Cole Gilbert

Cole began his official involvement with the OUB in 2015 after 23 years at Cornell in the Department of Entomology studying how the sensory systems of insects, especially beetles and flies, gather information, process it and produce adaptive behavior. He has taught several courses required for the Biology major including Introductory Biology, Evolution & Diversity and most recently Comparative Physiology. He likes the challenge of teaching in the large enrollment courses, but also enjoys teaching smaller courses, such as Insect Biology and Insect Physiology, in the Entomology department. As Director he will strive to improve our already strong Biology curriculum and to support more students in research opportunities, particularly non-traditional students.

Cole grew up in the Midwest where he transferred from a community college to Washington University in St. Louis (B.S. Biology). He attended graduate school at the University of Kansas (M.A., Ph.D. Entomology) and did post-doctoral work at the University of Indiana School of Optometry and the University of Arizona Laboratories – Division of Neurobiology. He and his wife, arachnologist Linda Rayor, live in the woods outside of Trumansburg and their favorite activities include cooking and leading ecotours for Cornell Adult University.

Areas Of Expertise

• Arthropod
• Arthropod Sensory Neurobiology
• Arthropods
• Insect Biology
• Insect Physiology
• Introductory Biology
• Neurobiology
• Sensory

Graduate Fields

• Entomology
• Neurobiology and Behavior