Ben Iuliano (He/him)
Credentials: PhD Student - Gratton Lab
Address:
I study the ecological and social dimension of beneficial insect conservation in agricultural landscapes. My current research focuses on lady beetles and other predatory insects that provide natural pest control services. I take a landscape approach to understanding how patterns of land use affect the temporal dynamics of insect predators and their prey, as well as how growers value and manage these insects on their farms.
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree in iBio?
I got excited about research in college. By observing and learning from the grad students in my lab I knew I wanted to go to graduate school to keep doing it. I got in touch with my current advisor and he pointed me to iBio program as a good option for a place do do ecology research here at UW (which doesn’t have a formal ecology department or program)
Why or what do you love about the program?
As someone with wide-ranging interests, I really appreciate the flexibility and autonomy that the iBio program. It also has a really fun and welcoming grad student community (and the guaranteed TA support doesn’t hurt!)
Future Plans: I hope to become a professor at a small to medium-sized institution so I can keep teaching and learning about agroecology!
Fun Fact: I am a 2-time University of Michigan Iron Chef Champion
Educational Background:
BSc, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Major-Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity; Minor-Sustainable Food Systems)
MSc, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Agroecology)
Lab: https://gratton.entomology.wisc.edu/