Rebecca Helen Penny [formerly Rebecca Penny Humphrey]
B.S., Biology + Studio Art minor | Sweet Briar College
Ph.D., Evolution, Ecology and Behavior + Genetics Minor | Indiana University
Associate Professor in Biology and Health Science
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI
​
I have wide-ranging interests in both ecology and evolution. Current research pursuits center on evolution of mating systems and pollen grain morphology in angiosperms (flowering plants).
I am passionate about teaching undergraduates and prioritize inclusive pedagogy. I regularly implement community-engaged learning that centers on ecological sustainability. I am also actively researching factors that influence student self-concept, sense of belonging, and retention of information among college students.
I enjoy participating in science outreach and programs that provide positive female role models to younger girls.
In my free time, I enjoy keeping up with my six-year-old daughter, hiking, organic and native-plant gardening, cooking, baking, yoga, and reading non-fiction.
Cryptic Dioecy
Why are sterile reproductive structures retained in flowers of the opposite sex?
Is this a vestige from a transition to dioecy, an exaptation related to pollinator-attraction, or even something else?
Pollen Heteromorphism
How does pollen morphology differ among grains within individuals? Among individuals in a population?
Among populations of the same species? What ecological factors might promote this variation (or lack thereof)?
Evolutionary Ecology
Generally, I am interested in understanding interesting and unexpected ecological phenomena within the context of microevolution and individual fitness