Education:

  • Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, 1993
  • M.S. University of Vermont, 1987
  • B.S. Millersville University (formerly Millersville State College), 1976

Scholarly and Creative Interests

From an early age, I’ve been intrigued by animals that are fundamentally different than us. Amphibians and reptiles fit this bill to a tee and my graduate research reflects this side of me in the projects that I pursued - sexual selection in relation to parasite load in lizards, the role of secondary compounds in diet selection of an herbivorous lizard, and the interrelationships between calling effort, temperature, and muscle physiology in male frogs. My graduate studies took me to field sites in northern California, the Caribbean, and Panama and Costa Rica for extended periods of time, and my time in the field strongly influenced the way that I approach teaching at COA, i.e. getting students outside as much as possible.

Teaching is at the heart of what I do at COA but I also engage students in field research, primarily in conjunction with Acadia National Park. In 2017, I will begin my first field season examining the physiology and ecology of Spotted Salamanders that breed in vernal pools subject to elevated levels of salinity.

More Information about my Courses

See my website.

More About Me

My fascination with the animals I study also extends to photographing them. I also enjoy hiking, camping, cycling, playing ice hockey, fly fishing, and listening to The Beatles. 

Publications

Steve has published in OecologiaCopeiaThe Journal of Experimental BiologyPhysiological and Biochemical Zoology, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, and Herpetological Review. He also writes articles for the popular press from time to time.

Steve’s photographs have appeared in Maine Amphibians and Reptile.