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Lara Ferry
- Lara.Ferry@asu.edu
- 602/543-2817
- ASU West Campus mail code 1251 Glendale
Associate Dean of Research and Strategic Initiatives, President’s Professor
Faculty w/Admin Appointment, WEST Campus, Mailcode 1251
Assoc Dean & Pres Prof
Administrative, WEST Campus, Mailcode 1251
Associate Dean & President’s Professor
Academic Prof w/Admin Appt, WEST Campus, Mailcode 1251
Senior Sustainability Scientist
Faculty w/Admin Appointment, WEST Campus, Mailcode 1251
Biography:
Lara Ferry is the Associate Dean of Research and Strategic Initiatives for the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and a President's Professor. She holds an academic appointment in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. She is also a senior sustainability scientist with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, affiliated faculty with the Biodesign Institute and the Global Security Initiative, and honors faculty in Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University.
Prior to joining ASU in 2010, she was a member of the research faculty at San Jose State University and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Her research focuses on the evolution of jaws and their function in the aquatic realm, as well as the performance of biological materials.
Education:
- Postdoctoral Associate. Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California-Davis
- Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Comparative Physiology Graduate Group), University of California-Irvine 1998
- M.S. Marine Science, San Francisco State University 1994
- B.S. Biology, Cal Poly State University-San Luis Obispo 1991
Research Website URL:
Google Scholar URL:
Research Interests:
Professor Ferry's research is within the field called Functional Morphology. Functional Morphology is the study of organism structure (i.e., anatomy) and function (e.g., how it works in a particular context). She is particularly interested in the evolution of jaws and novel structures associated with food acquisition. Her research uses primarily fishes, as they are the most diverse of all the vertebrates, and are the group in which jaws first evolved. Most of her work has focused on functional traits associated with aquatic prey capture and processing, as well as how fish generate water flow into the head and over the respiratory structures.
Areas of Interest: Physiology, Functional Morphology, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Ecophysiology, Ichthyology
Ferry lab website: morphology.asu.edu
Research Group:
Please visit the lab website (above) to get to know our students and researchers.
Publications:
Please visit the lab website (above) for a current list of publications.
Research Activity:
Recent research grants:
- NSF RoL:FELS-1839786 Reciprocal illumination between ecology and biomechanics: evolution, integration, and constraint (2018-2020).
- NSF S-STEM-7676688 Collaborative Research: TRAIN (TRAnsfer to Interdisciplinary Natural sciences): A Community College-University Consortium to Increase Community College Student Transfer and Success (2018-2023).
- NSF IOS-1324560 Collaborative Research: Strain in Cartilaginous Fish Skeletons (2014-2018).
| Spring 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
| LSC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| FOR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| FOR 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| FOR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 592 | Research |
| BIO 599 | Thesis |
| Spring 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| FOR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| FOR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| FOR 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| FOR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| FOR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Spring 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| FOR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ENV 497 | Honors Colloquium |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| FOR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 484 | Internship |
| LSC 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| FOR 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| FOR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| FOR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Summer 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Spring 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| HON 272 | The Human Event |
| LSC 394 | Special Topics |
| LSC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| BIO 306 | Modes of Biological Thought |
| LSC 484 | Internship |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Spring 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| LSC 359 | Animal Physiology Laboratory |
| BIO 360 | Animal Physiology |
| MED 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| LSC 493 | Honors Thesis |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| BIO 306 | Modes of Biological Thought |
| LSC 484 | Internship |
| LSC 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| LSC 499 | Individualized Instruction |
Honors / Awards:
Sun Devil Award for Service, Arizona State University (2016)
Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award, ASU Faculty Women’s Association (2016)
Outstanding Research/Creative Activity Award, ASU New College (2014)
nominated to Knowledge Enterprise and Development (KED) Leadership Academy, ASU (2014)
Editorships:
Senior Editor, Functional Ecology (2016-)
Editorial Board, Integrative & Comparative Biology (2011-2016)
Editorial Board, Zoology (2009-2016)
Section Editor, Frontiers in Aquatic Physiology (2008-2011)
Professional Associations:
British Ecological Society (BES); Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB); American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists (ASIH); American Elasmobranch Society (AES); Arizona Nevada Academy of Science (ANAS); ASU Faculty Women’s Association (FWA).
Graduate Faculties / Mentoring History:
Honors Faculty, Barrett The Honors College; Graduate Faculty, Biology PhD; Graduate Faculty, Environmental Life Sciences PhD; Senior Sustainability Scientist, Global Institute of Sustainability (sustainability.asu.edu); Affilated Faculty, Global Security Initiative (globalsecurity.asu.edu); Affilated Faculty, Biodesign Institute (biodesign.asu.edu)
Service:
Selected highlights
Board of Directors, Faculty Women's Association (2016-)
Board of Governors, American Society of Ichtnyologists and Herpetologists (2016-2020)
Board of Directors, American Elasmobrach Society (2016-2019)
Committee on Equity & Diversity, American Elasmobrach Society (2014-)
Meritorious Teaching Award Committee, ASIH/AES (2014-)
Executive Board Member, American Elasmobrach Society (2014-15)
President, American Elasmobrach Society (2012-13)
Divisional Secretary, Society for Inegrative and Comparative Biology (2010-11)