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Faculty Member

Dr. Jessica A. Cusick

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Office: SB 242x

Biography

Dr. Jessica A. Cusick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Utah Valley University.

Check out my website www.jessicacusick.com

Teaching:
I am extremely passionate about teaching and my philosophy on teaching and mentoring stems from the belief that students need an inclusive learning environment where their thoughts and contributions are valued.

Through group discussions, hands-on activities, and one-on-one interactions students get to actively participate in their learning.Through my courses, students will develop critical thinking skills, evaluate scientific evidence, and explore their interests in biology. Through in-class activities, field trips and in-class experiments, and lectures, students will develop skills that prepare them for careers in biology and non-STEM fields.

Research:
My research links behavior, ecology, physiology, microbiology, and evolutionary biology to investigate the developmental processes and mechanisms that affect within-population variation in behavior. Using an integrative approach that combines experimental research in the field and laboratory with microbial, physiological and genetic techniques, I aim to understand how genetic, physiological, and environmental cues interact to influence individual variation in behavior. My areas of focus include cooperation, aggression, and reproduction.

Through my research program, I am thrilled to provide students with opportunities to conduct independent research projects and develop skills in science. My research program involves fieldwork, processing data in the lab, and behavioral assessments. I welcome students at all stages in their careers and interests! There are opportunities to assist with ongoing research projects or to develop your own research project.

Education

PhD, Florida State University, 2019

Major: Biological Science

MS, Florida Atlantic University, 2012

Major: Biological Sciences

BA, SUNY Binghamton University, 2009

Major: Biology and Psychology

Teaching

ZOOL 4000

Animal Behavior, Spring 2025

BIOL 1010

General Biology BB, Spring 2025

BIOL 4500

Principles of Evolution WE, Spring 2025

BIOL 4500

Principles of Evolution WE, Spring 2025

BIOL 490R

Special Topics in Biology, Spring 2025

BIOL 489R

Student Research, Spring 2025

Presentations

Cusick, Jess (Presenter & Author), Loveland, Chloe (Author Only), Grinath, Joshua B (Author Only), Animal Behavior Society, "Effects of stress on consistent nest-level behavioral variation in western thatch ants (F. obscuripes)", Animal Behavior Society, Balitmore, MD. (July, 2025)

Taylor, Marie (Presenter & Author), Deaver, Christina (Author Only), Weinpress-Galipeau, Meghan (Author Only), Fair, Patricia A. (Author Only), Bouchillon, Hannah (Author Only), Cusick, Jess (Author Only), Animal Behavior Society, "Identifying Bottlenose Dolphins (T. erebennus) Performing Novel Shipside Feeding in South Carolina", Animal Behavior Society, Balitmore, MD. (July, 2025)

Smith, Spencer (Presenter & Author), Grinath, Joshuah B (Author Only), Loveland, Chloe (Author Only), Brooks, Lauren (Author Only), Whitley, Kiara (Author Only), Cusick, Jess (Co-Author), Entomological Society of America Pacific Branch, "The effect of simulated predation on Thatch ant (Formica obscuripes) microbiome diversity and composition ", Entomological Society of America, Salt Lake City. (March, 2025)

Raby, Cassandra (Presenter & Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Author Only), Graham, Kirsty (Author Only), Madden, Joah (Author Only), The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Winter Meeting, "Online Animal Behaviour Conferences Reduce Biases in Participation", The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. (December, 2024)

Premo, Josh (Presenter & Author), Paepke-Chile, Saskia (Co-Author), Ogden, Heath (Co-Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Co-Author), Wyatt, Britt (Co-Author), ACUBE, "Difficult Conversations, Real Biology_ Student essentialist beliefs of race and biological sex". ()

Cusick, Jess , UVU GEOG 2000 Sustainability and Environment , "To Fish or Not to Fish_ Why a Fishery for the Atlantic Goliath Grouper in Florida is a Bad Idea. ". ()

Scholarly/Creative Works

Loveland, Chloe , Grinath, Joshua B, Cusick, Jessica A, "Effects of simulated bear attacks on thatch ant (Formica obscuripes) defense of honeydew-producing aphids" . Ethology.

Gohmann, Luke , Cusick, Jessica A, Demas, Gregory E., Wellman, Cara L, (2025) "Maternal Stress and Maternal Microbiome Manipulations Remodel Offspring Medial Prefrontal Cortex in a Sex-Dependent Manner" . Developmental Neurobiology.

Cusick, Jessica (co-lead) A, George, Ebi , Greenway, E.V. (Ginny) , Wave, Mukta , Graham, Kirsty E., Raby, Cassandra (co-lead) L, (2024) "Is it time to get over the X? Assessing the global impact and future of social media conferences in animal behaviour" (vol. 213). Animal Behaviour.

Murie, D. J., Parkyn, D. C., Koenig, C. C., Coleman, F. C., Malinowski, C. R., Cusick, Jess , Ellis, R. D., (2023) "Age, Growth, and Functional Gonochorism with a Twist of Diandric Protogyny in Goliath Grouper from the Atlantic Coast of Florida" . Fishes.

