Curriculum vitae

Matthew Hunter Babb

[email protected]

Atlanta, GA

EDUCATION

2020 – Present

Ph.D. Student in Psychology – Cognitive Sciences

Georgia State University

Advisor: Dr. Sarah Brosnan
GPA: 4.07

2016 – 2020

B.S. in Biology

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

GPA: 3.86
Minors in Neuroscience and Chemistry
Graduated with Honors and Highest Distinction
Advisor: Dr. Kenneth and Catherine Lohmann

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Animal behavior, comparative psychology, primate cognition, decision-making, behavioral economics, evolution of prosociality, and endocrinology

FELLOWSHIP AND AWARDS
2022	NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – Honorable Mention
2020-2024	2CI University Doctoral Fellowship
2020	Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
2020	Carolina Research Scholar
2019	Tom and Elizabeth Long Research Award
2019	Office of Undergraduate Research Travel Award

PUBLICATIONS
2019	Davis, A. L., Babb, M. H., Lowe, M. C., Yeh, A. T., Lee, B. T., & Martin, C. H. (2019). Testing Darwin’s hypothesis about the wonderful venus flytrap: marginal spikes form a “horrid prison” for moderate-sized insect prey. The American Naturalist, 193(2), 309-317.

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
2023	International Primatological Society – Talk The Effects of Oxytocin on Group-Level Prosocial Behavior in Tufted Capcuhin Monkeys (Sapajus apella)
2023	American Society of Primatologists – Talk Added complexity inhibits tufted capuchin monkeys’ (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) selection of ephemeral options in a dichotomous choice task
2023	American Society of Primatologists – Co-Authored Talk File, Save, Forget: Cognitive Offloading in Non-Human Primates
2023	Cognitive Psychology Graduate Conference – Talk How does Oxytocin Change Prosocial Behavior in Socially Relevant Conditions?
2023	American Association of Biological Anthropologists – Co-Authored Poster Ecological Advantages of Color Vision in Capuchin Monkeys Under Controlled Conditions
2022	South Eastern Evolution and Human Behavior Meeting – Talk The Effects of Oxytocin on Group-Level Prosocial Behavior in Tufted Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus apella)
2022	American Society of Primatologists – Co-Authored Talk Capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) do not show co-representation in a computer-based Joint Simon task
2022	Cognitive Psychology Graduate Conference – Talk The Effects of Prior Experience on Capuchins Optimal Behavior in a Computerized Foraging Task
2021	Cognitive Psychology Graduate Conference – Talk The Ephemeral Choice Task: Does Configural Learning Assist Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus [Sapajus] apella)?
2021	American Society of Primatologists – Poster Effects of Configural Learning on Tufted Capuchins’ Performance in a Computerized Foraging Task
2020	UNC Honors Research Thesis Symposium – Talk Behavioral Comparison of African Lions (Panthera leo) and Cougars (Puma concolor) between Facilities
2020	The Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology – Poster Spatial Distributions and Exhibit Use of African Lions (Panthera leo) and Cougars (Puma concolor) between Zoo and Sanctuary
2019	World Sea Turtle Day at the Bald Head Island Conservancy – Talk Geomagnetic Sensing Abilities of Loggerhead Sea Turtles
2017-2019	Undergraduate Research Symposium for Biology – Poster
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2020 – Present	Language Research Center – Atlanta, GA Graduate Student, CEBUS Lab Principle Investigator: Dr. Sarah Brosnan, GSU Department of Psychology, Georgia State University
2022 – Present	Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta, GA Visiting Researcher
2019 – 2020	North Carolina Zoo – Asheboro, NC Visiting Researcher
2019 – 2020	Carolina Tiger Rescue – Pittsboro, NC Visiting Researcher
2018 – 2020	Lohmann Geomagnetic Sensing Lab – Chapel Hill, NC Research Assistant – Sea Turtle Sensory Systems and Physiology Principle Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Lohmann, UNC
2019	Chemistry Research Department – Chapel Hill, NC Undergraduate Research Assistant Principle Investigator: Dr. Nita Eskew and Dr. David Nicewicz, UNC
2017 – 2018	Evolution of Novelty Lab – Chapel Hill, NC Undergraduate Research Assistant Principle Investigator: Dr. Chris Martin, University of California: Berkeley

