Faculty Profile
Dr. Alan Tousignant
Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo Director | Science
Teaching & Leadership
Teaching Students about Biodiversity Through Hand-on Conservation
The director of the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo, Dr. Alan Tousignant has four decades of teaching experience, including 35 years at Millbrook School. His award-winning career includes presentations at conferences all over North America on zoology and dozens of scholarly articles published in scientific journals.
Dr. Tousignant received his bachelor's in biology from Vassar College and his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been the director of the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo since 1985, where he has had the unique opportunity to teach high school students about conservation through hands-on work with exotic and endangered animals.
His goal is to go beyond classroom theory and provide experiential learning through real-world conservation work at the zoo.“
Education is strongest when hands-on experiences reinforce classroom lessons.
Highlights
Experience, recognition, and leadership that strengthen teaching across the Millbrook community.
35+
Years in independent school education
Leadership
Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo Director
Awards
National Research Service Award Predoctoral Fellow (1990-92)
Vassar College Graduate Fellow at the University of Texas (1987-89)
Vassar College Graduate Fellow at the University of Texas (1987-89)
Conferences
Effects of incubation temperature on the growth of leopard geckos; preliminary data – Southwest Regional Conference on Comparative Endocrinology (1990), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Considerations for inducing reproduction in captive reptiles – Symposium on Captive management and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Joint annual meeting of The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles and The Herpetologists' League (1991)
Effects of incubation temperature on growth, behavior, endocrine physiology, and reproduction in the leopard gecko, a species with TSD – Southwest Regional Conference on Comparative Endocrinology (1992), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and reproductive physiology in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius – Annual Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists (1992), Vancouver, Canada
Temperature-dependent sex determination and variation in adult phenotype of the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. Annual meeting of the American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists – Symposium on Sexual Selection: "What has been learned from the ectotherms?" (1993), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Wildlife in a Changing World: A Role for Zoos. New England Natural History Conference – Symposium on Wildlife in A Changing World (2014), Springfield, Massachusetts
The Role of Small Zoos in Conservation and the One Plan Approach – Annual Meeting of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Session entitled: Involvement of zoos and aquariums in a One Plan Approach for biodiversity conservation (2015), Salt Lake City, Utah
Considerations for inducing reproduction in captive reptiles – Symposium on Captive management and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Joint annual meeting of The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles and The Herpetologists' League (1991)
Effects of incubation temperature on growth, behavior, endocrine physiology, and reproduction in the leopard gecko, a species with TSD – Southwest Regional Conference on Comparative Endocrinology (1992), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and reproductive physiology in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius – Annual Meeting of the American Society of Zoologists (1992), Vancouver, Canada
Temperature-dependent sex determination and variation in adult phenotype of the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. Annual meeting of the American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists – Symposium on Sexual Selection: "What has been learned from the ectotherms?" (1993), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Wildlife in a Changing World: A Role for Zoos. New England Natural History Conference – Symposium on Wildlife in A Changing World (2014), Springfield, Massachusetts
The Role of Small Zoos in Conservation and the One Plan Approach – Annual Meeting of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Session entitled: Involvement of zoos and aquariums in a One Plan Approach for biodiversity conservation (2015), Salt Lake City, Utah
Publications
Wright, K., A. Tousignant, R. Overstreet, W. Shoop, E. Jacobson, and E. Greiner. (1989). Infections In A Texas Indigo Snake And Red-Sided Garter Snakes. Meeting Abstract: Proceedings of the Third International Colloquium On The Pathology Of Reptiles And Amphibians.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, T. Wibbels, and J.P. Ross. (1992). Hormonal determination of gender and behaviour in reptiles. pp. 82-94. In: Crocodiles. Proceedings of the 11th working meeting of the crocodile specialist group of the species survival commission of the IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland, Volume 1.
Flores, D.L., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1992). Influence of incubation temperature on aggressive behavior and attractivity in the female leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. American Zoologist (Abstract) 32(5):9A.
Tousignant, A., and D. Crews. (1992). Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and reproductive physiology in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. American Zoologist (Abstract) 32(5):21A.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, T. Wibbels, and J.P. Ross. (1993). Reproduction in captive reptiles: Lessons for crocodilian farmers. pp. 323-334. In: Zoocria de los Crocodylia. Memorias de la I reunion regional del CSG, grupo de especialistas en crocodilos de la UICN: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.
