Brandi Pessman, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Biological Sciences, and Eileen Hebets, George Holmes Professor of biological sciences, recently published a study demonstrating that the webs of funnel-weaving spiders transmit vibrations differently in response to increased local environmental noise. This flexibility in web transmission properties suggests that the spiders may intentionally spin their webs differently to manage surrounding noise and receive crucial sensory information. Stories on the research appeared in KHGI, Earth.com, The New York Times and Smithsonian Magazine.
Andrew Husa, School of Global Integrative Studies, and colleagues are conducting the South Dakota Migration Survey to better understand why those who grew up in South Dakota decided to stay in the state or leave. The Mitchell (South Dakota) Republic and Yankton (South Dakota) Daily Press and Dakotan ran articles on the survey.
