Rachel N. Levin

Rachel spent over 20 years in the rainforests of the Republic of Panama studying the bay wren (Thryothorus nigricapillus), a tropical bird in which males and females alternate their song syllables in a vocal duet.  This work revealed differences in why males and females participate in duets, as well as the role of hormones, neuroanatomy, and learning in the development of sex differences in song behavior in this species.  Rachel extended this work by examining the effects of latitude and elevation on song and reproduction in populations of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) in the highlands and lowlands of California and Costa Rica.  In addition, Rachel and her students have been advocating for changes in science through their study of biological influences on gender and sexual identities, a project which has over 1200 participants.  Rachel earned her PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University, held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Washington and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and currently is the William A. Hilton Professor of Zoology at Pomona College.