Loren D. Hayes

Loren D. Hayes is a Professor in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Their research program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), investigates the ecological and physiological drivers of sociality in mammals, with a focus on communal breeding dynamics in Octodon degus and intraspecific variation in social organization across mammals. Collaborations include researchers from Catholic University of Chile, IPHC-France, and University of Zurich.

• NSF grant recipient

Research interests span:

• Mammalian social evolution
• Intraspecific variation in social systems
• Ecological drivers of sociality
• Stress physiology in group-living mammals
• Comparative neurobiology of social behavior

Recent publications analyze social instability stress responses, testosterone-mediated mating strategies, climate change impacts on social rodents, and evolutionary origins of pair-living in mammals. Teaching initiatives include innovative methods like remote seminars and evolutionary language games.

Current service includes committee roles for UTC BGE Newsletter, Hiring and Planning, and Development from 2020–present.