Scott Kight

Scott Kight serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Instruction in the College of Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University, where he is also affiliated with the Department of Biology. He holds a BS from Southern Illinois University, an MS from Eastern Illinois University, and a PhD from Indiana University. His research focuses on animal reproductive behavior, particularly in invertebrates, investigating how caregivers decide to terminate parental investment and how these decisions relate to ecological competition between invasive and native species.

Key research areas include parental care strategies in giant waterbugs, turn alternation behavior in response to predators, and invasive species competition. He has led projects funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institute of General Medical Sciences, emphasizing undergraduate research communities and STEM education. His work integrates behavioral ecology with evolutionary biology, addressing topics like predator-prey interactions and phenology shifts in breeding patterns. Dr. Kight collaborates with numerous students, many of whom co-author his publications.