Hello, I am new to myrmecology, but I have been studying insects for a long time. I am a faculty member at Fullerton College and teach General Ecology to our biology majors. Our department has recently begun a coordinated undergraduate research program to help our students learn how to DO science rather than just learning the concepts. We chose ants as our model organisms because they are found in most habitats for doing field work, but can also be raised in a lab for behavioral and molecular work.
Although I am a trained entomologist, most of my background is with Diptera (flies) and aquatic insects. A colleague and I just attended the "Ants of the Southwest" course at the Southwest Research Station (SWRS) in Portal, AZ. While we were there we excavated a very young Myrmecocystus colony that I am now raising in captivity.
I am very excited about this new research direction and learning to care for ant colonies. I would love to make contact with other ant keeper/researchers in Southern California.