Sue Philhower Raylman, Ph.D.

Department of Biology
West Virginia University
Box 6057 Morgantown, WV 26506


I am currently a Visiting Assistant Professor within the Biology department at West Virginia University. My primary research interests are in the areas of Behavioral Ecology, Ornithology, Evolutionary Biology, and Conservation Biology. I am interested in both applied and theoretical issues of avian conservation and behavior.

My dissertation research involved piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), a threatened shorebird species that breeds along the Eastern Atlantic coast. I investigated causes for low reproductive success of piping plovers along barrier islands on the North Carolina coast (Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores). I've outlined management methods to improve their success and specified differences in factors affecting reproduction of NC plovers as compared to plovers nesting in northern areas along the Atlantic coast. I investigated anti-predatory behaviors of breeding plovers, specifically looking at discrimatory abilities and how anti-predatory behaviors change over the breeding season. I also consider the puzzling question regarding the evolution of clutch size in birds - why shorebirds lay no more than four eggs. I examined whether parental behavior can limit shorebird clutch size. Clicking on the plover to the left you can view brief outlines my research and see a few plovers.

I love science and research, and I also thoroughly enjoy the teaching of it as well. At WVU, I teach courses in Comparative Anatomy ( BIOL 440 ), Behavioral Ecology(BIOL 338), and Human Physiology (BIOL 235). I am the coordinator for Biology Honors Investigation and Research (BIOL 486)

To send email to me sphilhow@wvu.edu

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This web page was revised September 2001

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