CLASSES:

The classes that I teach are listed below. Please note that I don't teach all of these courses every year and that I am not the only instructor for most of the courses.



Evolution (BIO 235) - Sample Syllabus - Evolution is a 200 level course that introduces basic evolutionary principles. By the end of this course, students should have a clear understanding of why evolution matters and how it informs our understanding of the living world. The topics covered include an overview of the evidence for evolution, natural selection, mutation and genetic variation, genetic drift, gene flow, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, sexual selection, speciation, and phylogenetics. Quantitative methods are emphasized throughout and students learn to create simple models in excel. Molecular methods including DNA extraction, PCR, use of restriction enzymes, gel electrophoresis, sequencing, and bioinformatics are emphasized in lab.



Concepts in Evolution (BIO 335/435) - Sample Syllabus - Concepts in Evolution is an upper level undergraduate/graduate course that covers advanced topics in evolutionary biology including the relationship between evolution and religion, human evolution, evolution and human health, genome evolution, Evo-Devo, contemporary evolution, speciation, and epigenetics. The course functions as a hybrid between a typical lecture course and a seminar with students leading discussion of scientific papers on many of the topics covered.



Molecular Methods in Ecology and Evolution (BIO 321/421) - Sample Syllabus - This is an upper level undergraduate/graduate course that provides hands-on experience in methods of detecting and analyzing molecular variation in nature. I intend for this course to be more of a workshop than a traditional biology course. Students learn about molecular methods by employing them in lab to answer questions about the ecology and evolution of organisms. The methods learned are also broadly applicable in biomedical fields, for example genotyping and identification of the genetic basis of traits. In lecture, we will go over topics like evolution, speciation, ecological genetics, and conservation biology. We also survey the methods that are available to study these topics. Students spend most of their time in lab. Applications covered include DNA extraction, PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, use of restriction enzymes, amplification and scoring of microsatellites, clean up of PCR products for sequencing, sequencing of DNA, interpretation of chromatograms, editing and analysis of DNA sequences, use of Genbank and programs for molecular data analysis, phylogenetics, and molecular cloning. By the end of the course, students will be competent using molecular markers to answer basic questions in ecology and evolution.



Biostatistics (BIO 206) - Sample Syllabus - Statistics are everywhere you look. Statements made about the food that you eat, the safety of the water that you drink, how great X or Y baseball player is, the results of a scientific experiment, etc., all have their foundations in statistics. Having a thorough understanding of the value and limitations of statistics is crucial for professional success and for making informed decisions as a citizen. In this course, we will survey the most common statistical methods used in biology. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with basic descriptive and inferential statistics and be able to employ statistical methods to solve biological problems.

Descriptive statistics that we cover include measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), variation (range, inter-quartile range, standard deviation, variance, coefficient of variation), and z-score transformation. Graphical representation of data is also covered. Inferential statistical methods covered include the one-sample t test, independent-samples t test, paired-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson product-moment correlation, Spearman rank correlation, regression, Chi2 test of independence, and Chi2 test of goodness of fit.



General Biology II (BIO 192) - Sample Syllabus - General Biology II is the second in the sequence of our introductory biology course for majors. It introduces students to basic evolutionary principles and processes, ecological principles and processes, and biological classification. The course ends with a survey of the Prokaryotes, Protista, and Fungi.



Vertebrate Diversity and Evolution (BIO 124) - Sample Syllabus - There are more than 57,000 species of vertebrates inhabiting nearly every part of the Earth. Vertebrates are often the most conspicuous and ecologically important organisms around us. Understanding vertebrates is crucial to understand the natural world in which we live and our own history as a species. Vertebrate Diversity and Evolution is a non-majors course that introduces students to the diversity and evolution of major vertebrate groups, and to the basic scientific methods that are used to study them. Topics covered include the evolution of biological diversity, vertebrate classification, the major evolutionary transitions between vertebrate groups, simple quantitative techniques to measure vertebrate diversity and evolution, the role of science in understanding the history of vertebrate diversification, the major threats that different vertebrate groups face, and human evolution.