Megan Gibbons Curriculum Vitae
(formerly M. G. Peterson)
Contact Information:
Associate Professor of Biology
Division of Science and Mathematics
Birmingham-Southern College
Box 549022
900 Arkadelphia Road
Birmingham, AL 35254
(205) 226-4874
Education:
Ph.D. Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
(1996-2001). Dissertation Title: Recognition Abilities in Mother and Offspring Salamanders: Foraging and Kinship. Robert G. Jaeger, John Chance Professor of Biology, advisor.
M. S. Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette (1999). Thesis Title: Female-female Associations in the Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Robert G. Jaeger, John Chance Professor of Biology, advisor.
B. A. Psychology, Emory University (1993)
Professional Positions:
Associate Professor of Biology (2006-present), Birmingham-Southern College
Assistant Professor of Biology (2001-2006), Birmingham-Southern College
Research Fellow, Washington University at St. Louis (Summer, 2004)
Discipline Coordinator, Biology, Birmingham-Southern College (2003-2005)
Member of the Editorial Board for Copeia (2003-2006)
Assistant to the Editor of Herpetologica (1998 - 2002)
Research Assistant (1995-1996), Yerkes Primate Center, Emory University
Research Interests:
Evolution of antipredator behavior in tadpoles and larval salamanders
Heritability of behavior in salamanders and other amphibians
Learning and training in salamanders
Contexts of kin discrimination in amphibians
Teaching Experience:
Instructor for lecture courses:
Biology 121 Introductory Biology for non-majors
Biology 122 Introductory Biology for non-majors
Biology 105 Population and Ecosystem Biology
Biology 115 Organismal Biology
Biology 315 Animal Behavior
Biology 332 Vertebrate Field Zoology
Co-instructor:
Biology 215 Evolution and Ecology (sophomore level: Spring 1999)
Biology 542 Evolutionary Ecology
Sustainable Development in Costa Rica
ES 150: Introduction to Environmental Studies
Coral Reef Ecology and Dolphin Behavior in Honduras
Experiencing the Peruvian Rainforest
Ecology and Evolution of the Galapagos Islands
Spanish Immersion in Argentina
Foreign Language across Curriculum: Spanish for Environmental Studies
Grants and Awards:
Birmingham-Southern College Summer Research Stipend (2007) $2700
Birmingham-Southern College Summer Stipend for Course Development (2006) $2750
ACS Science Reform Program entitled, “Integrating the Learning Cycle into Explorations in Biology for Non-Majors” (2006) $2500
Bob Whetstone Faculty Development Award for Excellence in Teaching (2004-2005) $1200
Associated Colleges of the South Curriculum Development Grant (2004) $750
Curriculum Development Grant for FLAC (2004) $1500
Birmingham-Southern College Summer Research Stipend (2004) $2500
Birmingham-Southern College Summer Research Stipend (2003) $1000
Associated Colleges of the South Curriculum Development Grant (2002-2003) $2000
Birmingham-Southern College Summer Research Stipend (2002) $1728
Society of Sigma Xi Grant (1999): $638
ASIH Student Travel Award (1999): $200
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund (1998) $800
Edmund B. Stueben Fund (1998): $264
Society of Sigma Xi Grant (1997): $596
Participation in Workshops:
Spanish Immersion in Argentina: January, 2007
Innovative teaching and active learning in the biological sciences: August, 2006
Global Partners Costa Rica Faculty Development Workshop: July, 2006
Spanish for Professors Immersion in Costa Rica: June, 2004
Foreign Language across the Curriculum Workshop: May, 2004
Spanish for Professors Workshop: Jan, 2004
Audubon Mountain Workshop: May 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
ACS GIS Workshop: Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, Feb, 2003
NSF Regional Grants Conference, Charleston, South Carolina, October, 2002
ACS Teaching Workshop: Rollins College, June, 2002
Committee Service (Birmingham-Southern College)
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 2006-present
Committee for Instituting Online registration, 2006-present
Latin American Studies Committee, 2005-present
Faculty Athletic Affairs Committee 2004-2005 (chair), present
Environmental Studies Committee, 2002-2004, 2006-present
NCAA Certification Equity, Welfare, Sportsmanship Subcommittee 2003-2004
Other Committee Service
Eugene B. Odum Award Judge, ASB meeting, April 2005
Alabama Non-game Wildlife Conference, Herpetology Committee, July, 2002
Research with Undergraduates:
2006: Bobby Peinhardt: Heritability of morphological and behavioral traits of the green
treefrog (Hyla cinerea)
2006: Jennifer Gasbarro: The relationship of sedimentation levels and Elimia in the Cahaba
River watershed
2005: Nikki Rombough: Comparison of antipredator behavior in amphibians with high and low
dispersal.
