For information on my Science in School Gardens class, click here.

Working with undergraduates has remained a central joy of my career. My passion is for helping students become citizens and scientists who think and act like biologists. To do this, students must practice the relevant skills; therefore, I ascribe more to the “guide on the side” than the “sage on the stage” philosophy of teaching (though I still lecture some!). Similarly, my courses focus less on memorization of a huge body of facts and more on organizing concepts and skills related to the practice of science. Thus, I build in lots of activities that involve making predictions, designing studies, analyzing quantitative information, and interpreting data. I also ask my students to use the biology information and skills from class to address applied thought questions such as how to best design a nature reserve, or how to use evolutionary principles to reconstruct the origin and spread of a human disease. Because almost all careers involve good communication, I ask my students to write and speak frequently, whether that’s in essay exam questions or formal scientific reports. Finally, biologists typically have wild enthusiasm for the wonder of our natural world; I strive to encourage that in my students by example.

Mentoring students in research is an important part of my teaching that also contributes to my scholarship. Some of this work occurs during the academic year (e.g., directed readings to prepare for summer research, incorporating research into my courses), but most occurs during the summer. I typically work very closely with 1-2 Pacific students each year, and then contribute to mentoring additional undergraduates at FSU each summer. Here’s a list of students I’ve mentored and what they’re doing now.

At Pacific, I’ve taught a wide range of courses, listed below with links to some examples of my teaching materials.

BIOL 202 General Biology I (sample syllabus, class activities example 1 (phylogenies),  2 (population ecology), and 3 (speciation) sea otter case study handout, example of a new lab I developed)

BIOL 305 Ecology (sample syllabus; class activities example 1 (life histories), 2 (salmon case study), 3 (disease ecology), and 4 (island biogeography), example of a lab handout)

BIOL 444 Evolution (sample syllabus, sample problem set, paper critique assignment handout)

BIOL 360/426: Plant Animal Interactions (sample syllabus)

BIOL 360: Economic and Cultural Botany (sample syllabus, sample lab)

BIOL 305 Research Methods (sample syllabus)

BIOL 365 Junior Seminar (sample syllabus)

BIOL 495 Senior Capstone Seminar

BIOL 316 Plant Biology

BIOL 155 Plants and Civilization

BIOL 155 Global Change Biology