Today’s faculty spotlight features Biology Prof. J. Matthew Kittelberger. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in neurobiology from Duke University. Kittelberger joined the faculty at Gettysburg College in 2006 following a post-doctoral research fellowship at Cornell University. He currently serves as the faculty director of Pre-Health Advising and contributes to the College’s neuroscience and biochemistry and molecular biology programs.
Kittelberger’s research investigates the neural circuits involved in vocal communication in toadfish and how these same neural circuits appear to underlie vocalization in birds, mammals, and humans. Over 15 years, students in Kittelberger’s lab have joined him in studying the anatomical connectivity, physiology, and pharmacology of these circuits, analyzing and recording the electrical activity of the neurons within them that contribute to the toadfish’s distinctive vocal behaviors, which sound a bit like the chanting of Tibetan monks.
As a scholar and teacher, Kittelberger is always looking for new ways to engage his students in their coursework. He has added new twists to his cell biology lab, enabling students to study specific genes involved in cancer biology, for example. Students in his classes use case-based learning to develop their communication and problem-solving skills.
Early in his career, Kittelberger was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, uniting scientific and public engagement while serving as a math and physical science teacher at the Nsanje Secondary School in Malawi. In 2018, he returned to Malawi as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching animal physiology and biochemistry, and designing a portable neurophysiology curriculum for Chancellor College of the University of Malawi.
Beyond his teaching at Gettysburg, Kittelberger has pursued research as a Grass Research Fellow and a Whitman Fellow at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where he also served for three years as the associate director of the Grass Fellowship program for talented young domestic and international post-doctoral neuroscientists.
“I’m continually struck by how kind and collaborative Gettysburg students are and how well they work together to learn,” said Kittelberger. “These traits make them a genuine pleasure to work with and provide a solid basis for their success in a world that increasingly requires strong teamwork.”
Photo by Tyler Caruso
Posted: 05/28/26