Amy Toth

Dr. Amy Toth is a Professor at Iowa State University, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology and Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology. She serves as Chair of the Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her research focuses on social insect biology, particularly bees and wasps, integrating ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, and genomics to study sociality and pollinator health.

Education includes a B.A. in Biology from Bard College (2000) and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois (2006). She leads the Toth Lab of Integrative Insect Sociobiology, which explores topics like comparative genomics of Hymenoptera, mechanisms of social behavior, and pollinator health in agroecosystems. Current projects address bumblebee declines, habitat influences on bee health, and genomic approaches to understanding social evolution.

Teaching includes courses on animal behavior, advanced genetics, and beekeeping. Research has been supported by grants focusing on genomic evolution and environmental impacts. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in agroecology and conservation biology.