Once a niche field at SUNY New Paltz, the Evolutionary Studies Program (EvoS) is attracting more and more students each year who are excited by innovative research connecting Darwin’s theories to today’s challenges. 

The program, primarily founded in 2008 by Professor Glenn Geher of the Department of Psychology, is focused on providing opportunities for faculty and students to develop a deep understanding of evolutionary ideas, conduct cross-disciplinary research, and apply core concepts of evolutionary reasoning in novel, sometimes unexpected ways.  

"A lot of people tend to think that evolution is fully confined to the biological sciences and that it’s only about DNA, and they don’t really see the relevance beyond that,” said Geher. “The EvoS program really tries to correct that.” 

That is done through a consistent partnership with the Honors Program and special events like the ongoing annual EvoS Seminar Series. Eight special speakers are visiting campus to give unique lectures in spring 2025, ranging from topics like “An evolutionary perspective on education” from Florida Atlantic University professor David Bjorklund on March 31, to “The evolution of menopause and post-reproductive life” from the University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty member Lynnette Leidy Sievert on April 21. 

Finding EvoS in surprising careers 

Katie Gruskin ’17 ’19g (Early Childhood & Childhood Education) knew she wanted to be a teacher even before she learned about Evolutionary Studies as a member of the New Paltz Honors Program. She found herself fascinated by the idea, informed by her EvoS studies, that the modern classroom might better serve students by adding more hands-on and collaborative learning exercises. 

Gruskin continued to research these ideas, working closely with Geher on a survey of fellow New Paltz students, presenting her findings at the Northeastern Evolutionary Psychology Symposium, and eventually securing a rare achievement for an undergraduate student: She was lead author (with co-author Geher) on “The Evolved Classroom: Using Evolutionary Theory to Inform Elementary Pedagogy,” which appeared in the journal Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences in October 2017. 

“I approached Glenn about doing a thesis with him on the evolution and education connection and he pushed me outside of my comfort zone as an education major,” said Gruskin. “It’s led to a lot of really awesome things and went from there.” 

The publication reflected the deepening connection between teaching and evolutionary studies that continues to define Gruskin’s professional expertise. Now an elementary school teacher, she is enjoying opportunities to deploy evolutionary ideas about teaching and learning in real-world classrooms, and is even documenting her findings on her Substack, “Evolving Classrooms: Ways we can use evolutionary theory to better our schools.” 

"Katie is someone who, to my mind, 20 years from now is going to be a leader in this field and we’ll see what kind of positive difference it makes,” added Geher. 

Her unique perspective lends itself to a different take on education that ultimately benefits her students.  

"I almost dropped the topic for a while because it seems self-explanatory,” said Gruskin. “It didn’t seem to be a question in my mind that of course kids learned through play and collaboration. But the more experience I’ve gotten teaching, the more I see that it does need to be named because education is moving towards rigor, and kids aren’t getting the chance to play and explore like they have in years past.” 

Beyond sharing these insights with her newsletter readers, Gruskin has also come back to her alma mater to share with the next generation of New Paltz students. In spring 2025, she is teaching a section of the Evolutionary Studies Seminar class, and has worked with Geher’s research team, the New Paltz Evolutionary Psychology Lab, to help some of the students earn their own publication credit, as co-authors of “Stakeholders’ Roles in Evolutionizing Education: An Evolutionary-Based Toolkit Surrounding Elementary Education,” which found a spot in the international, open-access journal Behavioral Sciences.  

"We have several students who now have an academic publication record out of it,” said Geher. “I think that is really impressive and good for the school and the students.” 

For example, Mariah Griffin ’18 (Psychology) ’24g (Psychological Science), a member of that research team who was one of the co-authors with Gruskin, was recently accepted to the Developmental Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Virginia. 

A building block for continued research 

The ability to conduct research and meet other experts in the field has been extremely useful for EvoS students. When Alexandra Shea ’17 (Contract) attended a speaker seminar by world-renowned primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist Patricia Wright, who has done extensive research on wild lemurs, she left feeling inspired and in awe of the work she was doing. She wanted to get out and do fieldwork, too. Shortly after graduating, Shea ended up working alongside Wright in Madagascar. 

But that didn’t happen overnight. When Shea first came to SUNY New Paltz, she had no idea she might end up studying animals for a living. She was a first-generation student who didn’t necessarily know what path to take, but had faith that she’d figure it out one way or another.  

"The only kind of home I had was this evolutionary studies minor,” said Shea, who was also an Honors student. “Because I was a contract major, I didn’t have a home department or a cohort. Having that capstone seminar series with all of these speakers from different places was so pivotal in my journey.” 

Her Honors thesis was the very first time that she looked into scientific literature on animal behavior, opening up a new future ahead of her during what was her last semester at New Paltz. That same semester was Wright’s seminar talk, and Shea had the opportunity to hear directly from an expert in the field. She was the only speaker who focused on animals that year.  

"Her talking at New Paltz, giving me accessibility to someone doing this work, was incredibly impactful,” said Shea. “It gives you access to an amazing, diverse array of academics.” 

After that, Shea completed her degree with an Honors thesis that featured original research conducted in Kenya. A couple of years after she graduated, Geher supported her in reaching out to Wright about possible opportunities to continue animal research. Just two weeks later, she was packing her bags and flying to Madagascar to assist Wright in the same research that she presented on in the EvoS seminar. 

Today, Shea is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis, continuing her studies in animal behavior and geography. Her letters of recommendation were written by Wright, Geher, and Pat Sullivan, director of the Honors Program. Shea has hopes to return to Kenya for her dissertation. 

"It’s really special to be a full-time student and a full-time teacher all at once,” said Shea. “It’s my dream come true.” 

Shea even returned to New Paltz in February 2024 for the EvoS seminar series for her lecture on "Assessing Threats to an Endangered Lemur in Southeast Madagascar," covering the species she studied in Madagascar, the importance of fieldwork in animal behavior and how to employ an evolutionary lens in the study of non-human animals. "It felt really special," she said.

A growing EvoS program 

Evolutionary Studies at New Paltz has long been offered as an interdisciplinary minor, open to all students, with opportunities for truly dedicated individuals (like Shea) to build a contract major.  

Geher reports that the program has seen an uptick ever since the Evolutionary Studies Seminar class was granted natural science status as a General Education requirement, which has led to consistently filled sections.  

"I feel like the program is on the brink of growth in a lot of ways,” said Geher.  

There are also ways for alumni and other non-students to get involved. The EvoS Seminar Series, featuring world-class discussions right here on campus, led by exceptional scholars and educators, is open to all, often with a virtual option, and always capped with an informal reception hosted by the student EvoS Club.  

At publication of this story, the next lecture on the schedule is March 24 with Amanda Townley of the National Center for Science Education, talking about “The Science of Controversy: Understanding and addressing public skepticism about evolution.” Geher describes her as a top speaker worldwide on this topic.  

“I’m excited for this particular lecture and the lectures in general,” said Geher. “It’s really fun and often leads to really great outcomes and success stories like Alexandra’s.” 

To learn more about the EvoS program, visit newpaltz.edu/evos.