Web Page: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~rrdunn

Research Interests: My research program is aimed at understanding the distribution of species and traits at large spatial and temporal scales. My current work focuses on three aspects of this broad program; 1) the evolutionary, ecological and biogeographic consequences of dispersal of seeds by ants, 2) the spatial and temporal dynamics of southern Appalachian and more generally New World ant communities and 3) the mechanisms, magnitude and dynamics of extinctions, particularly those of insects. International Collaboration and Outreach: I am currently involved in three main international collaborations, a collaboration on insect extinction with researchers from the National University of Singapore and four other institutions, a collaboration on ant-mediated dispersal of seeds with Curtin University in Western Australia and work in Neotropical forests on the distribution of ants in space and time. My outreach consists of popular writing in magazines such as Natural History, BBC Wildlife Magazine, National Wildlife and others and on the ground involvement in conservation managment, including current work on an endangered Australian plant dispersed by ants.