Raby, Cassandra (co-lead) L, Cusick, Jessica (co-lead) A, Fürtbauer, Ines , Graham, Kirsty E., Hauber, Mark E., Madden, Joah R., Strauss, Amy , Fernández-Juricic, Esteban , (2022) "An inclusive venue to discuss behavioural biology research_ the first global Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference" (vol. 187). Animal Behaviour.

Cusick, Jessica A, Wellman, Cara L, Demas, Gregory E, (2022) "Maternal stress and the maternal microbiome have sex-specific effects on offspring development and aggressive behavior in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)" (vol. 141). Hormones and Behavior.

Awards

Engagement Awad

Department of Biology - April, 2025

Award for my service and leadership relating to Engagement both in the department, for the university, and my profession.

Student Competition Undergraduate Poster Second Place

Entomological Society of America Pacific Branch - April, 2025

Spencer Smith won second place for his undergraduate poster on this research in my lab. I am his research mentor.

Distinguished University Employee Faculty Senate Award for Service Nominee

UVU College of Science - January, 2025

Distinguished University Employee Faculty Senate Award for tenure-track service for the College of Science!

SPOT Award

UVU - March, 2024

Most Valuable Professor

UVU Athletics Dept - January, 2024

Faculty Excellenc Award Nominee

This award is for completing the Foundations of Inclusion Workshop Series in 2023. I completed 10 workshops in the 2 year period_

Accessibility, ADA, and Autism May 30 2022
Ageism December 5 2022
Class and Socioeconomic Status March 30 2022
Gender Dec 2 2022
Interreligious, Interfaith, Worldview December 31 2021
Queer Identity and Sexuality November 16 2021
Race and Ethnicity November 14 2022
Supporting Undocumented Students January 26 2022
Intersectionality January 25 2023
Dialogue September 19 2022
Anti-Racism, Racial Justice, and Whiteness Spring 2022
Microaggressions November 15 2022

NIH T32 Common Themes in Reproductive Diversity (CTRD) Postdoctoral Fellow

National Institutes of Health and Indiana University - August 1, 2019

Warder Clyde Allee Competition Participant

Animal Behavior Society - July, 2019

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Dissertation Fellowship

American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Nominee

Florida State University

Cusick, Jess , Animal Behavior, "From Eusocial Insects to Social Dolphins_ Studying the Hows and Whys of Cooperation", , MacAlaster University. (November 17, 2024)

Murie, Debra (Presenter & Author), Parkyn, Daryl (Author Only), Koenig, Christopher (Author Only), Coleman, Felicia (Author Only), Malinowski, Christopher (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A (Author Only), Ellis, Robert E (Author Only), American Fisheries Society, "Functional Gonochorism with a Twist of Diandric Protogyny in Goliath Grouper from Atlantic Florida", . (September, 2024)

Cusick, Jessica A, George, Ebi Antony (Co-Author), Greenway, Ginny (Co-Author), Graham, Kirsty (Co-Author), Raby, Cassadnra L (Co-Author), The Future of Scientific Conferencing, "Is it time to get over the X? Assessing the global impact and future of social media conferences in animal behaviour", , Virtual. (June, 2024)

Cusick, Jess , ISU SPARK a FIRE Spring Symposium, "From Eusocial Insects to Social Dolphins_ Studying the Hows and Whys of Cooperation", , Idaho State University. (April, 2024)

Black, Kanon (Presenter & Author), Ogden, Heath , Wyatt, Britt , Premo, Josh , Cusick, Jess , UCUR, "Religion, Evolution and Vaccinations_ Perceptions from a GE Student Population", , Utah Valley University. (February, 2024)

Backman, Eden (Presenter & Author), Wyatt, Britt (Co-Author), Flanary, Kandace (Co-Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Co-Author), Ogden, Heath (Co-Author), Premo, Josh (Co-Author), Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research (UCUR), "Gender Disparities in the Pursuit of Biology at UVU", , Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research, Orem, UT. (February, 2024)

Habel, Alyssa (Presenter & Author), Wyatt, Britt (Co-Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Co-Author), Ogden, Heath (Co-Author), Premo, Josh (Co-Author), Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research (UCUR), "Intersectionality and Vaccine Hesitancy", , Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research, Orem, UT. (February, 2024)

Hassan, Kariman (Presenter & Author), Premo, Josh (Co-Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Co-Author), Ogden, Heath (Co-Author), Wyatt, Britt (Co-Author), Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research (UCUR), "Modeling Science Immersion_ Precursors and Impacts", , Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research, Orem, UT. (February, 2024)

Black, Kanon (Presenter & Author), Ogden, Heath (Co-Author), Wyatt, Britt (Co-Author), Premo, Josh (Co-Author), Cusick, Jessica A (Co-Author), Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research (UCUR), "Religion, Evolution and Vaccinations_ Perceptions from a GE Student Population", , Utah Conference for Undergraduate Research, Orem, UT. (February, 2024)

