Education

• Ph.D: August 2006 Anthropology, University of ArizonA
  
• MA: May 1999, Anthropology, University of Arizona
• BA: August 1996, Anthropology, University of Arizona

General Interests

Primatology, human evolution, ecology and evolution, conservation, functional anatomy, the history of evolutionary thought, biocultural anthropology.

Research Interests

Ontogeny, life history, locomotion, primatology,, foraging strategy, intraspecific variation.

Professional Experience

• September 2006-present: Assistant professor, Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa
              Clara CA.

• August 2005-December 2005: Teaching Assistant, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of
              Arizona.

• August 2004-May 2005: Temporary Faculty, Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University.

• January 1997-May 2004: Teaching Assistant, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona.

• January 1994-August 1998: Research assistant for Dr. Mary Ellen Morbeck; class preparation, skeleton
  preparation, data entry. University of Arizona.

Publications/ Theses

• Bezanson, M. F., Garber, P. A., Murphy, J.T., and Premo, L. S. (in review) Patterns of subgrouping and
  spatial affiliation in a community of mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).

• Bezanson, M. F. Ontogenetic Patterns of Positional Behavior in Cebus capucinus and Alouatta palliata.
  PhD Thesis, University of Arizona.

• Bezanson, M. F. (2005) Leap, bridge or ride? Ontogenetic influences on gap crossing in Cebus and
  Alouatta. In: Estrada, A., Garber, P.A., Pavelka, M., and Luecke, L. (eds.) New perspectives in
  the study of Mesoamerican primates: distribution, ecology, behavior, and conservation. New
  York, Springer, pp. 333-348.

• Bezanson, M. F. (1999) Positional behavior and prehensile-tail use in Alouatta palliata. MA Thesis on
  file, Department of Anthropology.

Published Abstracts

• Bezanson, M. F., (2005) Ontogenetic patterns of positional behavior in Cebus capucinus and Alouatta
  palliata. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 124 (S40): 74.

• Bezanson, M. F., (2004) Leap, bridge, or ride? Ontogenetic influences on gap crossing in Cebus and
  Alouatta.  American Journal of Primatology, 62(S1): 90.

• Bezanson, M. F., (2004) Ontogenetic influences on prehensile-tail use in Cebus capucinus. American
  Journal of Physical Anthropology, 123(S38): 63.

• Bezanson, M.F. (2003) Patterns of positional behavior in juvenile and adult Cebus capucinus. American
  Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 36:66.

• Jelinek, P., Garber, P.A., Bezanson, M.F., Deluycker, A.M., and O’Mara, M.T. (2003) A preliminary study of travel routes and spatial mapping in mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata). American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 36:122.

• Bezanson, M. F., Garber, P. A., Rutherford, J. N., and Cleveland, A. (2002) Patterns of subgrouping,
   social affiliation and social networks in Nicaraguan mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata).
  American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 34:44.

• Bezanson, M. F., Garber, P. A., and DeLuycker, A. M. (2001) Patterns of subgrouping and spatial
  affiliation in a community of mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata). American Journal of
  Physical Anthropology, Supplement 30: 39-40.

• Bezanson, M. F. (1999) Positional behavior and prehensile-tail use in Alouatta palliata. American
  Journal of Anthropology, Supplement 28:92.

Grants and Awards

Raymond Thompson Endowment, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2005.

Janet Upjohn Stearns Grant for conference travel, Department of Anthropology,
University of Arizona, 2004.

NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (#0228924). Proposal title: Positional Behavior and Limb Use in Ateles, Alouatta, and Cebus, 2003.

American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Grant for dissertation research, 2002.

Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research for dissertation field work, 2002.

RTG (Research Training Group), Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 2001.

Social and Behavioral Sciences grant for dissertation research, 2001.

Riecker Grant, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, 2000, 2001.

Emil Haury Fellowship, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, 1999-2003.

Graduate Student Final Project Grant (MA & PhD), University of Arizona, 1999, 2001.

Mary Alice Sherry Helm Scholarship, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona,
six awards 1999-2004.

Norton Allen Scholarship, University of Arizona, Three awards, 2002, 2003.

Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) grant for conference participation, 2000, 2001.

Graduate and Professional Student Council Conference Travel Grant,
University of Arizona, 2001, 2002, 2004.

