My research interests include phylogenetic systematics, taxonomy and biogeography. Before I ultimately got hooked on ant research and systematics, my entomological path led me from comparative morphological studies in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera via fig wasp diversity research to chemical ecology in Lepidoptera. Now, as a first year graduate student in the Ward lab, I intend to work on a systematic revision of the ant genus Crematogaster, geographically concentrating on the Malagasy species. An additional objective is to understand the history and nature of distributional patterns of species within this genus and region. Ideally, a component of biogeographic research will therefore complement my systematic and phylogenetic analysis.