Teaching Philosophy
I teach ecology with a strong evolutionary perspective, an attempt to
combine natural history with math, and an effort to work across traditional
boundaries of taxonomy and biological organization. All of my courses
highlight the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge and the processes
through which ecology grows as a science. I emphasize the central role
of theories in providing the logical structure of scientific knowledge
and stress that the conception, testing, and refinement of theories are
the most important activities in the growth of scientific knowledge. All
of my courses attempt to engage students in the creative steps that underlie
successful ecological research (e.g., conceiving interesting questions,
formulating novel hypotheses, and designing simple, rigorous experiments). A commentary on the synergy between research
and education.
"It is a poor teacher who is not surpassed by the students."
Courses
- Ecology (Bio 16)
- Physiological Ecology (Bio 31)
- Biology Foreign Studies Program (Bio 55, 56, 57)
- The Nature and Practice of Science (Bio 125)
- Foundations of Ecology (Bio 133)
- Population Ecology (Bio 21/51/120); no longer taught by Matt
Resources for graduate students
Symes, Laurel. B. , Nancy Serrell, and M. P. Ayres. 2015. A practical guide for mentoring scientific inquiry. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 96(2): 352-367.