Jenn Smith, Ph.D.
Contact Information
101 Roosevelt Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Snail mail: University Drive, Maintenance/Central Store, Eau Claire, WI 54701-4800
Biography
Dr. Jenn Smith is a behavioral ecologist. She integrates perspectives from evolutionary biology, animal behavior, genetics, physiology, and urban ecology to understand how natural selection and ecological conditions shape decision-making in social mammals.
Education
- Joint Ph.D. in Zoology and Ecology, Evol. Biol. & Behav., Michigan State University
- M.S. in Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- B.A. in Biology, Environmental Science Conc., Colby College, Waterville, Maine
- Coral Reef and Rainforest Ecology, James Cook University, Townsville, AUSTRALIA
- Management and Ecology of African Wildlife, School for Field Studies, KENYA
- Teaching College Science & Mathematics, College of Natural Sciences, MSU
Teaching and Research Interests
Teaching
Career awards from the Animal Behavior Society, INSIGHT into Diversity, and Phi Beta Kappa reflect her inclusive teaching and mentoring. Her current courses include:
- Biol 223 - Biological Inquiry
- Biol 321 - Ecology
- Biol 356 - Vertebrate Biology
- Biol 365 - Animal Behavior
- Biol 490 - Marine Ecology
Research
As the leader of the Behavioral Ecology of Social Mammals Lab, Smith leads two projects focused on social rodents: The Long-term Study of California Ground Squirrels (since 2013) and the newly established Blugold Beaver Behavioral Ecology Project in natural areas surrounding Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Smith's team of undergraduates combines naturalistic observations with field experiments, genetic and endocrine analyses, and social network statistics to test evolutionary and ecological theory. Smith is also internationally recognized for her comparative research on the social lives of mammals, especially those of carnivores. This work reveals the evolutionary and ecological forces favoring leadership, cooperation, and inequality.
Published Research
- Articles in Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, and more. For a full list, see Google Scholar.
- Reprints as PDFs for personal use here.
Honors And Recognition
Awards and Fellowships
- Celebration of Scholarship Recognition, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, UWEC (2023, 2024)
- Faculty Leadership Fellows Program, Provost Office, Mills College (2019)
- INSIGHT into Diversity Inspiring Program in STEM Award (2019)
- Penny Bernstein Distinguished Teaching Award, Animal Behavior Society (2017)
- Excellence in Teaching Award, N. California Assoc. of Phi Beta Kappa (2017)
- Letts-Villard Endowed Chair in the Natural Sciences, Mills College (2017)
- Quigley Endowed Professorship in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (2017)
- Best Paper, Postdoc Research Award, Human Behavior & Evolution Society (2011)
- American Association of University Women Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA (2011)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Institute for Society and Genetics, UCLA (2010)
- Anna M. Jackson Speaker Award, American Society of Mammalogists (2009)
- P.E.O. Scholar Award, International Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood (2007)
Editorial Boards
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (2024-present)
- Animal Behaviour - Associate Editor (2021-present)
- Leadership Quarterly - Associate Editor (2018-present)