BIO
Sarah Jane Alger joined the Department of Biology at UW-Stevens Point in 2012. She is broadly interested in the physiology of behavior in animals and in science communication. Within this framework, Alger is interested in reproductive behavior in zebra finches, science communication, and stress behavior in retired research primates. She writes for a science blog called The Scorpion and the Frog.
TEACHING AWARDS
- UWSP University Excellence in Teaching Award (2017)
- UWSP Biology Department Excellence in Teaching Award (2016)
PUBLICATIONS
Alger, S. J., Kelm-Nelson, C. A., Stevenson, S. A., Juang, C., Gammie, S., & Riters, L. V. (2019). Complex patterns of dopamine-related gene expression in the ventral tegmental area of male zebra finches relate to dyadic interactions with long-term female partners. Genes, Brain and Behavior: e12619 https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12619
Pultorak, J. D., Alger, S. J., Loria, S. O., Johnson, A. M., and Marler, C. A. (2018). Changes in behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations during pair bonding and in response to an infidelity challenge in monogamous California mice. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 6(125): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2018.00125
PROFESSONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- Animal Behavior Society
- Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology
- Society for Neuroscience
Don’t set your sights too narrow. There are
more jobs in biology than we will ever know and new
ones are being developed every day. Get a good foundation
in chemistry and biology and then pursue the topics
and experiences that excite you.
-Sarah Jane Alger
ADVICE
Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
FUN FACT
She has survived a bluff charge from a tapir in Costa Rica, being stalked by a pod of orcas in Alaska while kayaking, and having a matacaballo tarantula hitch a ride in her pant-leg in Panama.