Mike Butler

Research area: I work with animals to see how they meet challenges posed by the environment. Sometimes they can use the inner workings of their own bodies (e.g., their immune systems), or they can modify their behavior (e.g., which food item to choose). It can be a rough time out in the wild, and I investigate the tools that animals use to not only stay alive, but also thrive out there!

My Lafayette journey: When I entered the job market, I knew I wanted to work only at a small liberal arts college. Being a professor at Lafayette offered a fantastic blend of teaching and student-faculty research. And every year, I continue to be impressed with what our students can accomplish in the classroom, the field, and the lab.

What receiving a full professorship means to me: It’s a real sense of accomplishment. Although that nagging sense of imposter phenomenon will probably always linger to some extent … But mostly, a sense of accomplishment.

What I will be teaching in the fall: BIOL 251 Human Physiology and BIOL 317 Physiology of Extreme Animals