North Dakota Ag Connection - Friday NDSU Talk to Address Bat-Human Relationships

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Friday NDSU Talk to Address Bat-Human Relationships
North Dakota Ag Connection - 02/27/2020

The February Anthrozoology Seminar is set to feature Erin Gillam, associate professor of biological sciences, who will present "Bats and Humans: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." The presentation is scheduled for Feb. 28 at noon in the Memorial Union Mandan room.

Everyone is welcome.

Gillam will examine the many-faceted relationship between bats and humans. This includes: positive interactions, such as the important role of bats in certain cultures and the benefits that bats provide to agricultural ecosystems; negative interactions, including common myths and fears people have about bats; and threats to human health -- bats are often asymptomatic carriers of pathogens that can trigger epidemic disease outbreaks.

Gillam earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland and her doctorate at the University of Tennessee. She has been a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences at NDSU since 2009.

Research in her lab primarily focuses on the bats of North Dakota. Starting with basic surveys to understand the distribution of different bat species across the state, Gillam's students have investigated topics related to the ecology of bats, including summer habitat selection, patterns of migratory movement along the Missouri River and overwintering of bats in western North Dakota.

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