About
Amanda Benoit is a Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Originally from upstate New York, she has a global perspective from living and working in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and South Korea. Her academic journey began with an honors BA in Biology and Anthropology from Trent University (2011), followed by an MS in Integrative Biology from University of Guelph (2016), and a PhD completed at UT in 2023.
Her research explores indirect species interactions in plant-pollinator systems, particularly how predators like crab spiders influence Calochortus luteus fitness and evolution. She has taught courses such as Field Botany and Evolution Discussion Seminar while actively participating in departmental leadership as a committee member, GREBE president, and mentor in the EEB Mentoring Program.
- Outstanding publication by a graduate student (UT EEB, 2020)
- Teaching Excellence Award (Graduate Student Senate, UT, 2017)
- Research grants from the American Society of Naturalists, Sigma Xi, Botanical Society of America, and Society for the Study of Evolution
Her publications focus on eco-evolutionary dynamics in plant-pollinator systems and non-native plant documentation in Tennessee. She emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches bridging ecology, evolutionary biology, and plant-animal interactions.