Viets, B., A. Tousignant,.M. Ewert, C. Nelson, and D. Crews. (1993). Temperature-dependent sex determination in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. J. Exp. Zool. 265:679-683.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, and T. Wibbels. (1994). Considerations for inducing reproduction in captive reptiles. Pgs. 133-145 In: Captive management and conservation of reptiles and amphibians. Eds. James B Murphy, Kraig Adler, and Joseph T. Collins.
Crews, D, J. Bergeron, J. Bull, D. Flores, A. Tousignant, J. Skipper, and T. Wibbels. (1994). Temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles: Proximate mechanisms, ultimate outcomes, and practical applications. Dev. Gen. 15:297-312.
Flores, D., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1994). Incubation temperature affects the behavior of adult leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Physiol. Behav. 55(6):1067-1072.
Tousignant, A. and D. Crews. (1994). Effect of exogenous estradiol applied at different embryonic stages on sex determination, growth, and mortality in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). J. Exp. Zool. 268:17-21.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1995). Seasonal changes and annual variability in daily plasma melatonin in the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 100:226-237.
Tousignant, A. and D. Crews. (1995). Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and physiology in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. J. Morph. 224:159-170.
Tousignant, A., B. Viets, D. Flores, and D. Crews (1995) Ontogenetic and social factors affect the endocrinology and timing of reproduction in the female leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Horm. Behav. 29:141-153.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1996). Courting and non-courting male red-sided garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis: Plasma melatonin levels and the effects of pinealectomy. Horm. Behav. 30:176-185.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1996). Pinealectomy, melatonin, and courtship behavior in male red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). J. Exp. Zool. 274:63-74.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, T. Wibbels, and J.P. Ross. (1992). Hormonal determination of gender and behaviour in reptiles. pp. 82-94. In: Crocodiles. Proceedings of the 11th working meeting of the crocodile specialist group of the species survival commission of the IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland, Volume 1.
Flores, D.L., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1992). Influence of incubation temperature on aggressive behavior and attractivity in the female leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. American Zoologist (Abstract) 32(5):9A.
Tousignant, A., and D. Crews. (1992). Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and reproductive physiology in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. American Zoologist (Abstract) 32(5):21A.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, T. Wibbels, and J.P. Ross. (1993). Reproduction in captive reptiles: Lessons for crocodilian farmers. pp. 323-334. In: Zoocria de los Crocodylia. Memorias de la I reunion regional del CSG, grupo de especialistas en crocodilos de la UICN: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.
Viets, B., A. Tousignant,.M. Ewert, C. Nelson, and D. Crews. (1993). Temperature-dependent sex determination in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. J. Exp. Zool. 265:679-683.
Crews, D., A. Tousignant, and T. Wibbels. (1994). Considerations for inducing reproduction in captive reptiles. Pgs. 133-145 In: Captive management and conservation of reptiles and amphibians. Eds. James B Murphy, Kraig Adler, and Joseph T. Collins.
Crews, D, J. Bergeron, J. Bull, D. Flores, A. Tousignant, J. Skipper, and T. Wibbels. (1994). Temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles: Proximate mechanisms, ultimate outcomes, and practical applications. Dev. Gen. 15:297-312.
Flores, D., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1994). Incubation temperature affects the behavior of adult leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). Physiol. Behav. 55(6):1067-1072.
Tousignant, A. and D. Crews. (1994). Effect of exogenous estradiol applied at different embryonic stages on sex determination, growth, and mortality in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). J. Exp. Zool. 268:17-21.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1995). Seasonal changes and annual variability in daily plasma melatonin in the red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 100:226-237.
Tousignant, A. and D. Crews. (1995). Incubation temperature and gonadal sex affect growth and physiology in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. J. Morph. 224:159-170.
Tousignant, A., B. Viets, D. Flores, and D. Crews (1995) Ontogenetic and social factors affect the endocrinology and timing of reproduction in the female leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Horm. Behav. 29:141-153.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1996). Courting and non-courting male red-sided garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis: Plasma melatonin levels and the effects of pinealectomy. Horm. Behav. 30:176-185.
Mendonça, M. T., A. Tousignant, and D. Crews. (1996). Pinealectomy, melatonin, and courtship behavior in male red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis). J. Exp. Zool. 274:63-74.
Conservation expertise that propels our mission.
A key component of Millbrook's mission statement is conservation of the natural world. Dr. Tousignant serves a vital role in ensuring that we stay true to that mission in all that we do, in and out of the classroom.
