William C. Beckerson, Ph.D.
William C.
Beckerson, Ph.D.
Department of Biology, Utrecht University, NL
William C. Beckerson is an MSCA Postdoctoral Research Fellow trained in molecular biology and genetics. His research interests include zombie ants and discipline-based education research (DBER) in Biology.
Check out the ABOUT section more information!
Research
Dr. Beckerson is both a teacher and a scientist. Likewise, his research can be divided into two groups: 1) molecular genetics work seeking to understand how the behavior manipulating fungus Ophiocordyceps turns ants into zombies, and 2) discipline-based education work aiming to create better pedagogical practices for active learning in the biology classroom.
Read more about these topics in their respective RESEARCH sections!
Zombie Ant Reserach
DBER Research
Publications
Here are two of Dr. Beckerson's most recent publications, one from his work with zombie ants and one from his discipline-based education research! If you would like to read more of his work, check out the PUBLICATIONS section!
Media
Dr. Beckerson is an active member of the community and has several media outlets dedicated to helping educate others about various topics in biology, including TikTok, Skype-a-Scientist, and even a Zombie Ant VR video game!
You can find these and much more, like links to interviews about the science behind the critically acclaimed HBO series "The Last of Us", on the MEDIA page!
Outreach
Dr. Beckerson is the creator of The Zombie Fungus Foray, a community science project with iNaturalist. Through this platform, he frequently volunteers to speak with K-12 classrooms about biology. Click on the OUTREACH button to learn more!
