EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management

University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources & Environment, 2002

Dissertation: Effects of Captivity on Behavior and Morphology in the Oldfield Mouse Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus

*recipient of the University of Michigan’s Distinguished Dissertation Award

M.S. in Conservation Biology and Ecosystem Management

Thesis: Behavioral Research on Captive Mammals: Its Purpose, Effectiveness, and Perception

Post-baccalaureate studies in biology

Loyola University Chicago, 1994-1996

B.A. in Music History, Scripps College, Claremont, California, 1989

Thesis: Ruth Crawford Seeger: Protégée, Innovator, Activist

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies Program and Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, September 2009 to present

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Robert Johnston Lab, Cornell University, July 2006 to June 2009

Visiting Assistant Professor, The College of William and Mary, August 2005 to July 2006

Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Saint Louis Zoo, August, 2003 to July 2005

Lecturer, School of Natural Resources and the Environment/Program in the Environment; University of Michigan, January to April 2003

RESEARCH and TEACHING INTERESTS

Behavioral ecology, conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, behavioral responses to novel environments (particularly captive vs wild comparisons), small population dynamics

PUBLICATIONS

In review

Kozuch, A. and M.E. McPhee. Effects of environmental complexity and temporary captivity on foraging behavior of wild-caught meadow voles.  Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.

Refereed

McPhee, M.E. and N.F. McPhee.  2012. Relaxed selection increases trait variance and decreases reintroduction success in simulated populations. Animal Conservation, 15:274–282.

delBarco-Trillo, J., M.E. McPhee, R.E. Johnston. 2010.  Syrian hamster males below an age threshold do not elicit aggression from unfamiliar adult males.  Aggressive Behavior, 37(1): 91-97. 

Larimer, S., R.E. Johnston, M.E. McPhee, J. E. Johnston, P. Fritzsche, K. Neumann, Z. Song. 2010.  Foraging behavior of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) in the wild.   Journal of Ethology, 29(2):275, doi: 10.1007/s10164-010-0255-8.

McPhee, M.E., A. Segal, and R.E. Johnston.  2010.  Hamsters use predator odors as indirect cues of predation risk.  Ethology, 116; 517-523.

McPhee, M.E. and K. Carlstead.  2010. The importance of maintaining natural behaviors in captive mammals.  Pp. 303-313 in: Wild Mammals in Captivity: Principles and Techniques for Zoo Management, Second Edition.  Editors, D.G. Kleiman, M. Allen, and K. Thompson. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. (Invited submission) 

delBarco-Trillo, M. E. McPhee, and R. E. Johnston. 2010. Adult female hamsters can learn to avoid interspecific mating after exposure to heterospecific males.  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64:1247–1253.

delBarco-Trillo, J., K. Gulewicz, A. Segal, M. E. McPhee, R. E. Johnston.  2009.  Can captivity lead to inter-species mating in two Mesocricetus hamster species?  Journal of Zoology, 278:308-312 doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00577.x.

delBarco-Trillo, J., M. E. McPhee, R.E. Johnston. 2009.  Nonagonistic familiarity decreases aggression in male Turkish hamsters, Mesocricetus brandti. Animal Behaviour, 77:389-393  doi: 10.1016/ j.anbehav.2008.10.012.

McPhee, M.E., A.E. Ribbeck, R.E. Johnston. 2008. Male golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) are more reactive than females to a visual predator cue. Journal of Ethology, 27:137-141. DOI 10.1007/s10164-008-0099-7.

Gattermann, R., R. E. Johnston, R. N. Yigit, P. Fritzsche, S. Larimer, S. Özkurt, K. Neumann, Z. Song, E. Colak, J. Johnston, and M. E. McPhee.  2008.  Activity rhythms: Hamsters are nocturnal in captivity but diurnal in nature.  Biology Letters, 4:253-255.

McPhee, M. E. and E. S. Silverman. 2004. Determining release population size: Incorporation of behavioral and morphological variation due to captivity. Conservation Biology, 18(3):705-715.

McPhee, M. E. 2004. Morphological change in wild and captive oldfield mice, Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. Journal of Mammalogy, 85:1130-1137.

