معرفی
Professor Jennifer Templeton is a Professor of Biology at Knox College, where she has been teaching and conducting research since 2001. Her work spans the interdisciplinary fields of behavioral ecology, ornithology, experimental and comparative psychology, and neuroethology.
Her educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in Biology from Concordia University-Montréal (1993)
- M.S. in Biology from Queen's University at Kingston (1987)
- B.A. in Psychology and B.Ac. (Honors) Biology from Queen's University at Kingston (1985)
Professor Templeton's research focuses on learning, memory, and foraging behavior, with particular interest in how ecological and cognitive factors have influenced the evolution of decision-making processes, information use, and learning in both solitary and group-living species. She employs experimental approaches in both laboratory and field settings, primarily using birds as model organisms but also working with fish, bats, and dogs. Her work on visual lateralization in birds has revealed fascinating insights, including the discovery that passerines like European Starlings show reverse visual lateralization compared to non-passerines. She has also made significant contributions to understanding canine cognition and social learning in various species.
Professor Templeton has received numerous accolades for her work, including:
- Exceptional Achievement Award for sustained excellence in research, teaching and service (2021)
- Co-PI on NSF S-STEM Grant: COAST: Creating Opportunities & Access in Science and Technology (2013-2019)
- Knox Mellon Faculty Career Enhancement Grant for collaborative research on visual mate choice in zebra finches (2017)
- National Science Foundation Grant for examining factors affecting public information use by birds (2001-2004)
Professor Templeton is deeply committed to undergraduate research mentorship, with numerous publications co-authored with students. She serves as campus co-advisor for study-abroad programs in Tanzania and is an active member of several professional societies including the Animal Behaviour Society, Behavioral Ecology Society, and Comparative Cognition Society. Her lab provides diverse research opportunities for students interested in cognitive ecology, animal behavior, and neuroethology across multiple species and experimental approaches.
Professor Templeton leads the Templeton Lab, which conducts cutting-edge research on visual lateralization, canine cognition, social learning, and foraging behavior. The lab has employed innovative techniques including FDG-microPET neuroimaging to study mate choice behavior at the neural level, providing students with exposure to advanced methodologies in behavioral neuroscience.
