Research Interests

The evolution of sociality represented one of the major transition points in evolutionary history. Professor Goodisman is interested in understanding how evolutionary processes affect social systems and how sociality, in turn, affects the course of evolution. The main subjects of our research are the social insects, which display the most advanced levels of sociality and dominate ecological communities because of their sophisticated group behaviors.

Teaching interests

Professor Goodisman teaching Genetics, Bioethics, and Behavioral Biology. He has also taught Communicating Biological Research, Senior Project Lab, and Conservation Biology. Professor Goodisman also is interested in teaching in study abroad programs and has taught Genetics in Barcelona, Mediterranean Ecology in Valencia, and Ecology & Evolution in Australia. He developed and directed the Nature, Governance, & Sustainability program in Costa Rica and currently directs the Pacific Program to Australia and New Zealand.

Recent scholarship

Orr SE, Hedrick NA, Murray KA, Pasupuleti AK, and Goodisman MAD. 2024. Genetic effects and caste conflict in social phenotypes of wasps. Heredity. 133:126-136.  DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00701-5.

Catto, MA, Caine PB, Orr SE, Hunt BG, Goodisman MAD. 2024. Genomic analyses of the southern and eastern yellowjacket wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) reveal evolutionary signatures of social life.  Annals of the Entomological Society of America.  DOI: 10.1093/aesa/saae023.

Orr SE, Hedrick NA, Murray KA, Pasupuleti AK, and Goodisman MAD. 2024. Novel insights into paternity skew in a polyandrous social wasp. Insect Science. DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13343. 

Du J, Goodisman MAD. 2024. The role of epigenetics in insects in changing environments. Insect Molecular Biology. 33(5):429-431. DOI: 10.1111/imb.12947. 

Goodisman MAD. 2023. The curse of invasive social insects. Insectes Sociaux (70):283-284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-023-00932-5. 

Avinery R, Aina KO, Dyson CJ, Kuan H-S, Betterton M, Goodisman MAD, Goldman DI. 2023. Agitated ants: regulation and self-organization of incipient nest excavation via collisional cues. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 20: 2022059712. DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0597. 

Orr SP, Goodisman MAD. Social insect transcriptomics and the molecular basis of caste diversity. 2023. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 57: 101040. DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101040.