معرفی
Margaret Smith serves as Professor and Director of Honors at the Dahlonega Campus of the University of North Georgia, where she is a core faculty member in the Biology department. She teaches foundational courses including Principles of Biology I/II and advanced seminars in Evolution and Developmental Biology.
Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Indiana University (2008) and a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Georgia (2001).
Dr. Smith's research centers on evolutionary developmental mechanisms, utilizing dual model systems: the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum and sea urchin larvae. Her work examines how ecological factors drive developmental plasticity in host-parasite systems and how ocean acidification disrupts skeletal morphogenesis. This integrative approach bridges evolutionary theory, developmental genetics, and environmental physiology.
Analysis of her publication timeline reveals consistent focus on evolutionary-developmental interfaces, with recent work (2023-2024) addressing climate change impacts on marine systems and agricultural pest behavior, while earlier studies (2003-2010) established frameworks for understanding heterochrony and life history evolution.
No scientific awards are documented in available materials.
Dr. Smith actively mentors undergraduate researchers, with multiple student co-authors across her publication record. She maintains collaborative networks with Dr. Barding, Dr. Shanks (Trichoplusia ni parasitism studies), and Dr. Webb (sea urchin environmental stress research), though specific grant mechanisms remain unreported.
Her laboratory operations involve student teams conducting dual-stream investigations: behavioral ecology of moth-wasp interactions and molecular analyses of pH-induced skeletal defects in sea urchin larvae, reflecting commitment to hands-on research training within evolutionary biology.