TEACHING AND MENTORING
Guest Lectures
2022	PSYC 4560 – Animal Behavior “Animals on the Move: Animal Migration, Navigation, and Dispersal”
2021	PSYC 4100 – Cognitive Psychology “How Human Are They? Methods and Principles of Comparative Cognition”
Mentored Students
2021 – 2023	Heaven Varner, Neuroscience Undergraduate, Georgia State University
2021 – 2022	Sedona Epstein, Anthropology Undergraduate, Emory University
2021 – 2022	CJ Andrews, Neuroscience Undergraduate, Georgia Tech

LEADERSHIP AND OUTREACH
2023 – Present	Graduate Association of Psychology Students Executive Member Discuss and implement potential changes that help improve the psychology students graduate school experience
2023	Diving Deep with Stephen Mburu – Podcast Interview Episode 1 Interviewed about the field of animal behavior for podcast
2023	Dekalb County Magnet School – Science Night Volunteer Presenter Provided hands-on science experiments to children and presented on how to conduct animal behavior research
2021 – Present	Skype-A-Scientist Volunteer Presenter “Life as an Animal Scientist” – Cunningham Elementary School, Rhode Island
2021 – 2022	Georgia Psychological Association for Graduate Students Campus Representative Advocated for the concerns and ideas of graduate students to the Georgia Psychological Association (GPA)
2020 – 2021	University of North Carolina: Wilmington Virtual Tutor Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology
2017 – 2020	Wildlife Information and Science Education Animal Handler and Presenter Presented at local elementary schools, boy scout troops, and summer camps with the aim to educate children about our collection of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates
2019 – 2020	Ear, Eyes, Nose, and Paws Service Dogs Dog Caregiver Followed canine care and safety standards to volunteer at various positions with EENP Trained service dogs for the prison partnership
2018 – 2020	UNC Chapel Hill Athletic Department Mascot Coordinator Managed the team of mascots at UNC Chapel Hill Coordinated the scheduling, travel, and payment of every event attended by the mascots

SOFTWARE PROGRAMMED
Access to GitHub Available Upon Request
2023	Cooperative Bar Pull Paradigm Python 3 Task used to examine cooperation between two individuals under different conditions Two subjects must cooperatively and simultaneously touch icons to succeed in the task
2023	Judgement Bias Paradigm Python 3 Cognitive task used to measure the affective states of animals by measuring their judgment of ambiguous stimuli Similar to a Go/No-Go Task, except subjects are presented with ambiguous stimuli after seeing emotional images. Subjects must decide if the ambiguous stimuli are more similar to Go response stimuli or No-Go response stimuli
2022	Simon Effect Paradigm Python 3 Cognitive task that measured the difference in accuracy and reaction times between congruent and incongruent stimuli presentations Presentation of two icons, each representing the left or right side. Participants must select the correct button depending upon the icon that was presented.
2022	Cognitive Offloading Paradigm Python 3 Task that examined cognitive offloading, which is act of reducing the mental processing requirements of a task through physical actions Delayed Match to Sample with the possibility of receiving a hint for offloading
2021	Color Vision and Camouflage Detection Program Python 3 Perception task that measures the primate color vision Dichotomous choice task
2021	Dot Probe Paradigm Python 3 Cognitive task that measured selective attention to threatening stimuli Involves the rapid presentation of two stimuli followed by a forced choice. Reaction times are measured.
2020	Ephemeral Choice Task Python 3 Decision-making task in which participants must choose between an option that disappears if not prioritized and an option that is always available for selection Dichotomous choice task with special contingencies

SOFTWARE PROFICIENCY AND SKILLS
	Python 3 R Adobe Illustrator Adobe Premiere Pro Behavioral Observation Research Interactive Software (BORIS) ImageJ Tracks Data Management Software ZooMonitor

ANIMAL CARE EXPERIENCE
2017 – 2020	Biology Research Department – Chapel Hill, NC Loggerhead Sea Turtle Husbandry Technician
2019	Chapel Hill Police Department, K9 Unit – Chapel Hill, NC K9 Training Assistant
2018	Georgia Aquarium – Atlanta, GA Animal Training Intern – Beluga Whale and Harbor Seal
2016 – 2017	Zebrafish Aquaculture Core Facility – Chapel Hill, NC Undergraduate Research Assistant

REFERENCES Available upon request