TEACHING

Northern Michigan University - present

EVOLUTION BI215

The study of evolution seeks answers to fundamental how and why questions in biology, such as why do we see the diversity of life that we do, and how did these forms and functions arise? In this course, we explore the causes and mechanisms of evolution, as well as delving into the history of organisms and life on Earth. This course combines a diversity of approaches to learning about this fascinating subject, including deep reading of scientific literature, activities and games, developing experimental ideas, as well as lecture.

BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY BI428/528

Why do organisms behave the way that they do? In this course, we leverage biodiversity to learn about the principles of behavior across a wide variety of species. We take an evolutionary approach to investigate behavioral variation from a mechanistic, developmental, phylogenetic, and adaptive perspectives. This course emphasizes critical reading and writing skills, as well as behavioral observations, development of experimental designs, and creative approaches to conveying complex subjects.

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II BI214

This course is the second of a two-semester sequence that provides an integrated study of the structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) of the human body. In this course, we will focus on blood, and the endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, renal, and reproductive systems. We pay particular attention to the understanding how the structure of cells, tissues, organs, and organ system relative to their physiological functions and use physiological data to assess the functioning of specific organ systems.

ISLAND TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY BI229

The United States Virgin Islands are well-known for their stunning marine habitats, but there is also incredible terrestrial diversity! In this spring break course, we focused on the ecology of diverse island taxa, including birds, insects, reptiles and plants. We hiked the mountains, valleys, and beaches of St. John Island by day, and sought elusive nocturnal creatures by night! This course was co-taught with Dr. Cory Elowe, also of the NMU Biology Department.

University of Virginia, Mountain Lake Biological Station

FIELD BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY BIOL 4762/7762, 2022 and 2023

Let's go outside and see what the organisms of Mountain Lake Biological Station (MLBS) are up to! We will take advantage of the amazing diversity at MLBS to learn about the principles of behavior across taxa. Topics include: an evolutionary approach to animal behavior, understanding proximate and ultimate causes, development of behavior, neuroendocrine mechanisms, the evolution of feeding, site selection, communication, social and reproductive behavior. We will emphasize field and laboratory approaches, and students will gain hands-on experience with relevant techniques used in animal behavior research. The main goals of this course include a) developing an understanding of the scientific process as applied to behavior research, b) how behavior evolves and why we see the behavioral patterns that we do, and c) learning how to conduct research in wild populations.

University of Arizona, 2020

ORNITHOLOGY ECOL 484/584

Let's go birdwatching! This course took an integrative approach to provide a foundation in major topics in avian life history, behavior, and physiology, as well as introducing students into the broad evolutionary and ecological insights that can be gained from delving into a specific taxonomic group. We combined lecture with hands-on laboratories, field trips, reading of primary literature and project development. We took every opportunity to enjoy the staggering diversity of bird species in southern Arizona, although several of our field trips were cancelled due to the onset of Covid-19.