Meredith College / Spring 2017
A comprehensive comparative phylogenetic study of protozoans and metazoans. For each taxon, structural and functional consideration is given to the systems of maintenance, activity, and continuity, it also emphasizes the ecology, behavior, and evolution of each group. The course involves lectures, class discussions, in-class activities, films, exams, and short writing assignments. The lab includes learning the classification, structure, function, ecology, and phylogeny of most animal phyla. Special emphasis is given to observation of living animals, the course also includes dissections of some taxa. Students also gain experience using dichotomous keys.
Co-Instructor | Course & Lab Design | 24 Students | 6 credit hours (class + lab)
North Carolina State University / Spring 2014
This course treats concepts from evolution & evolutionary ecology with a focus on islands and island-like situations (e.g., cities, trees, mountains, water bodies, human bodies). The main text is the popular science book The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner. The class makes heavy use of examples and case studies enhanced by guest speakers presenting their research and visual aids like photos and videos. Students are exposed to the primary literature and complete an independent project in the form of a movie. This class is offered as an EEC (Ecology, Evolution & Conservation) elective (special topics course) in a small lecture-type class setting.
Full Instructor | Course Design | 13 Students | 2 credit hours
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North Carolina State University / 16 Sept 2014
This compulsory class includes intensive instruction in academic writing and research such as basic principles of rhetoric and strategies for academic inquiry and argument, instruction and practice in critical reading like the responsible use of print and electronic sources for academic research, and exploration of literate practices across a range of academic domains. I conducted a 50 min guest lecture to illustrate the role of writing in the biological sciences.
Guest Lecturer | Lecture Design | 3 sections á 17-19 first-year students from various majors
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North Carolina State University / Fall 2013 & Fall 2012
This class is designed to train students how to think and work like ecologists. Students are exposed to nearly all components of a research project from beginning to end including making field observations, drafting hypotheses, designing experimental and/or observational studies, and how to organize, analyze, critique, and present scientific results in oral and written formats. This class is required for students with an EEC (Ecology, Evolution & Conservation) concentration. It is a small class with lecture and lab/field components.
Teaching Assistant | Partial Lecture Design & Student Assistance | 9 & 16 Students
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