Teaching
ESRM 351 student Juana Maria Rivera Ordonez handles a garter snake during a field trip.
ESRM 351: Wildlife Techniques
Spring term, every year, 5 credits
The primary goals of this course are to: (1) introduce students to common techniques used to assess wildlife populations and their habitat, (2) provide hands-on experience with these techniques and species identification, and (3) sharpen abilities to observe nature and communicate observations through field journals and scientific writing. Upon completion of the course, students will have gained experience with non-lethal methods of capturing and handling a variety of wildlife species, as well as experience with non-invasive methods of wildlife research. Students will gain experience conducting all steps of a wildlife field study, including generating a research question, designing a field study, collecting data on wildlife populations, keeping systematic field notes, and summarizing findings in the format of a scientific paper.
ESRM 150: Wildlife in the Modern World
Fall term, every year, 5 credits
The influence of humans increasingly shapes the natural landscapes and systems of this planet, leading to concerns and sometimes conflict involving wildlife. This course provides an introduction to wildlife biology and conservation by investigating the suite of pressures influencing species survival. In addition, students gain hands-on experience conducting wildlife research during lab sessions. This course provides students who might not otherwise study wildlife in an academic setting with a framework for understanding wildlife-related topics they will encounter in the media throughout life. Students are encouraged to critically assess basic needs and pressures of a wide variety of wildlife. This course also introduces students to the process of scientific inquiry through conducting a wildlife research project.
ESRM 453: Biology and Conservation of Mammals
Spring term, odd years, 3 credits
This course covers the diversity and life history of mammals, with a focus on their ecology, evolutionary relationships, distribution, and conservation. There are 2 1.5-hour lectures per week, which consist of interactive PowerPoint lectures (using Poll Everywhere), video clips, discussions, and short daily quizzes. Students will complete a term project in which they will create a species account for a mammal, which may be published via the Animal Diversity Web. This is a writing intensive (W) course.
SEFS 590: Synthesis and Meta-analysis in Ecology
Fall term, odd years, 3 credits
Quantitative syntheses and meta-analyses are essential tools in the sciences. Results from single studies are often not repeatable, and thus meta-analyses serve a crucial role by synthesizing results from numerous studies to provide a more robust understanding of scientific phenomena. This course provides graduate students with the foundational knowledge needed to conduct quantitative syntheses and meta-analyses. We begin with lectures introducing students to the quantitative techniques used and issues that need to be considered. Students then form groups based on similar interests and spend the majority of the quarter gaining hands-on experience conducting a meta-analysis.