McPhee, M. E. 2003. Generations in captivity increases behavioral variance: Considerations for captive breeding and reintroduction programs. Biological Conservation, 115: 71-77.

*4th most downloaded paper in Biological Conservation, Oct 2003-Sept 2004

McPhee, M. E. 2003. Effects of captivity on response to a novel environment in the oldfield mouse (Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus). International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 16:85-94.

McPhee, M. E. 2002. Effects of captivity on behavior and morphology in the oldfield mouse, Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

McPhee, M. E. 2002. Intact carcasses as enrichment for large felids: Effects on on- and off-exhibit behaviors. Zoo Biology, 21: 37-48.

McPhee, M.E., J.S. Foster, M. Sevenich, and C.D. Saunders. 1998. Public perceptions of behavioral enrichment: Assumptions gone awry. Zoo Biology, 17: 525-534.

McPhee, M. E. 1998. Behavioral Research on Captive Mammals: Its Purpose, Effectiveness, and Perception. Master's Thesis, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan.

Non-refereed

McPhee, M. E. and E. Silverman.  2004.  Behavioral Deficiencies and the Reintroduction of Animals into the Wild.  The Conservation Behaviorist, 2(1):5 (Invited contribution).

Fascione, N. and M. E. McPhee. 2001. Carnivore conservation in the twenty-first century. Endangered Species UPDATE, 18(4): 97.

McPhee. M. E. 1998. The Audubon guide to seafood revisited. Endangered Species UPDATE, 15(6): 105-107.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Wildlife Behavior and Conservation, Environmental Studies 391, Environmental Studies Program, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Fall 2009, every fall to present)

A three-credit lecture/seminar course that combines a strong foundation in evolutionary theory and behavioral ecology with a discussion-based exploration of how that foundation can and does apply to current problems in wildlife conservation.

Principles of Wildlife Management, Environmental Studies/Biology 314/514, Environmental Studies Program and Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (every other spring semester beginning 2013)

Environmental Science, Environmental Studies/Biology 260, Environmental Studies Program and Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Fall 2009, every semester to present)

A three-credit lecture course that reviews the fundamental science of current environmental issues.

Environmental Science, Policy, and Problem Solving, Environmental Studies 370, Environmental Studies Program, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Spring 2011, every spring to present)

A three-credit lecture/project course in which students research major pieces of environmental legislation and explore how science has (or hasn't) informed and helped shape said legislation.

Introduction to Environmental Issues Environmental Studies 101, Environmental Studies Program, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Fall 2009, every fall to present)

A three-credit lecture course that introduces students to the major environmental issues of the day.

Natural Resource Management in Belize, Environmental Studies 395, Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (January 2013) 

Sustainability of Food, Environmental Studies 390, Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Spring 2010, every spring to 2012; every other spring thereafter)

A three-credit lecture course that explores the evolution of food choice in humans and the role it plays in today’s global environment.

Behavioral Response to Environmental Change, Biology 404, 504 Biology Department, The College of William and Mary (Spring 2006)

A three-credit seminar that explored emerging research in behavioral innovations and then connected these ideas to wildlife conservation. 

Seminar on Climate Change, Environmental Studies 250 Environmental Studies Program, The College of William and Mary (Spring 2006)

A one-credit seminar organized by the Environmental Studies Program.  This program brought in prominent outside speakers to give a public lecture on various issues of climate change.  After each speaker, the enrolled students broke into 12 sections that met independently to discuss the talk and assigned readings. 

Conservation Biology, Biology 404,504 Biology Department, The College of William and Mary (Fall 2005)

A four-credit lecture course with lab for undergraduates and Master's students; covered fundamental ecological concepts and how they relate to biodiversity conservation. Topics covered include evolutionary change, small populations, habitat dynamics, economics, species abundance, human behavioral ecology, and captive breeding. 

Writing: Biological Science, Biology 300 Biology Department, The College of William and Mary (Fall 2005, spring 2006)

A section required for all undergraduates for which they work closely with a professor on their writing skills.

Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Biology, BIOL 6889 Biology Department, University of Missouri-St. Louis (Fall 2004)

A two-credit graduate seminar that explored the interface of behavioral ecology and conservation biology.

Introduction to Environmental Analysis, NRE 239 School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan (Winter 2003)

A four-credit undergraduate required lecture and lab course designed to introduce students to the measurement, representation, description, and visualization of data. I covered basic statistical concepts such as mode, median, dispersion, and distribution, in addition to sampling, analysis of bivariate data, probability, and effective communication of science.

Methods in Behavioral Ecology, NRE 416 School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan (Fall 2002; teaching assistant)

A two-credit graduate and upper-level undergraduate lab course that covered collection, analysis, and presentation of behavioral data. This course built upon a lecture course, Wildlife Behavioral Ecology. Methods in Behavioral Ecology emphasized hypothesis-driven research based in fundamental evolutionary theory. The students were taken into several different field situations and were expected to observe behavior, develop hypotheses and predictions, collect appropriate data, analyze those data, and present a final paper to the class.

Behavioral Ecology and Conservation Biology, NRE 639 School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan (Fall 1998; Fall 2001)

A two-credit graduate seminar that explored the interface of behavioral ecology and conservation biology; included weekly invited outside speakers such as Andy Dobson (Princeton University), Devra Kleiman (Smithsonian Institute), and Peter Arcese (University of British Columbia).

CONSULTING and CONTRACTUAL EXPERIENCE

2008    Research contract with the U S Fish and Wildlife Service, Panama City, FL.

Hired by Dr. Devra Kleiman to work with the USFWS to develop and test protocols for the reintroduction of endangered beach mice (Peromyscus polionotus) in the panhandle of Florida.

GRANTS

2012

$11,000 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh: Faculty Development Grant

2011

$3,000  University of Wisconsin Oshkosh:  Student Faculty Collaborative Grant, Amaranta Kozuch and Brittney Wiggins co-recipients

2010

$500  University of Wisconsin Oshkosh: Faculty Development Small Grant

$7,013 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh: Faculty Development Grant

2004

$30,000 American Association of University Women: American Post Doctoral Fellowship

2002

$2,673 Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Dissertation Research Grant

2001

$10,190 Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Pre-Doctoral Fellowship

$2,000 Pittsburgh Zoological Society: Dissertation Research Grant

$1,300 School of Natural Resources and Environment, Alumni Incentives Internship Program: Dissertation Internship Grant

$450 Sigma Xi: Dissertation Research Grant

2000

$7,500 Vice President for Research, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Distinguished Faculty and Graduate Student Seminar Grant

$4,085 Chicago Zoological Society: Dissertation Research Grant

$3,780 Edna Bailey Sussman Fund: Dissertation Internship Grant

$3,000 Cleveland Zoological Society: Dissertation Research Grant

$3,000 Chevron Corporation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$1,500 Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Dissertation Research Grant

$1,000 Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Harold and Vivian Shapiro Award

$800 Sigma Xi: Dissertation Research Grant

$400 School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan: Dissertation Research Grant

1999

$5,000 Turner Foundation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$3,000 Chevron Corporation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$1,500 Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan: Dissertation Research Grant

$1,500 Denver Zoological Society: Dissertation Research Grant

1998

$144,301 Packard Foundation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$15,000 Packard Foundation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$2,000 Boone & Crockett Club Endangered Species UPDATE

$3,000 Chevron Corporation: Endangered Species UPDATE

$2,000 George Gund Foundation: Endangered Species UPDATE

1997

$10,000 Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund: Endangered Species UPDATE

HONORS and AWARDS

2003             

Distinguished Dissertation Award-presented by the University of Michigan to eight of 611 doctoral graduates in recognition of the most exceptional scholarly work produced by doctoral students in 2002, $1000

2002   

Samuel A. Graham Award-presented by faculty and administration of the School of Natural Resourcesand Environment, University of Michigan, for outstanding writing and communication skills, $2000

2001             

Howard M. Wright Memorial Prize-presented by faculty and administration of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, for outstanding graduate performance, $100

2000             

Invited member Sigma Xi Research Society

Article in Rackham Alumni Magazine, University of Michigan

Buffalo Award for Science and Nature-presented by faculty and administration of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan

