ºÚÁÏÉçÇø

PhD, University of Northern ºÚÁÏÉçÇø
Area of study = biology education

M.S., Western Carolina University
Area of study = ecology

B.S., Middle Tennessee State University
Area of study = biology

Assistant Professor, University of Northern ºÚÁÏÉçÇø
Biological Sciences. (2026-present)

Postdoctoral researcher, University of Northern ºÚÁÏÉçÇø
Biological Sciences. (2024-2026)

Instructor, Mars Hill University
Biological Sciences. (2017-2020)

I am a biology education researcher and restoration ecologist. The central themes of my bioeducation research focus on exploring undergraduate student field experiences and perceptions of climate change along with other forms of environmental disturbance. The bioeducation research in my lab investigates how research experiences impact students’ identity (science and personal), connection to nature, and motivation (i.e., self-efficacy, self-determination). My climate change education work focuses on understanding what factors impact our students’ ability to recognize the localized effects of climate change. My research aims to better understand these student perceptions to inform pedagogy and curricular design.
My ecological research centers on wetland and riparian environments, specifically monitoring restoration outcomes like constructed amphibian habitats, controlled burns, and riparian re-vegetation. Working closely with local community partners, my lab leverages these field sites to provide hands-on undergraduate research while advancing data-driven restoration strategies.

• Duke, J. R. and Holt, E. A. (2026). Defining climate change acceptance in undergraduate science student populations: A Delphi study. Plos Climate. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0356374
• Duke, J. R., Wattier, K. *, and Holt, E. A. (2026). A scoping review of studies measuring climate change acceptance. Ecosphere. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70769
• Duke, J.R., Holt, E.A. (2025) Synthesizing a preliminary framework of the core constructs of climate change acceptance. Climatic Change 178, 137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-025-03969-6
• Dunk, R. D. P., Hinerman, K., Duke, J. R., Heim, A., & Holt, E. A. (2025). Trends in topics, use, and development procedures of biology concept inventories. BioScience, 75(5), 396-408. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf022
• Duke, J. R., Trump, A. *, Bretfeld, M., Kozlovsky, D., Holt, E.A. (2025). From humans to ecosystems: an undergraduate activity exploring localized climate change. American Biology Teacher, 87(4-5), 276-285. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2025.87.4-5.276
• Holt, E.A. and Duke, J. (2024). A review of Mark Windschitl’s Teaching Climate Change. Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21872
• Duke, J. R., and Holt, E. A. 2024. Place-based climate change: Lowering students’ psychological distance through a classroom activity.  Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. 0:e00168-23. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00168-23
• Holt, E.A., Duke, J. R., Dunk, R., Hinerman, K. (2024). Development of the Inventory of Biotic Climate Literacy (IBCL). Environmental Education Research. https://doi-org.unco.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2314047
• Duke, J.R., & Holt, E.A. (2023). Connection to nature: A student perspective. Ecosphere. 14(10): e4677. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4677
• Meadows, L., Bernard, M., Clabaugh-Howell, K., Duke, J., Irvin, L., Mayo, L., and Holt, E.A. (2023). Inclusive-Equity Rubric and its evaluation of introductory biology course syllabi. College Teaching.  DOI: 10.1080/87567555.2023.2201670
• Heim, A. B., Duke, J., & Holt, E. A. (2022). Design, discover, and decipher: student-developed escape rooms in the virtual ecology classroom. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 23(1), e00015-22. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00015-22
• Duke, J. R., & Holt, E. A. (2022). Seeing climate change: psychological distance and connection to nature. Environmental Education Research, 28(7), 949-969. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2042205*Denotes undergraduate collaborator