Biology
Jessica StephensAssistant Professor of Biology
Biography
Joined Westfield State University in 2020.
Education
B.S., Butler University
M.S., Auburn University
Ph.D., University of Georgia
Postdoctoral Appt., University of Pittsburgh
Courses Taught
BIOL 0230: Evolution
BIOL 0120: Environmental Biology for non-majors
BIOL 0129: General Biology I (Lecture and Lab)
Areas of Research
Evolutionary Ecology
Plant Biology
Biology Education Research
Publications
Selected peer-reviewed Publications:
Rebolleda-Gomez M, Forrester N, Russell A, Wei N, Fetters A, Stephens JD, Ashman TL. 2019. Gazing into the anthosphere: Considering how microbes influence floral evolution. New Phytologist 224:1012–1020.
Stephens JD, Ryan TJ. 2019. Diet of the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta) and common map turtle (Graptemys geographica) in an urban landscape. Urban Naturalist.
Stephens JD, Battle D*, Gormally C, Brickman P. 2017. Show me the way: Future faculty prefer directive feedback when trying active learning approaches. Journal of College Science Teaching 47:57–65.
(*Student Authors)
Stephens JD, Rogers WL, Mason CM, Donovan LA, Malmberg RL. 2015. Species tree estimation of diploid Helianthus (Asteraceae) using target enrichment. American Journal of Botany 102:921–941.
Stephens JD, Rogers WL, Heyduk K, Cruse-Sanders JM, Determann RO, Glenn TC, Malmberg RL. 2015. Resolving phylogenetic relationships for the recently radiated carnivorous plant genus Sarracenia using target enrichment. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 85:76–87.
Professional Service
- Visiting Assistant Professor, Salve Regina University
- Virtual Web Camp for Online Teaching, Westfield State University
- Resilient Teaching Through Times of Crisis and Change, University of Michigan
- Co-creating the Future Through Socially-Directed Science and Technology, MIT
- College Teaching and Student Learning, UGA
- Course Design for Significant Learning, UGA
- Pedagogy of Writing in the Disciplines, UGA