1997             

Allen Schultz Memorial Award-presented by the School of Natural Resources and Environment for outstanding graduate performance

1996             

Merit Award, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, $550

1995             

Invited member of Golden Key Honor Society

1989             

Pattison Music Award - outstanding graduate in the field of music, Scripps College

Outstanding Graduate - presented in recognition of outstanding contribution to Scripps College

Elected to Scripps College Board of Trustees

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS and SERVICE

Organizations

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences

• Founding member

Animal Behavior Society

• Conservation Biology committee, 2008-present

American Society of Mammalogists

American Zoo and Aquarium Association

• Animal Welfare Committee, scientific advisor, 2001-2002

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, invited member

Society for Conservation Biology

• Treasurer, Michigan Chapter, 1998-2000

• moderated conference session, 2008

Society for the Study of Evolution

• moderated conference session, 2008

Paper reviews

• Animal Behaviour

• Animal Conservation

• Applied Animal Behavior Science

• Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

• Biological Conservation

• Conservation Biology

• Ethology

• Oecologia

INVITED LECTURES

Lawrence College, Appleton, NY, 2010

Ithaca College, Finger Lakes Workshop on Sustainability, Ithaca, NY 2009

Hofstra University, Hemphstead, NY, 2008

University of Linköping, Linköping, Sweden, 2007

- 2 lectures, and opponent for thesis defense

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 2006

College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 2005

Association of University Women, North County Chapter, St. Louis, MO, 2005

Ann Arbor Public Library, Ann Arbor, MI, 2003

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Evolution course, 2003

University of Missouri St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 2002

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Wildlife Behavior course, 2002

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Faculty/Ph.D. Research Symposium, 2002

Florida International University, Miami, FL, Wildlife Behavior course, 2001

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Conservation Biology course, 1999

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Wildlife Behavior course, 1999

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

* presenter

McPhee, M.E.* and K. Franklin.  Effects of captivity on levels of total testosterone in meadow voles. Annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, 10 to 15 June 2012, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

McPhee, M.E.* and N.F. McPhee.  Relaxed selection and environmental change decrease reintroduction success in simulated populations.  Annual meeting of the Animal Behavior Society and the International Ethological Congress, 25 to 30 July 2011, Bloomington, Indiana.

McPhee, M.E.* and D. Mayeaux*. Education for Sustainable Development: A Tale from Two Trenches.  Finger Lakes Workshop on Sustainability in Education, 26 to 28 May 2010, Ithaca, New York.

McPhee, M. E.*, A. Segal, R. E. Johnston.  Poster: Effects of predation risks on daily activity patterns in golden hamsters.  Biennial Congress of the International Society of Behavioral Ecology, 9 to 15 August 2008, Ithaca, New York.

McPhee, M. E.  Poster: Effects of captivity on pelage color in the oldfield mouse.  Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, 14 to 17 July 2008, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

McPhee, M. E.*, B. Yoon, R. E. Johnston.  Differences in skull morphology between wild and captive populations of golden hamsters.  Evolution 2008, 20 to 24 June 2008, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

McPhee, M. E.*, S. Larimer, P. Fritzche, and R. Johnston.  Activity patterns of wild golden hamsters: The importance of ecology. Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, 21 to 25 July 2007, Burlington, Vermont.

Johnston, R. E.*, M. E. McPhee, S. Larimer, Z. Song, J. Johnston.  Natural history of golden hamsters.  Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, 21 to 25 July 2007, Burlington, Vermont.

McPhee, M. E.* and N. F. McPhee.  Application of individual-based modeling to reintroduction planning.  Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, 29 July to 2 August 2004, New York, New York.

McPhee, M. E.* and E. Silverman. Calculation of release numbers for reintroduction programs I: Considering increased variation in normally distributed traits. Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, 28 June to 2 July 2003, Duluth, Minnesota.

Silverman, E.* and M. E. McPhee. Calculation of release numbers for reintroduction programs II: Considering variance changes in non-normally distributed traits. Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, 28 June to 2 July 2003, Duluth, Minnesota.

