Skip to main content

Dr. Thom DeWitt

Clinical Associate Professor

University of North Texas

Department of Multidisciplinary Innovation

Email: Thomas.Dewitt@unt.edu

Education

  • PhD, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1996
    Major: Biological Sciences

Professional Positions

    Academic - Post-Secondary

  • Clinical Associate Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2023 - Present).

Professional Memberships

  • Society for the Study of Evolution. (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024).
  • Society for the Study of Evolution. (January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023).

Development Activities

  • Seminar (Professional development seminars), 2024 Professional development seminars (10), PBLWorks, UNT (BUS, DMI, etc.). United States of America. (January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024).
  • Seminar, 2024 DMI faculty research seminars (5), DMI. Frisco TX,TX,United States of America. (February 1, 2024 - October 29, 2024).
  • Conference Attendance, 2024 Society for the Study of Evolution / American Society of Naturalists, DMI Faculty Development. Montreal,Quebec,Canada. (July 26, 2024 - July 30, 2024).
  • Seminar, 2023 DMI faculty research seminars (3), DMI. United States of America. (January 2023 - December 2023).
  • Seminar (Professional development seminars), 2023 Professional development seminars (10), Chronicle of Higher Education, McGraw Hill, UNT Student Services, DMI. United States of America. (January 2023 - December 2023).
  • Conference Attendance, 2023 Society for the Study of Evolution / American Society of Naturalists, DMI Faculty Development. Albuquerque,NM,United States of America. (June 21, 2023 - June 25, 2023).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

    University of North Texas

  • BIOL 1132 - Environmental Science, 14 courses.
  • GEOG 1710 - Earth Science, 2 courses.

Non-Credit Instruction

  • Guest Lecture, DMI, UNT Frisco, 8 participants. (April 21, 2024 - April 28, 2024).
  • Management/Executive Development, UNT, 62 participants. (January 16, 2023 - December 15, 2023).
  • Workshop, New College, UNT Frisco; Frisco ISD, 200 participants. (April 1, 2023 - June 6, 2023).
  • Guest Lecture, New College, UNT Frisco, 8 participants. (April 17, 2023).

Awards and Honors

  • Emeritus Status, Texas A&M University. (May 18, 2023).
  • Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Applied & Collaborative Studies. (April 26, 2024).
  • Recognition for representing UNT Values, UNT System Values Council. (April 23, 2024).
  • Recognition for representing UNT values, UNT System Values Council. (April 23, 2024).
  • DC Faculty Fellow, Office of Research and Innovation. (October 12, 2023).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Journal Article

  • Blanchard, R.C., DeWitt, T.J., Young, S., Perkin, J.S. (2024). Predictability and conceptual repeatability of the predator-associated burst speed ecophenotype in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Journal of Fish Biology. 2024 (1) 14. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15665
  • Bernal, J.S., Helms, A.M., Fontes-Puebla, A.A., DeWitt, T.J., Kolomeits, M.V., Grunseich, J.M. (2023). Root volatile profles and herbivore preference are mediated by maize domestication, geographic spread, and modern breeding. Planta. 257 18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-022-04057-0
  • DeWitt, T.J. (2022). A simplified perspective on the index of spatial autocorrelation. Landscape Ecology.
  • DeWitt, T.J., Troendle, N.J., Mateos, M., Mauricio, R. (2021). Population genetics and independently replicated evolution of predator-associated burst speed ecophenotypy in mosquitofish. 128 45–55.
  • Mays, J.R., DeWitt, T.J., Dharampal, P., Andrus, C.T., Findlay, R.H. (2021). Frequent habitat migration, phenotypic plasticity, and residual ecophenotypy reveal. 20 639–656.
  • DeWitt, T., Fuentes, J.I., Thomas, I.R., Bishop, M.P. (2021). Rectifying I: three point and continuous fit of the spatial autocorrelation metric, Moran’s I, to ideal form. Landscape Ecology.
  • DeWitt, T.J. (2016). Expanding the phenotypic plasticity paradigm to broader views of trait space and ecological function. 62 463-473.
  • Ruehl, C.B., Shervette, V., DeWitt, T.J. (2011). Replicated shape variation between simple and complex habitats in two estuarine fishes. 103 147–158.
  • Tobler, M., DeWitt, T.J., Schlupp, I., García de León, F.J., Herrmann, R., Feulner, P.G., Tiedemann, R., Plath, M. (2008). Toxic hydrogen sulfide and dark caves: Phenotypic and genetic divergence across two abiotic environmental gradients in Poecilia mexicana. 62 2643–2659.
  • Johnson, J.B., DeWitt, T.J., Burt, D.B. (2008). Form, function, and fitness: pathways to survival. 62 1243-1251.

Presentations Given

    Exhibit

  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), NTN! Y2 Final Project Presentations, Are you smarter than an NTN! senior? (Quiz-bowl activity), DMI, Frisco, United States of America. (2024).

