Research Interests

I am a behavioral ecologist, with broad interests in understanding the environmental perceptions and preferences of animals. I have had the pleasure of working with a variety of captive (zoo/aquarium/lab-housed) and free-ranging species. I thoroughly enjoy the research process, and value the opportunity to share that passion with my students! I have served as a research advisor for both Honors College (HC 3900) and Independent Study (Bio 4995 and 5995) projects at Oakland University. Below are a few examples of current and former research endeavors. If you are a current Oakland University student interested in pursuing research opportunities, please contact me directly (stroxellsmith@oakland.edu) to chat! :-)

Oakland University Research Projects

(Research advisor to both undergraduate and graduate students)

Assessing learning in the Chocolate Chip Sea Star

(Homann, 2024- present)

Monitoring species diversity in the OU Biological Preserve (in conjunction with Snapshot USA 2024)

(Mechlowitz and Greene, 2024)

Investigation into the breeding behavior of dubia roaches

(Mailloux, 2023-2024)

Using technology to determine foraging preferences of native MI bird species

(Montalto, Limbert, and Rank, 2023-present)

The foraging ecology of American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) (Penrose, 2021-present)

Visitor effects on behavior and space-use of rays in captivity (Traux and Meri, 2022-2023)

Effects of behavioral modification training in animal shelters (Mansour, 2021-2022)

Captive elasmobranch behavior and space use, and dogfish shark stereotypic behavior (Hart, 2018-2020)

Effects of enrichment on resource guarding in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) (Stefanko, 2021)

Elasmobranch Behavior and Enrichment:

How do elasmobranchs respond to enrichment objects and environmental changes in quarantine? (Purdy, 2020)

Effects of human hunting on the foraging behavior and preferences of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Carden, 2018)

An observational study on the contributions of environmental factors on the social behaviors of Pan troglodytes. (Chande, 2018-2019)

Oakland University Biological Preserve Animal Biodiversity Survey

Oakland University beaver population monitoring- began Dec 2023

As of Feb 2024, we have confirmed the presence of 2 beaver in the OU Biological Preserve!

Beaver

We began monitoring animal (mammal and bird) biodiversity in the OU Biological Preserves in Fall 2018. We periodically survey various sites throughout the perserves using motion-activated trail cams.

In 2024, we partnered with Snapshot USA, a nation-wide effort coordinated by the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, to document and monitor mammalian populations across the United States! We are very excited about continuing to contribute to this important effort for years to come!

Please visit our OU Animal Behavior Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest updates!