Professor Heide D. Island (Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, The University of Montana, Biological Psychology; M.A., Experimental Psychology, The University of Montana, Comparative Animal Behavior; B.A., Social Science, University of Alaska; B.S., Zoology, Washington State University) is a comparative biological psychologist. Dr. Island’s research interests are broadly comparative, with a specialization in risk-sensitivity, foraging behavior, and captive animal wellness. Her field training occurred in Glacier Bay, Alaska, where she contributed to focal observations and pupping estimates of harbor seals. She worked for Pacific Whale Foundation in Maui, Hawai’i, contributing to environmental education in marine eco-tourism programs. Currently, Dr. Island is a Senior Research Associate at the Oregon Zoo and supervises students in naturalistic rehabilitated and captive behavior among sea and river otters. Her field work involves marine and lacustrine foraging behavior among North American river otters (NARO) on Whidbey Island. This 5-year project (began in 2018) investigates resource choice relative to a variety of variables like season, tidal current, and time of day on foraging patch choice. She is also collecting diet and prey preference, regional density, individual ranges using DNA microsatellites from latrine samples, and organopollutant exposure from scat and salvaged carcases. This work includes both student investigators as well as local citizen scientists in data collection. The outcomes from this project will provide important information about how environmental pressures influence resource exploitation among adaptive, indicator species. Dr. Island’s important work has gained media coverage across the Puget Sound region.
- Seattle Weekly, August 21, 2019. Julia-Grace Sanders.
- Front Page of The Everett Herald, August 20, 2019. Julia-Grace Sanders.
- Newberry, R. (July 31, 2019). . Whidbey Camano Land Trust, e-Newsletter.
- Newberry, R. (July 31, 2019). . Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Blog.
- Guido, L. (July 6, 2019). . Whidbey News Times.
- Guido, L.(July 6, 2019). . South Whidbey Record.
- Egan D. (May, 2019). Local scientist, Dr. Heide Island researches residential River Otters – How you can become a citizen scientist and support your neighborhood wildlife. Admirals Cove Times, Coupeville, Washington.
Primarily Scholarly Interests
- Behavioral ecology, especially related to optimal foraging and choice theory.
- Animal welfare, principally as it pertains to animal rehabilitation, conservation, and captivity wellness.
- Comparative psychology of anxiety, depression, and boredom as its expressed among human and nonhuman animals.
Education
Ph.D. Comparative Animal Behavioral and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, May 2003
Emphasis: Statistics
Emphasis: Neuropsychology
M.A. Experimental Psychology, Comparative Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Montana, June 2002
B.A. Psychology/Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, University of Alaska, Juneau, AK, Dec. 2000 (Completed: 1999)
B.S. Zoology, Department of Zoology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, May 1996
Courses
PSY 150 | Introductory Psychology
PSY 224/225 | Comparative Animal Behavior
PSY 252 | Introduction to Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience with Lab
PSY 352 | Introduction to Sensation and Perception with Lab
PSY 452 | Behavioral and Clinical Endocrinology with Lab
PSY 420 | Special Topics: Psychopharmacology
PSY 300/301 | Research Methods and Statistics
PSY 382 | Advanced Topics in Biological Psychology
PSY 482 | Senior Capstone Thesis – Biological Psychology
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications (^denotes underÂ鶹ӰÊÓ co-author)
Island, H.D. (In Prep. Anticipated, January 2020). North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis) seasonal foraging preferences across lacustrine and marine territories on Whidbey Island, WA. Aquatic Mammals
Island, H.D., ^Win, E., ^Smith, B., ^Slyngstad, R., ^Strack, S. (In Review). Parenting Phase and Abnormal Repetitive Behavior Among Two Captive, North American River Otters (Lontra canadenesis).
^Migrants, T., ^Kiyokawa, J. M., & Island, H. D. (2019) The Relationship Between Attention, Dyslexia, and Convergence Insufficiency. International Journal of UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ Research and Creative Activities, 11(1). DOI:
Island, H.D. (2018). "Netiquette." In Warf, B. (Ed). Encyclopedia of the Internet. Sage Publication. Thousand Oaks, CA. Pp. 674-675.
Island, H.D., *Claussenius-Kalman, H. and *Wengeler, J. (2017). First documented flehmen response from a captive Southern Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris nereis), Zoo Biology, 999, 1-10.
Island, H.D. (2016). "OMG! You said what in class?! Student and professor perceptions of professional etiquette. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(10), 2477-2482
Fisher, H.E., Island H.D., Marchalik, D., and Brown, L. (2015). Four broad temperament dimensions: description, convergent validation correlations, and comparison with the Big Five. Frontiers of Psychology, 6 (1098), 1-18.
Fisher, H.E., Rich, J., Island, H.D., Marchalik, D. (2010). The second to fourth digit ratio: A measure of two hormonally based temperament dimensions. Personality and Individual Differences, 49 (7), 773-777.
Island, H.D. (2010). Game Theory in Psychology. IN An Encyclopedia of Research Methods in Psychology. Neil Salkind, Sage Publication.
Fisher, H.E., Island, H.D., Marchalik, D. & Rich, J. (Oct. 2008). Temperament as a Mechanism for Mate Choice: A hypothesis and pilot study. IN Evolutionary Family Psychology. Todd Shackelford and Catherine Salmon, Eds. Oxford University Press. Pp. 275-312.
Island, H.D., Szalda-Petree, A.P., (2007) Sex differences in risk-sensitivity under differing point budgets and predictors of choice. Journal of General Psychology, 134, (4), 435-452.
Szalda-Petree, A.D., Craft, B.B., Martin, L.M., & Deditius-Island, H.K. (2004). Self-control in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Controlling for differential stimulus exposure. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 98, 141-146.
Island, H.D. & Caruso, J.C. (2002). Reliability Generalization of Zuckerman's Sensation-Seeking Scale Form V., Educational and Psychological Measurement, 62(4), 728-734.
Grants and Awards
2018 Nichols Award AY 2018-2019
Teaching Grant: Establishment a field research protocol for Student investigators on Whidbey Island, Washington.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, OR
2017 Faculty Development Grant
Field Research: Marine Foraging North American River Otters in the Salish Sea.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, OR
2017 President's Award for Excellence in UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ Teaching
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2015 Pacific PRISM Summer Research Grant
A Behavioral Ethogram of Two Captive Southern sea otters (Enhyra lutris neresis) and the Introduction of a New Pup at the Oregon Zoo.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2015 Elise Elliot Award
Behavioral Observation of Captive Southern Sea Otters
This endowment supported a behavioral ethogram piloted during the 2014-2015 academic year.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2013 Hawthorne Fellowship, The Attic Institute
Fellows met twice a month for 5 months to share work and to refine individual creative nonfiction works for publication.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2009 Â鶹ӰÊÓ Junior Faculty Award
In recognition of outstanding early career activity as a teacher and mentor and for significant contributions to the Academy.
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2007 Faculty Research Grant
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2007 Elise Elliot Grant, Mind and Evolution Lecture Series
Â鶹ӰÊÓ, Forest Grove, Oregon
2006 Chemistry.com Research Endowment
Development of Fisher Temperament Scale
Now used commercially on Chemistry.com
Website
Learn more at .