2005: Fleming Holt: Benefits of egg brooding behavior in the marbled salamander
(Ambystoma opacum).
2005: Melanie Jobe: Investigating the selective advantages of clear versus opaque egg
masses in the spotted salamander, Ambystoma macultum
2005: Kayla Calton. Investigating the differences in antipredator behavior of larvae of
Ambystoma maculatum emerging from clear and opaque egg masses.
2005: Nikki Rombough. Monitoring a population of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma
maculatum) in Homewood, Alabama.
2005: Nikki Rombough, Chris Brennan, and Kayla Calton. Does exposure to fish cues elicit
antipredator behavior in Ambystoma maculatum larvae?
2004: Nikki Rombough and Chris Brennan: The evolution of antipredator behavior in Hyla
cinerea.
2004: Meredith Humber and Paige Casey: Using GIS Technology to map amphibians in
Homewood Nature Preserve
2004: Julie Ghafary and Lindsay Boyett, antipredator behavior and development latency in
larval Ambystomatid salamanders
2003: Julie Ghafary, Jonathan Allen, and Lindsay Boyett, antipredator behavior in green
treefrog tadpoles
2003: Allison Hargett and Katherine Long, antipredator behavior in larval spotted salamanders
2003: Kim Reid and Emily Lewis, antipredator behavior in larval marbled salamanders
2002: Allison Hargett and Carissa Mangus, behavior modification as a tool for determining
discrimination of conspecific scents
2002: Allison Hargett and Meredith Humber, behavior modification as a tool for determining
egg discrimination
2001-2002: Justin Hughes, predation of frog eggs by red-spotted newts
1998-2000: Arianne Ferguson, Danielle Lee: heritability and learning in salamander foraging
behavior
1998: Danielle Lee: Do salamander young move toward maternal odors?
1998: Arianne Ferguson: Sibling interactions in salamanders
1997: Danielle Lee, Rachel Tate, Misty Arnould: Mother-offspring interactions in
salamanders
1997: Raelyn Franks: Female-female interactions of salamanders
1997: Melinda Cousin: Neonate movement toward conspecific cues
Publications:
Hargett*, A. C., K. M. Long*, and M. E. Gibbons. The response of spotted salamanders to
chemical and visual cues of largemouth bass and crayfish. In revision.
Gibbons, M. E., A. M. Ferguson*, and D. R. Lee*. 2005. Both learning and heritability affect
foraging behaviour of red-backed salamanders. Animal Behaviour69:721-732.
Gibbons, M. E., R. G. Jaeger, A. M. Ferguson*, and D. R. Lee*. 2003. Mother-offspring
discrimination in the red-backed salamander may be context-dependent. Herpetologica 59:322-333.
Jaeger, R. G., and M. (Gibbons) Peterson. 2002. Familiarity affects agonistic interactions
between female red-backed salamanders. Copeia: 2002(3): 865-869.
Gillette, J. R., and M. (Gibbons) Peterson. 2001. The benefits of transparency: candling as a
simple method for determining sex in red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). Herpetological Review 32(4): 233-235.
Jaeger, R. G., M. (Gibbons)Peterson, G. Gollmann, B. Gollmann, and V. R. Townsend, Jr.
2001.Salamander social strategies: living together in female-male pairs. Journal of Herpetology 35:335-338.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons). 2000. Nest, but not egg, fidelity in a terrestrial salamander. Ethology
106:781-794.
Gillette, J. R., R. G. Jaeger, and M.(Gibbons) Peterson. 2000. Social monogamy in a
territorial salamander. Animal Behaviour 59:1241-1251.
Jaeger, R. G., M. (Gibbons) Peterson, and J. R. Gillette. 1999. A model of alternative mating
strategies in the red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Pp. 431-440. In R. C.
Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, and L. D. Houck (Eds.), The Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons), J. R. Gillette, R. Franks*, and R. G. Jaeger. 1999. Alternative
lifestyles in a terrestrial salamander: do females preferentially associate with each other? Pp 417-430 In R. C. Bruce, R. G. Jaeger, and L. D. Houck (Eds.), The Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, New York, U.S.A.
*Indicates undergraduate authors
Presentations at Meetings:
Peinhardt, R. R.*, and M. E. Gibbons. 2007. Effects of heritability and diet on morphological
and behavioral traits in the green treefrog Hyla cinerea. Association of Southeastern Biologists, Columbia, South Carolina.
Gibbons, M. E. 2005. Predator diversity and the evolutionary effect on behavior and survival in
tadpoles of gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor). Association of Southeastern Biologists, Florence, Alabama.
Rombough, E. N.*, C. R. Brennan*, and M. E. Gibbons. 2005. The effect of prior exposure to
chemical cues on the anti-predator behavior of Hyla cinerea tadpoles. Association of Southeastern Biologists, Florence, Alabama.
Gibbons, M. E. 2004. The effects of cue modality and predator type on anti-predator behavior
in Ambystoma maculatum larvae. Joint Meeting of American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, American Elasmobranch Society, Herpetologists' League, and Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Gibbons, M. E., Humber*, M. J., and Hargett, A. L. 2004. Egg discrimination in female red-
backed salamanders. Association of Southeastern Biologists, Memphis, Tennessee.
Gibbons, M. E., Hargett*, A. L., and Long, K. M. 2004. Cues that trigger anti-predator
behavior in larval spotted salamanders. Association of Southeastern Biologists, Memphis, Tennessee.
Gibbons, M. E., 2003. Egg discrimination in female red-backed salamanders. Animal Behavior
Society, Boise, Idaho.
Gibbons, M. E., Humber*, M. J., and Hargett, A. L. 2003. Egg discrimination in female red-
backed salamanders. Alabama Academy of Science, Jacksonville, Alabama.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons). 2002. The effects of learning and heredity on foraging behavior in
the red-backed salamander. Ecological Society of America, Tucson, Arizona.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons) 2000. The effects of learning and heredity on foraging behavior in
the red-backed salamander. Animal Behavior Society, Atlanta, Georgia.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons). 1999. Nest, but not egg, fidelity in a terrestrial salamander.
Association of Southeastern Biologists, Monroe, Louisiana.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons) 1999. Egg recognition in the red-backed salamander. Joint Meeting
of American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, American Elasmobranch Society, Herpetologists' League, and Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons), J. R. Gillette, and R. G. Jaeger. 1998. Alternative lifestyles in a
terrestrial salamander: are females found in same-sex pairs attracted to each other? Fourth Highlands Conference on the Biology of Plethodontid Salamanders. Highlands, North Carolina.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons), J. R. Gillette, and R. G. Jaeger. 1998. Alternative lifestyles in a
terrestrial salamander: are females found in same-sex pairs attracted to each other? Association of Southeastern Biologists, Monroe, Louisiana.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons), J. R. Gillette, and R. G. Jaeger. 1997. Alternative lifestyles in a
terrestrial salamander: are females found in same-sex pairs attracted to each other? Louisiana Herpetological Research Group, Cocodrie, Louisiana.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons), and R. G. Jaeger. 1997. Salamander social strategies: living
together in male-female pairs. Animal Behavior Society, College Park, Maryland.
*Indicates undergraduate presenters
Invited Talks
Gibbons, M. E. 2006. Predator effects on the evolution of behavior in pond-breeding
amphibians. Jacksonville State University.
Gibbons, M. E. 2005. Predator effects on the evolution of behavior in pond-breeding
amphibians. Washington University in St. Louis.
Gibbons, M. E. 2004. Behavior, learning, and heritability in amphibians. Washington
University in St. Louis.
Gibbons, M. E. 2004. Using GIS Technology to map amphibians in Homewood Nature
Preserve. Friends of Shades Creek, Homewood, Alabama.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons). 2003. Social behavior of red-backed salamanders. Society of Sigma
Xi. University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons) 2002. Both heritability and learning affect foraging behavior in red-
backed salamanders. University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons) 2002. Social behavior of red-backed salamanders. Birmingham
Herpetology Society, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Peterson, M. (Gibbons). 2002. Social behavior of red-backed salamanders. International
Amphibian Days, Baltimore, Maryland.
