Dr. Elizabeth K. Peterson

Education & Training

2016 Ph.D. Biological Sciences (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program) - State University of New York-Albany
2004 B.A. Biology (Minor in Environmental Sciences) - Ithaca College

Frequently Taught Courses

BIO 3960/5460 - Mammalogy
BIO 4850 - Wildlife Techniques

Research & Creative Interests

My research focuses on understanding how anthropogenic stressors impact behavioral responses and adaptive reproductive life history strategies important for fitness. My research also explores using conservation behavior to develop management strategies that conserve species of conservation concern and endangered habitat.

Visit my research website at www.elizabethkpetersonlab.com

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications (*student co-authors)

Peterson EK, Carsella J, Varian-Ramos CW, *Schiffer T, *Staples SK, and Diawara M. Effects of lead (Pb) from smelter operations in an urban terrestrial food chain at a Colorado Superfund site.  Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 112(1):17. DOI: 10.1007/s00128-023-03846-x

Peterson EK, Jones CD, Sandmeier FC, *Arellano Rivas AP, *Back CA, *Canney A, *Fender J, *Gomez M, *Gorski J, *Heintzelman N, *Healey K, *Kester M, *Klinger D, *Liao A, Varian-Ramos CW, Vanden Heuvel B. (2021) Drought influences biodiversity in a semi-arid shortgrass prairie in southeastern Colorado. Journal of Arid Environments, 195:104633. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104633

Chock RY, Clucas B, Peterson EK, Blackwell BF, Blumstein DT, Church K, Fernandez-Juricic E, Francescoli G, Greggor A, Kemp P, Pinho G, Sanzenbacher P, Schulte BA, Toni P. (2021) Potential impacts of solar power facilities on wildlife from an animal behavior perspective. Conservation Science and Practice Journal, e319. DOI: 10.1002/csp2.319

*Back C, *Healey K, *Staples SK, Peterson EK, Vanden Heuvel B. (2020) Natural history of plant species at the Pueblo Chemical Depot. El Rio, 1(1):43-50.

Peterson EK, *Stark A, Hollocher KT, Varian-Ramos CW, Possidente B. (2020) Exposure to lead (Pb2+) eliminates avoidance of Pb-treated oviposition substrates in a dose-dependent manner in female vinegar flies. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 104(5):588-594. DOI: 10.1007/s00128-020-02825-w

Bickford N, Peterson EK, Jensen PA, Thomas DA. (2020) Undergraduates who are merely interested in research are better students than their peers. Education Sciences, 10(6): 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10060150

Peterson EK, Possidente B, *Stark A, Hollocher KT, Carrico P. (2019) Intraspecific genetic variation in reproductive strategies in susceptibility to developmental lead (Pb2+) exposure in a model system, Drosophila melanogaster. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 103(2): 233-239. DOI: 10.1007/s00128-019-02650-w

Yukilevich R, Peterson EK. (2019) The evolution of male and female mating preferences in Drosophila speciation. Evolution, 73(9): 1759-1773. DOI: 10.1111/evo.13752

Peterson EK, *Long HE. (2018) Experimental protocol for using Drosophila as an invertebrate model system for toxicity testing in the laboratory. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 137: e57450. DOI: 10.3791/57450

Peterson EK, Wilson DT, Possidente B, Possidente D, McDaniel P, Morley E, Possidente D, Hollocher KT, Ruden DM, Hirsch HVB. (2017) Accumulation, elimination, sequestration, and genetic variation of lead (Pb2+) loads within and between generations in a model system, Drosophila melanogaster. Chemosphere, 181: 368-375. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.04.091

Peterson EK, Yukilevich R, Kehlbeck J, LaRue KM, *Ferraiolo K, Hollocher K, Hirsch HVB, Possidente B.  (2017) Asymmetrical positive assortative mating induced by developmental lead (Pb2+) exposure in a model system, Drosophila melanogaster. Current Zoology, 63(2): 195-203. DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox016  

Peterson EK, Buchwalter DB, Kerby JL, Lefauve MK, Varian-Ramos CW, Swaddle JP. (2017) Integrative behavioral eco-toxicology (IBET): Bringing together fields to establish new insight to behavioral ecology, toxicology, and conservation. Current Zoology, 63(2): 185-194. DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox010  

Peterson EK, Schulte BA. (2016) Impacts of anthropogenic pollutants on beavers and otters with implications for ecosystem ramifications. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 157:33-45. DOI: 10.1111/j.1936-704X.2016.03212.x
 
Peterson EK, Carrico P. (2015) Laboratory exercise in behavioral genetics using team-based learning. Journal of College Biology Teaching, 41(2): 33-40. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1086540 

Published Book Chapters

Seymour B, Peterson EK, Chock RY. (2021) Conservation behavior: The effects of light pollution on insects. Exploring Animal Behavior in Laboratory and Field. Eds. Zimbler-DeLorenzo H, Margulis SW, 2nd edition, Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego CA.