Teaching

BI 101 Explorations in Biology: A course for non-science majors designed to provide an understanding of selected fundamental biological principles and processes.  When I teach this course we explore biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and climate change. (BTW: This is one of my favorite courses to teach.  The importance of increasing science literacy in the public cannot be understated.)  

BI 225 Evolutionary Ecology:  This course is a study of the basic concepts of evolution and ecology as a gateway to upper-level coursework in ecology and organismal biology. Emphasis is placed on an understanding of natural selection and how it shapes speciation, population dynamics, and community interactions and composition.  

BI 314 Conservation Biology:  A study of population and ecosystem level processes required to understand and conserve biodiversity. Emphasis is placed upon the genetics and demographics of populations, the implications of species interactions and community influences on conservation, and management and sustainable development case studies.  (BTW: This course is most closely aligned with my research interests and is definitely my favorite to teach.)

BI 411 General Ecology:  A study of organisms at the population, community, and ecosystem levels of biological organization. Emphasis is placed on organism-environment and organism-organism interactions. Three lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week.  Students develop a deep appreciation of ecology—the science of how everything is connected—and conduct research experiments in the field under my guidance.  

Exploration Term – Field Ornithology:  In this course we explore the forests, lakes, rivers, fields and coast of Alabama while tracking down and studying Alabama’s bird life. No experience necessary – this course is designed for beginners! We will visit local birding hotspots, but also more distant locations such as Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Talladega National Forest, and Dauphin Island.  

Exploration Term – Understanding the Climate Change Problem: Perspectives from the Natural and Behavioral Sciences:  Climate change may be the greatest challenge that humanity faces this century. Scientists warn that we have until 2030 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to avoid a future of catastrophic disruption that will challenge our very survival. Psychology is central to facing the challenges of climate change. Our varied responses, from climate denialism, to our reaction to scary predictions, to our openness to change, are having an enormous impact on our future. This interdisciplinary team-taught project [Dr. Greta Valenti (Psychology) and Dr. Scot Duncan (Biology)] is an exploration of the science of climate change itself – its causes, impacts, and solutions – and the science of our emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to it.