Faculty & Staff

Dr. Joey Hubbard is an Associate Professor of Biology at Truman State University. Joey joined the Truman Faculty in the fall of 2017. Prior to arriving in Kirksville, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she conducted research in biology education. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2014 and her M.S. in Biology from the College of William & Mary in 2008. Joey started her academic career at the University of Arizona (go wildcats!) where she earned a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Dr. Joey Hubbard's research interests center around avian ecology, animal behavior, and evolution. Much of her research has aimed to understand the mechanisms that influence colorful plumage in birds by examining how colorful traits are used in mate choice and their role in the process of speciation. 

Student-led projects in the Hubbard Lab have taken many forms and students are encouraged to explore their interests within the areas of ornithology, behavior, ecology, and evolution. For example, students have examined plumage color measurement methodology, responses and habituation to real and mimicked predator calls at bird feeders, and prevalence of window strikes on Truman's campus.

Representative publications:

Hubbard, J.K. & Z.W.D. Williard. 2023. Spectra of feather samples are impacted by the substrate color against which they are measured. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 135: 1-9.

Hubbard, J.K., J.A.C. Uy, M.E. Hauber, H.E. Hoekstra, R.J. Safran. 2012. Vertebrate pigmentation from underlying genes to adaptive function. Trends in Genetics 26: 231-239.

Hubbard, J.K. B.R. Jenkins, R.J. Safran. 2015. Quantitative genetics of plumage color: Lifetime effects of early nest environment on a colorful sexual signal. Ecology and Evolution 5: 3436-3449.