Cusick, Jess , Animal Behavior, "Coopeation - The Proxmiate and Ultimate Mechanisms", , MacAlaster University. (November, 2023)

Premo, Josh (Presenter & Author), Cusick, Jess (Author Only), Ogden, Heath (Author Only), Wyatt, Britt (Author Only), 2023 Utah State Science Teachers Association Conference, "Science Immersion Using 3D Science Standards.", , Utah State Science Teachers Association. (September, 2023)

Rabellino, Lia C. (Presenter & Author), Rotter, Michael C. (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A., ALAN2023 - Artificial Light at Night , "Shedding light on ALAN_ Defining and implementing light pollution monitoring protocol in the Gillmor Sanctuary", , Artificial Light at Night Organization, Calgary Alerberta, CA. (August, 2023)

Loveland, Chloe (Presenter & Author), Grinath, Joshua B., Cusick, Jessica A. (Author Only), ABS 2023 Portland, "Does stress impact mutualism? How predation affects aggressive defense of aphids in honeydew-tending ants", , Animal Behavior Society, Portland. (July, 2023)

Black, Tessa (Presenter & Author), Demas, Gregory E. (Author Only), Wellman, Cara L. (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A. (Author Only), ABS 2023 Portland, "Effects of maternal stress and gut microbiome on offspring social behaviors in long-bout stress", , Animal Behavior Society, Portland. (July, 2023)

Hewitt, Alissa (Presenter & Author), Gohmann, Luke D (Author Only), Munley, Kathleen M. (Author Only), Wellman, Cara L. (Author Only), Demas, Gregory E. (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A. (Author Only), ABS 2023 Portland, " Effects of photoperiod on gut microbiome-behavior relationships in Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus). ", , Animal Behavior Society, Portland. (July, 2023)

Cusick, Jessica A. (Presenter & Author), ABS 2023 Portland, "From (Eu)Social Insects to Social Media_ Studying the Hows and Whys of Cooperation", , Animal Behavior Society, Portland. (July, 2023)

Premo, Josh (Presenter & Author), Hassan, K (Author Only), Hughes, S (Author Only), Beckman, E (Author Only), Lund, Jon (Author Only), Cusick, Jess (Author Only), Ogden, Heath (Author Only), Wyatt, Britt (Author Only), Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research’s National Conference, "What Makes Science Relevant_ The Role of Science Immersion", , Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research’s National Conference. (July, 2023)

Wyatt, Britt (Presenter & Author), Cusick, Jess , Ogden, Heath (Author Only), Hassan, Kariman (Author Only), Backman, Eden (Author Only), Lund, Jon (Author Only), Bischoff, Porter (Author Only), Garret, Kody (Author Only), Premo, Josh (Presenter & Author), XDBER 2023, "Students’ Relationship with Science_ It’s Complicated. ", . (April, 2023)

Lund, Jon (Presenter & Author), Ogden, Heath (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A (Author Only), Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR), "Students Agree Evolution is Occurring, but Do Not Think Scientists Agree", . (February 17, 2023)

Cusick, Jessica A (Presenter & Author), Gohmann, Luke (Author Only), Munley, Kath (Author Only), Wellman, Cara (Author Only), Demas, Gregory (Author Only), Second Global Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference, "‘Tis it the season? The influence of photoperiod on microbiome-behavior relationships in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)", , Animal Behavior Society and ASAB. (January 19, 2023)

Loveland, Chloe (Presenter & Author), Grinath, Joshua (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica A (Author Only), Second Global Animal Behaviour Twitter Conference, "Does stress impact mutualism? How predation affects aggressive defense of aphids in honeydew-tending ants. ", , Animal Behavior Society and ASAB. (January 18, 2023)

Gohmann, Luke (Presenter & Author), Demas, Gregory (Author Only), Wellman, Cara (Author Only), Cusick, Jessica (Author Only), Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, "Maternal stress and microbiome manipulations remodel offspring prefrontal cortex dendrites in sex-dependent manner. ", , Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. (January 6, 2023)

Cusick, Jessica A., Wellman, Cara L., Demas, Greg E. , (2021) "The call of the wild_ using non-model systems to investigate microbiome–behaviour relationships" (Issue: 10, vol. 224). Journal of Experimental Biology.

Adaniya, Kate H, Wellman, Cara L, Demas, Greg E, Cusick, Jessica A, (2021) "The ontogeny of personality_ Repeatability of social and escape behaviors across developmental stages in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). " (vol. 335). Journal of Experimental Zoology . https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2499

Cusick, Jessica A., DuVal, Emily H, Cox, James A, (2021) "Breeder aggression does not predict current or future cooperative group formation in a cooperatively breeding bird" (vol. 127). Ethology. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.13141

Malinowski, Christopher R., Stacy, Nicole I, Coleman, Felicia C, Cusick, Jessica A, Dugan, Carle M, Koenig, Christopher C, Ragbeer, Natassjia K, Perrault, Justin R, (2021) "Mercury offloading in gametes and potential adverse effects of high mercury concentrations in blood and tissues of Atlantic Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara in the southeastern United States." (vol. 779). Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146437