GRADUATE RESEARCHERS
A postdoctoral fellow in the Clayton-Bush lab, Herman thrives
Jordan
Herman, PhD
by Andy Sposato
Few encounter a fer-de-lance snake and walk
away unscathed.
W
hile working in Costa Rica recent School of Biological
Sciences (SBS), graduate Jordan Herman (PhD’20)
moved closer to observe a toucan dismembering
the green iguana it was having for lunch. When the bird took off
and dropped half of it, Herman picked up the iguana’s tail and
realized she had nearly stepped on the coiled and camouflaged
pit viper at her feet. As the bird returned to finish its meal,
Herman stood still, suddenly stuck between an intimidating
toucan and the venomous snake. She escaped the dangerous
situation by offering up the tail and backing away slowly.
For Herman, this moment earned her “a new appreciation for
how cool and terrifying nature can be.”
Herman originally came to the SBS graduate program in
2014 from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. Her
research has been focused on the fitness consequences that
mockingbirds experience when they are co-exploited, how the
co-occurring parasites interact with each other, and the roles
that host defenses play in these species interactions.
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in the outdoors and has always been captivated by birds. While
working as a field assistant in the Galapagos Islands off the
coast of Ecuador, she became hooked on parasitic nest flies
and their endemic bird hosts. This interest, in turn, brought her
to Argentina, where she worked on the effects of parasitic nest
flies and brood-parasitic cowbirds on their shared host, the
chalk-browed mockingbird.
Her passion for the outdoors extends to her adopted home of
Utah. When she isn’t backpacking all over the Intermountain
West, you can find her spending time in her Salt Lake City
garden with her four chickens—Dotty, Penguin, Mungo, and
Jerry. Currently, she and her partner Joey have also been treating
themselves to sushi takeout from Sapa, a local Asian fusion
restaurant where, she says, “you can still order mussel shooters!”
Outside of her research, Herman has also made a lasting impact
in SBS where she is grounded in a close-knit community of
biologists with wide-ranging research interests. As a mentor,
she has soared by offering strong support and advice to those
around her. “Jordan’s unwavering sense of self allows her to be
a generous mentor,” explains fellow graduate student, Maggie
Doolin (Dearing lab), “and one of the most consistent sources
of truth and support I’ve encountered anywhere throughout
my life. She is one-of-a-kind,” continues Doolin, “and I’m lucky
to have had her welcome me to the SBS grad program for
all things life and science.” When asked what the best advice
Herman herself has received in graduate school, she replies,
“Publish early!” You can find Herman’s publications in journals like
Ecology and the Journal of Avian Biology.
Clearly an expert in field research, Herman uses her knowledge
to give back to her community. “Given the amount of field
research, field courses, and outdoor recreation that happens
in SBS, our community has a major need for wilderness
preparedness,” she says. This need gave rise to Herman’s
involvement in developing the biennial subsidized Wilderness
First Aid course which is available to students, faculty, and staff
in the SBS. A future goal is to expand this program to more
personnel across the College of Science.
Jordan Herman, PhD, is truly a force of nature. Next time you’re
stuck between an intimidating toucan and a camouflaged pit
viper, remember to ask yourself, WWJHD?: What would Jordan
Herman do? The School of Biological Sciences is indebted to
Jordan Herman. She will always have a place here among the
wide variety of birds and lifelong friends nestled at the base of
the Wasatch Mountains.
Andy Sposato is a graduate student in the Gagnon lab and
co-founder of the LGBTQ+ STEM Interest Group in the College of
Science.