Courses

EEOB 400: Evolution (Ohio State University, 2006)

EEOB 400 begins by framing evolution in a historical context and then emphasizing the importance of evolution not only to modern biology, but also to "real-world" problems in conservation, biomedical research, agriculture, fisheries management, and so forth. The first half of the course covers microevolutionary mechanisms and the integration of Darwinian selection with population genetics. The second half of the course transitions to macroevolutionary patterns and discusses topics such as speciation, phylogeny, biogeography, coevolution, evolutionary development, the history of life, and human evolution. Throughout the course, students read important essays and research articles and watch video interviews with evolutionary biologists. These materials highlight current research so that students develop an awareness of evolutionary biology as a dynamic field of ongoing research and exciting, unanswered questions.

Fall 2006 Syllabus            Sample lecture slides:      Sexual selection        Phylogeny        Coevolution

BIO 102: General Biology (Rutgers University, 1999-2002)

BIO 102 is the second semester of an introductory biology course designed for students majoring in the biological sciences or pharmacy, and for students who intend to attend a professional school in the sciences. This course covers animal diversity, structure, function and development. An overriding theme in the course is to place these topics within the conceptual framework of ecology and evolution.

Education and Outreach

The Island School: Cape Eleuthera, Bahamas

In 2007, Ryan Calsbeek and I began a collaborative research/education project with The Island School in The Bahamas. The Island School is a "semester abroad" program for high school students from the US, Bahamas, and elsewhere. Under the guidance of scientists from the affiliated Cape Eleuthera Institute, a fully-equipped, on-campus research facility, students take courses in science and spend two days per week planning, executing, and analyzing research projects on local marine and terrestrial ecology. We recently received funding from the National Science Foundation to involve Island School students with our anole research. The pictures below show some of our interactions with Island School students. 

The best part about collaborating with The Island School is their commitment to local education and outreach. Students help to educate Bahamian middle school children about their local ecology and present their research projects at a Community Outreach Fair. At the end of the semester, students present formal slide shows of their projects at a Research Symposium that is attended by local Bahamians, government officials, and scientists. Students also prepare written reports that are circulated to government officials, The College of the Bahamas, and various science and conservation groups.

Student Research

One of the most important parts of an education in biology is the opportunity to conduct novel research in the field or laboratory. Check out the student research page to see some of the projects conducted by undergraduate students with whom I have collaborated.

If you’re a Dartmouth student interested in research, please contact me about current opportunities.