Frank Beach Award Winner: In pursuit of adventure: Studying social behavior in beautiful birds and odd rodents, as well as peering into the unknown

How does the brain promote prosocial behavior in non-reproductive contexts and allow animals to get along in groups? I have spent 20 years pursuing answers to this question. Here I review the body of research that comprises my career to date. I use a non-traditional narrative format to detail my scientific journey, beginning with why and how I began conducting research with bees and birds as an undergraduate and graduate student, which led to exploring the brains and behavior of various rodents as a postdoctoral researcher and into my independent career as a professor. I discuss the successes and struggles I have experienced as a scientist, and how issues related to science, education, and our planet loom in my consciousness, calling into question the types of academic pursuits my future holds. Ultimately, my hope is that I provide an honest account of the wonders and hardship one can experience in the pursuit of exploring the unknown.