In the News: Warren Interviewed by 'Insectes Sociaux'

Buffalo State College’s Robert J. Warren, associate professor of biology, was interviewed this week by Insectes Sociaux, an international journal for the study of social arthropods.

The piece, “Interview with a Social Insect Scientist: Robert J. Warren II,” written by Madison Sankovitz, details the work Warren and his team of researchers at Buffalo State have done with various types of ants.

Warren recently published the paper “Disentangling Resource Acquisition from Interspecific Behavioral Aggression to Understand the Ecological Dominance of a Common, Widespread Temperate Forest Ant” in the journal.

In the interview, he spoke about how he became interested in his research.

“Really, at its core, my interest in research stems from walks in the woods,” he said in the piece. “My favorite research projects tackle natural history observations with ecological theory.”

Warren also talked about his relationship with students at Buffalo State.

“I share my research and field experience with students—most of whom want to go into the medical field and do not think ecology is relevant to their careers—to connect with the students and help them see a different aspect of biology,” he said.

Hobbies also came up, including Warren’s favorite sports teams.

“I love hiking and all that stuff, and I spend a lot of time doing home improvement on our nineteenth-century Victorian home,” he said. “I also love watching Indiana University basketball and University of Georgia football.”

He said he’s partial to the southern Appalachian Mountains, “where, even though there are thorns, wasps, and steep slopes, [he] can work in shorts and a T-shirt and get lost in the green.”

But he’s equally happy in the classroom and the lab.

“I love working with students and scientists, which is endlessly fascinating and rewarding.”