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Matthew Schumm

Matthew Schumm, Assistant Professor

I am an instructional faculty member focused on teaching introductory biology to a primarily non-majors audience, using student-centered, responsive, and engaging methods to facilitate active learning. My PhD dissertation research used models, mesocosms, and museum specimens to study fish population ecology, adaptation, trait distributions, and historical trophic ecology. 

My mesocosm work incorporated undergraduate and high school students through FSU-sponsored programs, through which I mentored these students in research projects and for which I developed original educational materials introducing students to research. I've also led research that's since been published on elevational and latitudinal gradients in bird and bivalve functional diversity.

SIU Matthew Schumm

326 Life Science II
matthew.schumm@siu.edu
Personal Website

Education:

  • PhD, Florida State University
  • MS in STEM Teaching, Florida State University
  • BS, University of Chicago

Courses taught:

  • General Biology (ZOOL115)
  • Principles of Animal Biology (ZOOL118)
  • Principles of Genetics (BIOL305)
  • Zoology Senior Seminar (ZOOL482)
  • Zoology Sophomore Seminar (ZOOL215)

Publications

 

Schumm, M., A. White, K. Supriya, T. Price (2020). Ecological Limits as the Driver of Bird Species Richness Patterns along the East Himalayan Elevational Gradient. The American Naturalist 195, no. 5: 802-817.

Schumm, M.*, S. Edie*, K. Collins, V. Gómez-Bahamón, K. Supriya, A. White, T. Price, D. Jablonski (2019). Common latitudinal gradients in functional richness and functional evenness across marine and terrestrial systems. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 286:20190745. * Co-first authors

Sharan, L., M. Schumm, S. Williams, D. Okamoto (2025). Observing Food and Density Effects on the Reproductive Strategies of Fish. Journal of Emerging Investigators 8. https://doi.org/10.59720/24-114 (peer-reviewed journal for papers lead-authored by high school students; L. Sharan is a high school student and S. Williams an undergraduate).