# Katherine Angier Graduate Student Gonzalo Giribet Lab ![a person standing in front of a river and green foliage](/sites/g/files/omnuum6431/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2025-01/470217532_18479204230021981_4094194662953417251_n.jpg?h=d53980ee&itok=b1pqKdx7) email My research is on the ecology and evolution of social invertebrates, with a focus on termites. I am studying how Central African rainforest termites adapted to savanna conditions. Using phylogenetics and behavioral ecology, I will explore the evolution of traits to cope with wider temperature ranges, lower humidity, and fire. Termites are key ecosystem engineers in the tropics, and I am also interested in their positive and negative effects on agriculture. As a lifelong lover of invertebrate diversity, I enjoy teaching, fieldwork, and the intersection of science and art.