    • Invited Talk

  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), Palao Mendizabal, A. (Author & Presenter), Brindle, T. (Author & Presenter), Grohman, M. (Author & Presenter), 2024 Project-based Learning Symposium, Reverse-engineering our ideal PBL graduate, College of Applied and Collaborative Studies, Frisco, United States of America. (2024).

    • Oral Presentation

  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, Coopting spatial analysis for trait-explicit multivariate population genetic data, Society for the Study of Evolution / American Society of Naturalists, Montreal, Canada, United States of America. (2024).
  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), 2024 DMI Seminar Series, Placemaking.Org—Training Grant Idea for DMI programs, DMI, Frisco, TX, United States of America. (2024).
  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), 2023 DMI Seminar Series, Chance versus determinism in the process of evolution—Which wins? (Determinism), DMI, Frisco, TX, United States of America. (2023).
  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), Evolution 2023, Phenotypes induced in mosquitofish by functionally-distinct predators – bluegill sunfish and dragonfly, Society for the Study of Evolution / American Society of Naturalists, Albequerque, NM, United States of America. (2023).

    • Poster

  • DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), Project-based Learning Symposium, PBL in Environmental Science: Designing the UNT Wetland Preserve, College of Applied and Collaborative Studies, Frisco, United States of America. (2024 - 2025).
  • Derdeyn, L. (Author & Presenter), DeWitt, T. (Author & Presenter), Watson, S.E. (Author & Presenter), Project-based Learning Symposium, Core PBL Multidisciplinary Integration Between Science, Social Science, and Liberal Arts, College of Applied and Collaborative Studies, Frisco, United States of America. (2024 - 2025).

    • Webinar

  • Evans, H. (Author & Presenter), DeWitt, T. (Coordinator/Organizer), NTN! / DMI Integrative Seminar, Population, Climate Change, and Gender Equity, Population Connection (NGO), Virtual, United States of America. (2024).

Contracts, Grants, Sponsored Research

    Grant - Research

  • DeWitt, T.J., "Geospatial analysis of multivariate population genetic data," sponsored by UNT New College, Local, $2500 Funded. (2023 - 2024).
  • DeWitt, T.J., "Environmental surveying tools and curricula," sponsored by UNT New College, Local, $1198 Funded. (2023 - 2023).
  • DeWitt, T.J., "Phenotypic plasticity and off-plane phenotypy induced in mosquitofish by functionally distinct predators," sponsored by UNT New College, Local, $2467 Funded. (2023 - 2023).

Service

University Service

  • Committee Member, DMI Bachelor of Applied Science Development Committee. (December 5, 2023 - Present).
  • Committee Member, CACS Faculty Hiring Guidebook Committee (ad hoc). (September 8, 2023 - Present).
  • Faculty Advisor, UNT Wetland Preserve Planning Group. (January 18, 2023 - Present).
  • Committee Member, CACS PBL Symposium Planning Committee. (September 18, 2024 - May 2, 2025).
  • Other (Attendee - at least 9 events), 2024 General support of UNT and CACS programmatic activity (9 items). (January 13, 2024 - December 31, 2024).
  • Reference Writer, CACS Awards Committee. (December 20, 2024).
  • Reference Writer, CACS Executive Committee. (November 19, 2024).
  • Committee Member, DMI ENGL Faculty Search. (January 22, 2024 - May 6, 2024).
  • Committee Member, CACS Strategic Alignment Planning Committee. (February 29, 2024 - April 30, 2024).
  • Committee Member, UNT FRIP Renovation Committee. (February 8, 2023 - April 2024).
  • Other (Participant), UNT Solar Eclipse Activity: Poetry in the Dark. (April 8, 2024).
  • Committee Member, UNT Solar Eclipse Planning Committee. (November 15, 2023 - April 8, 2024).
  • Committee Member, FISD Mindbenders Academy Planning Committee. (February 2023 - March 2024).
  • Other (Attendee - 5 presentation events), 2023 NTN! Events. (January 2023 - December 2023).
  • Other (Attendee - 5 presentation events), 2023 PDA Events. (January 2023 - December 2023).
  • Program Organizer (Attendee - Varied presentation events), BIOL 1132 (PDA implementation) Project Presentations. (January 16, 2023 - November 13, 2023).
  • Other (Attendee - Workshop), APDA; Student Services Event. (October 3, 2023).

Public Service

  • Committee Member, Frisco Natural Resources Master Planning Committee. Frisco TX, TX. (November 1, 2023 - Present).

Professional Service

  • Adjudicator, Society for the Study of Evolution. (July 27, 2024).
  • Adjudicator, Society for the Study of Evolution. (June 27, 2023).

Consulting

  • Academic, Magda Grohman, United States of America. (December 8, 2023 - December 9, 2023).
  • Academic, Sarvjeet Singh, United States of America. (January 24, 2023 - January 25, 2023).