Hoon Kang

Hi! My name is Hoon Kang. I am originally from South Korea, but I’ve grown up around the world before coming to the US. I love ants and their amazing behaviors! My ant journey began at Arizona State University’s Social Insect Research Group, where I did my undergraduate thesis in Dr. Stephen Pratt’s lab, looking at the reverse tandem running behavior of Temnothorax rugatulus. I had previously been at labs that had been more medical and human development focused, but I really ended up enjoying digging holes and sucking up ants with aspirators much more! Currently, I have the privilege of working with Dr. Christina Kwapich at the University of Massachusetts Lowell where I study the nest architecture of Pheidole pilifera. You can quite often catch me with a shovel excavating their wonderful two-meter deep nests!

I love the field of natural history and enjoy watching nature documentaries in my free time. Other than that, I enjoy playing/watching soccer (or football for non-Americans), listening to scientific and historical podcasts, and playing games (board games or video games). If you would like to get in touch, contact me under my Twitter handle @Hoonkang2