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meadowsunitstudentsExperience

2009 - Dartmouth, Lecturer

Course: Wilderness & Society, Environmental Studies Program

2003 - 2007 - Dartmouth, Teaching Assistant

Courses in Biology Department: Ecological Research in the Tropics I & II (Costa Rica), Ecological Research on Coral Reefs (2 years: Jamaica and Little Cayman), Methods in Ecology (2006, Guest-taught Nutrient Network section in 2007-2009), Introduction to Ecology & Evolution (Biology), Vertebrate Biology

Courses in Environmental Studies Program: Introduction to Environmental Studies, Conservation Biology

Note: I was awarded Dartmouth's interdepartmental Filene Award for my teaching while there.

 

Bioinformatics blog

In 2010-11 UCSD undergrad Winny and I are working on collecting trait data for a suite of historical phenology datasets. You can read about our progress on our blog here.

Brief PhilosophyNutNetTeaching

CorcovadoTeaching

Students collecting point intercept data in a methods course (top). Introducing methods for the Nutrient Network experiment in Methods in Ecology (middle). A late night stats session at Sirena station, Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica (bottom).
In all courses I have taught, my primary focus has been to draw out enthusiasm, interest and full presence from students. I find with this focus students will soak up more of what I am teaching, and as engaged, active participants will become better critical thinkers, often making connections themselves to other concepts and case studies taught in the course, or to the work they want to do in the future. I believe I am often successful at this. A recurrent comment on my evaluations is that I combine “enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge,” and students constantly see this as fundamental to their own learning. I try to always combine a depth of knowledge of what I am teaching with dynamic activities and methods. Whenever possible I strive to mix up activities to keep students engaged.

I have also greatly enjoyed mentoring students outside of the classroom. As a graduate student I worked with six students in the lab on my dissertation research, carving out projects that provided a strong connection to the actual research. In particular I worked with two female students for two and half years with one completing her honors thesis on a topic related to my research. Today both are either applying to or accepted to graduate programs in ecology.

 

 

Just to review: Your options are to visit Home or Data, Publications or Research which includes my work on Phenology, Detritus and other projects, you're at Teaching, including an overview of my experience and my current undergrad’s blog on our bioinformatics work, my Resources page with my links to favorite LaTex, Sweave and R help sites, a Grants list and Writing, and the almighty leftover stuff at Other. You can download my CV here.