Leann Kanda

Dr. Leann Kanda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Ithaca College, where her office is located in the Center for Natural Sciences. She holds a BA in Biology (Ecology and Evolution) and Religion from Dartmouth College, and an MS/PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Her research specializes in behavioral and population ecology, with a focus on mammalian behavior and animal personality. She investigates how individual choices affect wildlife movement and distribution, utilizing lab studies (e.g., Siberian dwarf hamster temperament) and field techniques like RFID tracking to analyze responses to human disturbances. Ongoing projects include deer behavior in fragmented habitats and wild mouse activity near recreational trails.

Her publication in Ethology (2012) examines behavioral stability in captive hamsters, reflecting broader interests in animal personality and ecology. She mentors undergraduates extensively, with students presenting at national conferences (e.g., NCUR) and receiving grants like the Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research and Stephen D. and Mary C. Ford Family Scholarship.