Heather Thornton

Heather Thornton, MS, is an Instructor in the Department of Biology at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB). She holds a BS in Marine Biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (2002), an MS in Zoology from Clemson University (2005), and an MEd in Higher Education from Georgia Southern University (2016). Her teaching portfolio includes courses such as Biological Principles I & II, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Ecology and Evolution, and Oceans and Society. Prior to USCB, she served as an Academic Advisor and Student Success Coordinator at Georgia Southern University, focusing on STEM student retention, and taught biology courses there. She also worked as an Aquarium Curator at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, coordinating their Sea Turtle Nesting Program.

Her research interests center on behavioral ecology, specifically the evolution of mating signals and adaptive traits in Sailfin Molly fish. She emphasizes student success, particularly supporting first-year students in STEM disciplines.