Teaching
As a teaching philosophy I believe that students are most interested in learning when instructors engage the students during lectures by providing a well-informed synthesis of concepts. In my view, the most effective way of accomplishing this is through a current understanding of the primary scientific literature that incorporates well-established principles and theory in ecology. In all of the classes that I teach, I believe it essential to challenge students to think critically and quantitatively about concepts that are presented to them. In addition, I also believe that practical experiences that instruct students in how science is conducted by ecologists is key to stimulating them to pursue a career in science. Whenever possible, my courses include a lab component that allows students to experience how scientific hypotheses are formulated, how information is collected to test hypotheses, and finally how information is synthesized to interpret data.
A brief synopsis of each of the courses that I teach is provided below.
Biology 459 (Fish Ecology).
This is an upper division class that covers how the main branches of ecology
are applied to the study of fishes. In this class we explore feeding ecology,
community ecology, population ecology, fisheries management and conservation
concerns in fish populations. A major component of the class is the field
experience the students receive with a semester-long project where the students
collect, analyze, and report on information they collection from stream ecosystems.
Our most recent project has focused on comparing fish communities in streams
that are impacted by cattle grazing versus those that are ungrazed.
Biology 427 (Ichthyology).
This is also an upper division ecology class that is a counterpart to Biology
459. This class is designed to provide students with an introduction to the
taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of the fishes, as well as providing
an understanding of the diversity of physiological, morphological, and behavioral
adaptations commonly present in fish taxa. The lab component of this class
consists of a field project where students sample local streams to measure
how life-history characteristics vary among fishes that occupy different trophic
roles.
Biology 337 (Conservation
of Natural Resources). This is a conservation biology course that
forms one of the required classes for our undergraduate ecology degree. Students
are introduced to the main principles of conservation biology that include:
biodiversity concerns and threats, habitat fragmentation, restoration, management,
population genetics, reserve design, human population dynamics, and politics
in conservation.
Biology 491 (Senior Seminar).
This is an interactive course where students and I select a series of papers
from scientific literature. During the semester each student develops a oral
presentation based on the results of an experimental paper that is of interest
to them. They then present the paper to the class and we discuss the principles
that are addressed by the authors of the paper to illustrate the scientific
method.
Biology 192 (Ecology Seminar).
As part of our degree in ecology, students are required to participate in
an ecology seminar class. This course is designed to provide students with
an opportunity to interact with fish and wildlife biologists that give guest
lectures for the first third of the term. In consultation with me, the students
then select a paper from an area of ecology that is of interest to them and
they then present the study to the class for discussion.
Biology 481 (Independent
Problems) and Biology 648 (Graduate Problems). These classes are not
formal lecture or seminar classes. They are designed to provide senior undergraduate
or new graduate students with research experience. Thus far, I have had three
undergraduate students complete research projects in my lab and I have had
three graduate students that have completed a series of exercises on multivariate
data analyses.
Biology 605 (Biometry).
This class is a graduate level biostatistics class designed to provide students
with the ability to understand and analyse data sets in biology. Because of
the wide range of experience among students the class, we begin with first
principles in statistics and build toward more advanced levels in each topic.
Discussion of all principles in statistics are accompanied by laboratory exercises
that emphasize an understanding of the principles and they ensure that students
have skills to test hypotheses using data sets. As such, much of the class
is devoted to assignments using data sets. Taught spring term, odd years.
