The Ecology of Ticks

Biology Professor, Jessica Rettig, discusses her tick research at Denison's Biological Reserve and various Licking County parks, where she and her students record data to reveal more about tick habits, environmental preferences, and population statistics. 

Dr. Rettig has been teaching at Denison since the fall of 2000 and currently is a full professor in the Biology Department and the Director of the Global Health Program. Dr. Rettig teaches introductory and advanced courses in biology, Introduction to Global Health, and she has taught in Denison's Writing Program. Dr. Rettig's graduate training centered on ecology and evolutionary biology and she earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University, completing much of her research at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station. In addition to teaching, she conducts research in aquatic ecology and, beginning in 2025, on tick ecology. Dr. Rettig serves as the coordinator of Denison's Anderson Science Program where she is responsible for organizing and supporting an undergraduate summer research experience program for 60-70 students annually. She also directs Denison's S-STEM Program, which uses a grant from the National Science Foundation to support mentoring pathways for students in the sciences. Outside of Denison, Dr. Rettig served as a Peer Reviewer for colleges and universities undergoing accreditation reviews with the Higher Learning Commission, and more recently has served as a peer review on grant panels at the National Science Foundation.