pp. 17–18.
  3. "Biology in a Box Brings Bones, Fun to K–12 Students". Campus News. University of Tennessee Knoxville. March 18, 2019.
  4. Freeberg, Todd M. (Fall 2020). "The queen of spiders has retired". Newsletter of the Animal Behavior Society. Vol. 65 no. 2.
  5. Gabrielle, Vincent (November 30, 2020). "Renowned spider expert leaves her influence in places - and with people - around the world". Knoxville News-Sentinel.
  6. "The American Arachnological Society" (PDF). Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  7. Riechert, Susan (February 1997). "A message from the president" (PDF). Newsletter of the Animal Behavior Society. Vol. 42 no. 1. p. 1.
  8. "Fellows". Animal Behavior Society. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  9. "Ten UT Knoxville Professors Named AAAS Fellows; More Than Any Southern School". Campus News. University of Tennessee Knoxville. December 18, 2008.
  10. "Riechert Receives 2016 SEC Faculty Achievement Award". Campus News. University of Tennessee Knoxville. March 30, 2016.
  11. "2018 Penny Bernstein Distinguished Teaching Award". Newsletter of the Animal Behavior Society. Vol. 63 no. 2. Summer 2018.
  12. "Program symposia". ABS 2020. Animal Behavior Society. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
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