Profile
Educational Background
Ph.D., Applied Ecology, University of Nebraska
M.S., Applied Ecology, University of Nebraska
M.S., Animal behavior and evolution, University of Antwerp - Belgium
B.S., Biology, University of Antwerp - Belgium
Research Interests
Behavioral ecology, population ecology, and habitat assessment with emphasis on evolutionary adaptations and conservation efforts. Focus on insect extremophiles and implications for climate change. Scientific communication geared towards the general public.
Courses Taught
BIOL4490/4491 - Field Ecology (Costa Rica)
BIOL8410 - Understanding Ecology and Ecosystems
BIOL4410/6410 - Ecology
BIOL4710/4711 - Behavioral Ecology Laboratory
BIOL1100 - Principles of Biology I
BIOL1110 - Principles of Biology II
Selected Publications
Willemssens KA, John L Bowley, Braymond Adams, Monica Rohwer, Miles J Maxcer, Chelsea M Heveran, David K Weaver, Tierney R Brosius, Erik Oberg, Leon G Higley, Robert K D Peterson, Hot springs, cool beetles: extraordinary adaptations of a predaceous insect in Yellowstone National Park, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 118, Issue 3, May 2025, Pages 237–247, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saaf011
Willemssens KA, Bowley JL, Cavallini L, Oberg E, Peterson RKD, Higley LG. Habitat Characteristics, Distribution, and Abundance of Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in Yellowstone National Park. Insects. 2024; 15(1):15. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010015
Bowley JL, Heveran C, Weaver DK, Adams B, Rohwer M, Willemssens KA, Oberg E, Higley LG, Peterson, KD. Thermal profiles of Cicindelidia haemorrhagica (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) activity in hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, Environmental Entomology, Volume 53, Issue 5, October 2024, Pages 829–836, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae067
Bowley, J.L., Willemssens, K.A., and Higley, L.G. (2020). Natural History Notes: Extreme Habitat Use of Thamnopis elegans. Herpetological Review: 51(2), 360-361.
Outreach
Study Abroad - Field Ecology
https://terradotta.app.clemson.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=12759