Tinker Grant for Latin American Travel, 1998.

Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Award for research presentation, 1996.

Field Experience

March 2002-December 2003, April-August 2003: La Suerte Biological Research Station, Limón Costa Rica. Dissertation research on the ontogeny of locomotion in Ateles, Alouatta, and Cebus. 

July 2000-August 2000, May 2001-June 2001: Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua.  Behavioral field study of mantled howler social structure and spatial association.  This project included examining subgrouping and habitat information in mantled howlers over two field seasons.

December 1997-January 1998, June- August 1998, December 1998- January 1999: Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua. Conducted behavioral observations and collected forest structure data for Masters Thesis.  This project included mapping the trail system, forest structure measurement, darting and measuring tranquilized howlers and 123 hours of behavioral observations of mantled howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata).

Courses

Instructor

NATS 104 Human Variation in the Modern World.  Course catalog description: Fundamental concepts and principles of human biology emphasizing the evolutionary processes that create organic diversity. An in-depth study of biological differences existing within and between populations of our species focusing on genetic mechanisms and adaptive strategies. University of Arizona.

ANT 101 Humankind Emerging.  Course catalog description: Introduces human evolution, primates, fossil hominids, race, population genetics, and the development of culture. Northern Arizona University, Two semesters.

ANT 101h Humankind Emerging (honors). Course catalog description as above with added readings, semester-long research paper, and additional discussion section. Northern Arizona UniversityANT 102 Studying Cultures. Course catalog description: Introduces culture and society: technology, social organization, and ideology. Northern Arizona University, Two semesters.

ANT 301 Peoples of the World.  Course catalog description: Ethnographic survey of selected native peoples and cultures of the world.  Northern Arizona University.

ANT 379 Biological Anthropology. Course catalog description:  In-depth survey of topics and methods in physical anthropology: paleoanthropology, primate ecology, method and theory. Required for major. 3 hrs. lecture, 3 hrs. lab. Northern Arizona University.

ANT 399 Primate Behavioral Ecology. Course catalog description: Survey of primate behavioral ecology with special emphasis on field studies, behavioral concepts, and primate evolution. Northern Arizona University.

ANT 399h Primate Behavioral Ecology (honors). Course catalog description as above with additional readings, discussion, and semester project. Northern Arizona University.

ANTH 364 Natural History of Our Closest Relatives. Course catalog description: Comparative primate biology, behavior, ecology and evolution. University of Arizona, Three semesters.

Field Course.  Primate Behavioral Ecology.  La Suerte, Costa Rica, Three field seasons. 

Teaching Assistant

ANTH 111, Exploring Biological Anthropology

ANTH 364, Natural History of our Closest Living Relatives, Two semesters.

ANTH 432/532, Peoples of the Pacific.

ANTH 466/566, Paleoanthropology.

ANTH 596d, Reconstructing Human Evolution.

Advanced Primate Behavior field course. Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua. 6 seasons.

ECOL 485/585: Mammalogy.

NATS 104: Human Variation in the Modern World, Three semesters.

Professional Societies

American Association of Physical Anthropologists
American Society of Primatologists
International Society of Primatologists
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology

Illustration

August 2005: Cover design, Springer-Verlag Publishing. New perspectives in the study of Mesoamerican primates: distribution, ecology, behavior, and conservation.

August 2000: Logo Design-Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists.

May 2000: Logo Design: PAST-Professional Archaeological Services and Technologies.

November 1996: Logo Design: Joint Mongolian, Russian, and American Archaeological Expedition.
Dr. John Olsen, Department of Anthropology. University of Arizona.

June 1996: Medical illustration during cadaver dissection at University Health Sciences Center.

January 1995: Chimpanzee illustrations, Chimpanzoo/ Jane Goodall Institute.

October 1995: Grand Prize: National Wildlife Federation “Save the Planet” national poster design
competition. 

September 1994: Chimpanzee and human Skeletal anatomy illustrations.  In: Morbeck, M.E. (1995)
Chimpanzees and Humans: The Inside View from the Skeleton.  1994 Chimpanzoo Conference
Proceedings, Jane Goodall Institute.

November 1993: Logo Design. University of Arizona Department of Geosciences Invertebrate
Paleontology Lab. Centro de Estudias de Almejas Muertos.