Department of Biology

Colleen Hitchcock

Colleen Hitchcock, Assistant Professor of Ecology Professor of Ecology
Biology Department
Environmental Studies Program

Academic Profile

I am a community ecologist with broad interests in participatory science, conservation biology, and climate change, which I explore through my courses, research with students, and collaborations with the public. My teaching emphasizes experiential learning and cultivating bioliteracy, while my research leverages participatory science for ecological inquiry and conservation efforts, often involving students in real-world projects.

Teaching

My teaching centers on undergraduate education, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning through participatory science research. In my courses, students don't just learn about science; they actively engage in it, often contributing to real-world research projects.

A core objective across all my teaching is to cultivate bioliteracy. I strive to create a learning environment where students develop the skills to "read" and understand the vast "library" of biological knowledge that surrounds them. This means building crucial context, connecting the ecological and evolutionary theories taught in my courses to the species and natural phenomena students encounter in their daily lives.

I regularly teach:
  • Ecology (BIOL 23a)
  • Conservation Biology (BIOL 17b)
  • Participatory Science (EBIO 33b)
  • Biology of Climate Change (BIOL 39b)

Research Background

My research is focused on community ecology, with an emphasis on leveraging participatory science to foster ecological inquiry and conservation efforts, particularly by involving students directly in research. I’m a collaborative researcher involved in work looking at the signature of climate change in local habitats, urban ecology, pollinator use of living collections, and the reach of participatory science. I have been a regional organizer of the City Nature Challenge in the Boston area since 2017.

My foundational research experience stems from my doctoral work under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Janzen at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, my research explored the fascinating world of caterpillar protective coloration, specifically how these larvae avoid visually-orienting predators in diverse habitats like forests and old fields. This included detailed studies on mimicry complexes, such as those involving the iconic monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus), and field experiments testing the efficacy of "predator-free spaces" on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

Awards

  • 2024-2025 US-UK Fulbright Commission's Global Challenges Teaching Award in Climate Change. The GCTA Award provides students with an immersive, cross-cultural learning experience focused on addressing the critical issue of climate change through a Virtual Exchange/Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) project within Biol 39: Biology of Climate Change in partnership with Prof. Will Quirke at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, Scotland).

  • 2024 recipient of the Louis Dembitz Brandeis Prize for Excellence in Teaching. This award recognizes a single individual (nominated by students) each year for their outstanding teaching.

  • 2014 recipient of the Rev. John R. Trzaska, S.J. Award, which is given annually at Boston College to the faculty member who expanded the horizons, skills and value systems of students by providing support and guidance outside of the classroom. (Video of the Rev. John R. Trzaska, S.J. Award)

Selected Publications

  • Callaghan CT, Mesaglio T, Ascher JS, Brooks TM, Cabras AA, Chandler M, … Hitchcock C, …. et al. (2022) The benefits of contributing to the citizen science platform iNaturalist as an identifier. PLoS Biol 20(11): e3001843. 

  • Fraisl D, Hager G, Bedessem B, Gold M, Hsing P, Danielsen F, Hitchcock C, Hulbert J, Piera J, Spiers H, Thiel M, Haklay M., (2022) Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences. Nat Rev Methods Primers 2, 64. 

  • Vance-Chalcraft, H., A. Hurlbert, J. Styrsky, T. Gates, G. Bowser, C. Hitchcock, M. Reyes, C. Cooper, (2022). Citizen Science in Postsecondary Education: Current Practices and Knowledge Gaps, BioScience, 72,(3), p 276–288.

  • Hitchcock, C., Sullivan, J. and O’Donnell, K., (2021). Cultivating Bioliteracy, Biodiscovery, Data Literacy, and Ecological Monitoring in Undergraduate Courses with iNaturalist. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 6(1), p.26.

  • Hitchcock, C., Vance-Chalcraft, H. and Aristeidou, M., (2021). Citizen Science in Higher Education. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 6(1), p.22. 

  • Matassa, C. and C. Hitchcock. (2021) Bioblitz Assessment of Rocky Intertidal Biodiversity within the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Northeastern Naturalist 25(sp9), 200-234. 

  • Callaghan CT, Ozeroff I, Hitchcock C, and Chandler M (2020) Capitalizing on opportunistic citizen science data to monitor urban biodiversity: A multi-taxa framework, Biological Conservation, 251, (108753).

  • Morse-Harding, C. and C. Hitchcock. (2018) A Review of Opportunities for Science Research and Place-based Science Storytelling in the Undergraduate Classroom Utilizing Archival Material. SocArXiv. 10.31235/osf.io/zxmv4

  • Polgar, C., Primack, R., Williams, E., Stitcher, S., Hitchcock, C. (2013). Climate effects on the flight period of Lycaenid butterflies in Massachusetts. Biological Conservation. 160: 25-31.

  • Polgar, C., Primack, R., Williams, E., Hitchcock, C., Stitcher, S., (2012) The effect of temperature and precipitation on the timing of the adult flight period of Lycenid butterflies in Massachusetts. 97th ESA Annual Convention. Conference Paper.