McPhee, M. E. Public perceptions of captive animal welfare. Annual Meeting of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, 9 to 14 September 2001, Ft. Worth, Texas.

McPhee, M. E. Generations in captivity increases behavioral variance: Considerations for captive breeding and reintroduction programs. Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, 14 to 17 July 2002, Bloomington, Indiana.

Silverman, E.* and M. E. McPhee. Determining release population size: Incorporation of behavioral and morphological variation due to captivity. Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society, 14 to 17 July 2002, Bloomington, Indiana.

McPhee, M.E. Effects of captivity on predator response behavior in the oldfield mouse, Peromyscus polionotus subgriseus. Annual Meeting of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, 6 to 12 September 2001, St. Louis, Missouri.

McPhee, M.E., J.S. Foster, M. Sevenich, and C.D. Saunders. Public Perceptions of Behavioral Enrichment. Third International Conference on Environmental Enrichment, 12 to 17 October 1997, Orlando, Florida.

McPhee, M.E., J.S. Foster, M. Sevenich, and C.D. Saunders. Public Perceptions of Behavioral Enrichment. Annual Meeting of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, 17 to 21 September 1996, Honolulu, Hawaii.

STUDENT ADVISING

Undergraduate research

Sara Hagedorn, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Response of wild-caught voles to a novel environment, Summer 2010

   Project:  Relationship between stereotypic and predator response behaviors in captive meadow voles, Summer 2012

Kenneth Sanderson, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Effects of temperature on meadow voles' response to chemical cues from predators, Summer 2012

Korin Franklin, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Effects of captivity on hormonal expression and breeding in the meadow vole. In progress.

Suzanne Hietpas, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Response of wild-caught voles to a complex lab environment, Summer 2010

Emily Fisher, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Response of wild-caught voles to a novel environment, Summer 2010

Diana Cartier, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Response of wild-caught voles to a visual predator stimulus, Summer 2010

Danielle Voss,University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Response of wild-caught voles to predator vocalizations, Summer 2010

Kristen Maples,University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Foraging behavior in wild-caught voles, Summer 2010

Hiba Alhomoud, Cornell University.  Project: Effects of familiarity on aggression between juvenile and adult golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), 2008-2009

Sumona Bhattacharya, Cornell University.  Project: Effects of familiarity on aggression between juvenile and adult golden hamsters, 2008-2009

Vance Difan Gao, Cornell University.  Projects: (1) Responses of golden hamsters to various types of predators, (2) Circadian response in the olfactory bulb to predator odors, and (3) Circadian patterns in hoarding behavior in golden hamsters, 2008-2009

Jessica Faust, Cornell University.  Project: The role of the flank gland in kin recognition, 2008

Andrea Segal, Cornell University.  Project: Effects of odor cues from a predator on activity patterns in golden hamsters, 2007-2008

Amanda Ribbeck, Cornell University.  Project: Effects of visual predator cues on activity patterns in golden hamsters, 2007

Lauren Rotman, Cornell University.  Project: Relationship between morphological and ecological traits and activity patterns, 2007

Bora Yoon, Cornell University.  Project: Effects of captivity on cranial size and shape in golden hamsters, 2007

Graduate research

Amaranta Kozuch, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project: Effects of a complex versus simple rearing environment on reintroduction success.  Defended May 2012.

Brittney Wiggins, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  Project:  Effects of predator training on on reintroduction success.  Defended May 2012.

COMMITTEE MEMBER

Annette Ireland, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Master's Thesis: Helminth parasitism in relation to the demography of a Neotropical forest rodent.  In progress.

Opponent for Jennie Håkansson, Linköping University, Sweden, PhD Thesis: Behaviour and genetics of red junglefowl in captive populations: models for ex-situ conservation of animals.  Defended 23 November 2007.

Chris Brown, The College of William and Mary, Honor’s Thesis: Genetic Algorithm Evolution of Food Webs. Graduated May 2006.

Jennifer DeCuir, The College of William and Mary, Honor’s Thesis: Quorum-sensing through Autoinducer-2 in Helicobacter pylori.  Graduated May 2006.