Profile for Barrett Klein

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Barrett Klein
Pronouns: he/him/his
Professor
Biology
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Specialty area(s)
Animal behavior, entomology, social insect biology, sleep biology, scientific visualization, intersection of entomology and art, cultural entomology (how insects affect human culture)
Brief biography
The PUPATING LAB is where I study insect behavior, sleep biology, and explore the ways in which insects have affected humans throughout history. I studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona, received a Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin, fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, and joined UWL in 2012. For more about me, my scientific passions, or my art, please visit my homepage, or watch my TEDx talk.
Current courses at UWL
Entomology (BIO 444/544, alternating fall semesters; next offered: Fall 2023)
Scientific Visualization (BIO 365, alternating fall semesters; next offered: Fall 2024)
Animal Behavior (BIO 446/546, spring semesters)
Ant Art, Fly Food, and Moth Music: How Insects affect our Lives (First Year Seminar)
Organismal Biology (BIO 203)
General Biology (BIO 105)
Senior Capstone (BIO 491)
Education
University of Texas at Austin: Ecology, Evolution & Behavior (Ph.D., 2010)
University of Arizona: Entomology (M.S., 2003)
Cornell University: Entomology (B.S., 1993)
Career
Teaching history
STEAM event (2014) - 10 Quintillion & Counting: The Art & Science of the Insect
Animal Biology
Professional history
Full Professor, UWL (since 2021)
Associate Professor, UWL (2016-2021)
Assistant Professor, UWL (2012-2016)
Innovative Lecturer, University of Konstanz, Germany (2011-2012)
Visiting scientist:
Neurobiology & Behavior, Cornell University (2011)
BEEgroup, University of Würzburg, Germany (2010)
Senior Preparator: Exhibition Department, American Museum of Natural History (1996-1999)
Model maker, illustrator, & curator of entomology: Chase Studio, Inc., Missouri (1995-1996)
Courtesy appointments:
Research Associate, Field Museum, Chicago (2013-2018)
Assistant Professor L/I (Locator Institution), Dept. of Entomology, UW-Madison (2013-2018)
Research and publishing
Welcome to the PUPATING LAB, where we investigate entomology, animal behavior, scientific visualization, and cultural entomology. Present projects include studying the functional importance of sleep in social insects and bats, how insects impact human culture, and the importance of visuals in science.
Google Scholar
PUBLICATIONS:
Klein BA, Seeley TD. 2015. The declining use of animal and behaviour images in animal behaviour journals. Animal Behaviour. 103:171-177.
Klein BA, Stiegler M, Klein A, Tautz J. 2014. Mapping sleeping bees within their nest: spatial and temporal analysis of worker honey bee sleep. PLOS ONE. 9(7): e102316. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102316
Klein BA, Stein J, Taylor RC. 2012. Robots in the service of animal behavior. Communicative & Integrative Biology. 5:467-473.
Wray MK, Klein BA, Seeley TD. 2011. Honey bees use the social information in waggle dances more fully when foraging errors are more costly. Behavioral Ecology. 23:125-131.
Klein BA, Seeley TD. 2011. Work or sleep? Honeybee foragers opportunistically nap during the day when forage is not available. Animal Behaviour. 82:77-83.
Taylor RC, Klein BA, Stein J, Ryan MJ. 2011. Multimodal signal variation in space and time: how important is matching a signal with its signaler? Journal of Experimental Biology. 214:815-820.
Taylor RC, Klein BA, Ryan MJ. 2011. Inter-signal interaction and uncertain information in anuran multimodal signals. Current Zoology. 57:153-161.
Klein BA, Klein A, Wray MK, Mueller UG, Seeley TD. 2010. Sleep deprivation impairs precision of waggle dance signaling in honey bees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. 107:22705-22709.
Klein BA, Olzsowy KM, Klein A, Saunders KM, Seeley TD. 2008. Caste-dependent sleep of worker honey bees. Journal of Experimental Biology. 211:3028-3040.
Wray MK, Klein BA, Mattila HR, Seeley TD. 2008. Honeybees do not reject dances for ‘implausible’ locations: reconsidering the evidence for cognitive maps in insects. Animal Behaviour. 76:261-269.
Taylor RC, Klein BA, Stein J, Ryan MJ. 2008. Faux frogs: Multimodal signalling and the value of robotics in the study of animal behaviour. Animal Behaviour. 76:1089-1097.
Klein BA, Bukowski TC, Avilés L. 2005. Male residency and mating patterns in a subsocial spider. Journal of Arachnology. 33:703-710.
Bernays EA, Klein BA. 2002. Quantifying the symbiont contribution to essential amino acids in aphids: the importance of tryptophan for Uroleucon ambrosiae. Physiological Entomology. 27:275-284.
Engel MS, Klein BA. 1997. Neocorynurella, a new genus of Augochlorine bees from South America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 44:155-163.
Online database
Klein BA, Klein A. 2016. Insects Incorporated: Database of Cultural Entomology.
Science & Art
Klein BA, Brosius TR. In press. A Planet in Peril and the Insect Muse. In: A Cultural History of Insects in the Modern Age. R Peterson, Ed. Bloomsbury Publ., London, UK.
Klein BA. 2013. Standing on the shoulders of wee giants. Introduction to ECLOSION: a juried group exhibition of insect-inspired art. Art.Science.Gallery., Austin, TX, USA.
Klein BA. 2012. The curious connection between insects and dreams. Insects. 3:1-17.
Monto G, Klein BA. 2011. In conversation: Barrett Anthony Klein. Current Science. 100:16-18.
Abbott JC. 2011. Illustrated by Klein BA. Damselflies of Texas. University of Texas Press.
News
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Important links
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TEDx talk
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DNews: Do insects sleep?
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UWL Campus News: Art + Science (Creative Imperatives Festival)
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UWL Campus News: Casting and Molding (Creative Imperatives Festival)
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National Geographic: Do bugs sleep?
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UWL Campus News: Casting bee nests
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UWL Campus News: Sleep Squad
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WIRED
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Die Zeit (Germany)
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany)
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Talk to the Animals (BBC One)
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La Prensa (Panama)
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Wisconsin Public Radio
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Popular Scientist
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The Scientist
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Wall Street Journal
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Metanexus
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NewScientist
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UWL Campus News: Insects, dreams, and art
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Nature
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Current Science
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Wisconsin Public Television: University Place
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Review: Univ. of Michigan art exhibit
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UW Madison "Swarm to Table" edible insects event
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Here We Are with Shane Mauss podcast
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La Crosse Thinkers podcast interview with Sean Carroll
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Ripley's Believe It or Not
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Teaching Excellence Award
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Podcast: Here We Are
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Finding Genius Podcast
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More Fun Than Fun
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Knowable Magazine: insects in art
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Smithsonian Magazine: insects in art
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Here We Are: sleep podcast