Rate My Professor Amy Jetton

Amy E. Jetton served as Associate Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology at Middle Tennessee State University from 1994 until her retirement in summer 2025 after 31 years of dedicated service. Her academic background includes a B.A. in Zoology earned through the College Scholars Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she completed an undergraduate thesis on the hormonal regulation of uterine secretions. Following graduation, she worked as a research assistant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory studying mutagenesis in rodents and then undertook a 15-month fellowship in Dr. Marilyn Renfree’s laboratory at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, investigating the reproductive physiology of Tammar wallabies. Jetton obtained her Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Physiology from Northwestern University in 1991, with her dissertation examining the regulation of the pituitary gland in seasonally reproducing hamsters in Dr. Fred Turek’s circadian rhythm laboratory. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral position in Dr. Eric Bittman’s circadian rhythm laboratory at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, continuing research on hamsters.

At MTSU, Jetton taught courses focused on physiology, endocrinology, human anatomy and physiology, and ethology. She served continuously on the pre-medical interview committee since her hiring, directed several M.S. theses, participated in numerous graduate student committees, and mentored newly hired faculty members. Known as the go-to pre-medical advisor, she authored approximately 1,000 letters of recommendation for students and was repeatedly recognized by graduating students as a Faculty Member that Makes a Difference. Her research specializations encompassed circadian rhythms, seasonal reproduction, pituitary gland regulation, and related physiological processes, reflected in publications such as studies on the effects of melatonin on pituitary gland secretions in golden hamsters, "The Relationship between Cortisol and Bone Mineral Density in Competitive Male Cyclists" (2013), "Prediction of bone mineral density and content from measures of physical activity and sedentary behavior in younger and older females" (2015), and "Neonatal Hypothyroidism Permanently Alters Follicle Stimulating and Luteinizing Hormone Secretory Patterns in the Ovariectomized Adult Ewe" (1997). Jetton’s influence extended through her commitment to student success in medical and health professions, committee service across university, college, and departmental levels, and collegial support within the Biology department.