Timothy C Roth

Timothy C Roth is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Franklin and Marshall College, where he has served since 2018. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the same institution from 2012-2018 and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Kenyon College from 2011-2012. His research integrates neurobiology, animal behavior, and ecology to understand how natural selection influences spatial use in animals.

Dr. Roth received his Doctor of Philosophy from Indiana State University in 2006, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi. He earned his Master of Science from Missouri State University in 1999 and his Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, from Cornell College in 1997, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Beta Beta.

His research focuses on the neurological mechanisms of memory and behavior, large-scale effects of movement on avian communities, and the evolution of cognitive spatial processes. Dr. Roth employs an integrative approach that combines field studies with laboratory techniques to examine spatial cognition across diverse species including turtles, birds, and lizards. His work frequently examines how environmental factors shape cognitive abilities and neural structures, with particular emphasis on spatial memory, navigation, and the ecological context of cognitive evolution. Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding reptilian cognition, geomagnetic navigation, and the role of learning in conservation biology.

Dr. Roth has received notable recognition for his work, with several publications featured in prominent outlets including Scientific American and Audubon. His research on turtle navigation was highlighted in Scientific American, while his work on hybrid songbirds was featured in Audubon magazine.

• Homeostatic regulation of NREM sleep in Australian magpies (2021)
• Context-specific cue use in Eastern Painted Turtles (2021)
• Role of plasticity in learning complex migration routes (2021)
• Geomagnetic navigation in Eastern painted turtles (2021)
• Personality examination in semi-aquatic turtles (2020)

Dr. Roth has mentored numerous undergraduate students, with current projects focusing on turtle taste perception, neural changes related to hybridization, behavioral responses to rattlesnake rattles, and neural structures in hybridizing chickadees. His teaching portfolio includes courses in Experimental Design and Statistics, Neuroethics, Biopsychology, Evolution of Mind and Intelligence, and Collaborative Research in Biopsychology. As Program Chair for Biological Foundations of Behavior (Neuroscience and Animal Behavior) from 2021-2024, he plays a significant role in shaping the curriculum and research direction in his field at Franklin and Marshall College.