Recognition & Awards for Excellence in Teaching
- Jill Barrett Undergraduate Research Program in Biology (directed by Jennifer Smith) selected to receive the prestigious Inspiring Programs in STEM AWARD from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine
- Penny Bernstein Distinguished Teaching Award, Career Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching from the Animal Behavior Society (one per year)
- Phi Beta Kappa Laureate for Teaching Excellence in the Liberal Arts
- Student newspaper voices enthusiasm for new courses in article, "Professor introduces classes, energizes department"
- Diversity Program for Innovative Courses in Undergraduate Education, Offices of Undergraduate Education and Diversity & Faculty Development, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); only 4 annual awards
- Excellence-in-Teaching Citation, Office of the Provost, Michigan State University (MSU); only 6 annual awards out of 47,110 students
- Excellence-in-Teaching Citation, College of Natural Science, Michigan State University
- Recognized for Commitment to Student Learning, Undergraduate Student Affairs, MSU
- Future Academic Scholars in Teaching Fellowship, MSU
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BIO 144: Animal Behavior, Fall semesters
This course introduces students to fundamental principles of animal behavior by exploring Niko Tinbergen’s four levels of analysis to understand the: 1) development, 2) mechanisms, 3) ecology, and 4) evolution of behavior. By the end of the course, students will possess the tools required to devise testable hypotheses to understand HOW and WHY animals behave in the ways in which they do. Students discuss the primary literature, observe local wildlife and test hypotheses by carrying on behavioral tests on domestic dogs.
This course introduces students to fundamental principles of animal behavior by exploring Niko Tinbergen’s four levels of analysis to understand the: 1) development, 2) mechanisms, 3) ecology, and 4) evolution of behavior. By the end of the course, students will possess the tools required to devise testable hypotheses to understand HOW and WHY animals behave in the ways in which they do. Students discuss the primary literature, observe local wildlife and test hypotheses by carrying on behavioral tests on domestic dogs.
BIO 158 Marine Biology, Spring semesters (odd years)
This course introduces students to the study of marine biology, with an emphasis on evolutionary adaptations to the marine environment and the ecological interactions among marine organisms with their habitats and interactions with each other/their environment. Communities studied will include coral reefs, deep sea benthos, plankton, nekton, and intertidal assemblages. The courses challenges students to develop critical thinking skills used by marine biologists to study marine biology and to tackle pressing issues of marine conservation. We rely heavily upon hands-on learning during field trips to local habitats and discussion of the primary literature.
This course introduces students to the study of marine biology, with an emphasis on evolutionary adaptations to the marine environment and the ecological interactions among marine organisms with their habitats and interactions with each other/their environment. Communities studied will include coral reefs, deep sea benthos, plankton, nekton, and intertidal assemblages. The courses challenges students to develop critical thinking skills used by marine biologists to study marine biology and to tackle pressing issues of marine conservation. We rely heavily upon hands-on learning during field trips to local habitats and discussion of the primary literature.
BIO 161 Vertebrate Biology (w/lab), Spring semesters (even years)
This course explores the anatomy, physiology, behavior, evolution, ecology, and natural history of various classes of vertebrates. In class, students discuss recent developments in the literature regarding these topics. The lab challenges students to apply these concepts through hands-on learning at local field sites in the Bay Area and through exploration of convergent and divergent features of the specimens in our museum collection at Mills College.
This course explores the anatomy, physiology, behavior, evolution, ecology, and natural history of various classes of vertebrates. In class, students discuss recent developments in the literature regarding these topics. The lab challenges students to apply these concepts through hands-on learning at local field sites in the Bay Area and through exploration of convergent and divergent features of the specimens in our museum collection at Mills College.
Institute for Society & Genetics, University of California Los Angeles
Instructor of Undergraduate Seminar (Winter 2011), Evolutionary Biology & Social Cooperation Seminar (CSG 188). Description: Evolutionary biology helps us understand cooperation within human and non-human species. Humans cooperate to acquire food, defend resources, and maintain long-term social relationships. Their solutions to collective action problems might be thought extraordinary and unique, but evolutionary biology reveals cooperation in other species too, for example, amongst amoebas, honey bees, and spotted hyenas. Topics explored may include culture-gene coevolution of collective behavior, leadership during group travel, cooperative hunting, coalition formation, punishment, rationality, morality, deception, communication, biological market theory, social networks, and evolution of social intelligence.
Zoology Department, Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI
Teaching Assistant (Spring '08, '09), Environmental Physiology (ZOL 483) with Dr. Richard Hill, using his textbook, Animal Physiology. Organized student discussions about how physiology permits animals to cope with their environments. Evaluated student’s ability to explain scientific concepts through oral contributions, essay exams, and term papers.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '05, Fall '07), Marine Biology (ZOL353) with Dr. Richard Hill. Facilitated discussion of the primary literature to complement the lecture component of this course. Pertinent concepts included the life histories of marine organisms and the complexity of ecological relationships within marine habitats such as intertidal zones and coral reefs. Assessed student’s ability to synthesize material in written and verbal form.
Teaching Assistant (Spring '07), Comparative Anatomy & Biology of Vertebrates (ZOL328) with Dr. Susan Hill. Assisted students in the discovery of the evolutionary relationships among vertebrates during hands-on dissection of representative specimens from most vertebrate classes. Assessed student learning by designing and administering lab practical exams.
Teaching Assistant (Spring '06), Behavioral Ecology (ZOL415) with Dr. Tom Getty. Moderated student-led discussions of primary literature focusing on the ecology and evolution of animal behavior. Facilitated critical evaluation of research design and theoretical frameworks. Evaluated student’s understanding of lecture material through essay-style quizzes and exams.
Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Teaching Assistant (Spring '03), Principles of Evolution (IB301). Introduced students to the evidence for evolution and the origin and types of genetic variation. Stressed various modes of selection and modern observations and experiments illustrating the evolutionary process by reviewing these concepts with students to supplement lecture material.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '02), Ecology (IB203) with Dr. George Batzli. Explained the conceptual links between evolution and ecology by helping students to understand population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem function at local and global scales. Assisted students in the development of ecological principles through management of field and lab exercises. Assessed student learning through written assignments and exams.
Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
Teaching Assistant (Spring '96 and '98), The Cellular Basis of Life (BI163). Introduced students to the theory of natural selection and to the diversity of organisms. Facilitated hand-on learning of these concepts through experimental application of material.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '95 and '97), Biodiversity (BI131). Instructed students during labs and on an individual basis with the goal of encouraging an understanding of the variety and variability of life on Earth. Topics included habitat and taxonomic diversity, evolution and speciation, ecosystems, and biological conservation.
Public Outreach and Teaching of K-12 Students in the Public Schools of Los Angeles (2010-present)
I introduce students at schools in the greater Los Angeles area to the concepts of evolution and biological diversity. On this occasion, students discussed the co-evolutionary relationships between humans and dogs.
Marmot Week, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2011)
Education of students at "Kidz Camp" about the basic principles of observing and trapping of wild marmots. Provided insights into performing field experiments and testing hypotheses to explain observed patterns.
Zoology Instructor, Math, Science, & Technology (MST) Program (2006-2009).
Gifted and Talented Education Program at MSU.
Developed and instructed a field-intensive course on behavioral and ecological research as part of a residential program for academically gifted and talented middle school students at Michigan State University.
Darwin Day, MSU Museum, East Lansing, MI (2009,2010)
On Charles Darwin’s birthday, educated the public about the process of natural selection by explaining how the unique dentition and skull morphology of mammalian species promotes specialized feeding adaptations.
Active Participant, Linking All Types of Teachers to International Cross-cultural Education (LATTICE, 2008). The main goal of the LATTICE program is to heighten awareness, sensitivity and understanding of global issues through activism and partnerships with scholars of education within the state of Michigan. Once a month, teachers from the Greater Lansing area, international graduate students, and faculty from various universities discuss the role of global issues in education. Through collective study and discussion, we extend teachers' perspectives about the world so that these worldviews may be expressed in the classroom.
Michigan Science Olympiad, State Tournament, East Lansing, MI (2005-2009, annually). Michigan leads the nation in participation in the Science Olympiad, with more schools competing than in any other state. At the tournament, I volunteer at the experimental design competition, where students devise hypotheses and design an experiment using a surprise set of materials given to them on the day of competition. Then, students report and interpret their findings. Successful students must be able to apply the scientific method to new circumstances.
Girls' Math and Science Conference, East Lansing, MI (2005-2010, annually). This one-day conference, called “An Invitation to Sample Success,” is an annual event designed to encourage 6th grade girls to explore career opportunities in math and science. As a scientist, I model what it is like to pursue research by leading discovery workshops. The girls research the natural history of organisms living in African grasslands. Based on their findings, the girls construct a food web structured by the ecological niche each organism fills in the "web of life."
Teaching Faculty, Maine Audubon Society, Hog Island, ME (August 2000, 2001). Provided intensive instruction of marine ecology to 50 students on the coast of Maine.
Teaching Faculty, Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School, Millbrook, NY (July 1999-July 2000). Cared for 140 exotic and indigenous animals, including 7 endangered species, at the only high school in the U.S. with a zoo. Managed student volunteers working at the zoo and advised students conducting research projects at the zoo.
Instructor of Undergraduate Seminar (Winter 2011), Evolutionary Biology & Social Cooperation Seminar (CSG 188). Description: Evolutionary biology helps us understand cooperation within human and non-human species. Humans cooperate to acquire food, defend resources, and maintain long-term social relationships. Their solutions to collective action problems might be thought extraordinary and unique, but evolutionary biology reveals cooperation in other species too, for example, amongst amoebas, honey bees, and spotted hyenas. Topics explored may include culture-gene coevolution of collective behavior, leadership during group travel, cooperative hunting, coalition formation, punishment, rationality, morality, deception, communication, biological market theory, social networks, and evolution of social intelligence.
Zoology Department, Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI
Teaching Assistant (Spring '08, '09), Environmental Physiology (ZOL 483) with Dr. Richard Hill, using his textbook, Animal Physiology. Organized student discussions about how physiology permits animals to cope with their environments. Evaluated student’s ability to explain scientific concepts through oral contributions, essay exams, and term papers.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '05, Fall '07), Marine Biology (ZOL353) with Dr. Richard Hill. Facilitated discussion of the primary literature to complement the lecture component of this course. Pertinent concepts included the life histories of marine organisms and the complexity of ecological relationships within marine habitats such as intertidal zones and coral reefs. Assessed student’s ability to synthesize material in written and verbal form.
Teaching Assistant (Spring '07), Comparative Anatomy & Biology of Vertebrates (ZOL328) with Dr. Susan Hill. Assisted students in the discovery of the evolutionary relationships among vertebrates during hands-on dissection of representative specimens from most vertebrate classes. Assessed student learning by designing and administering lab practical exams.
Teaching Assistant (Spring '06), Behavioral Ecology (ZOL415) with Dr. Tom Getty. Moderated student-led discussions of primary literature focusing on the ecology and evolution of animal behavior. Facilitated critical evaluation of research design and theoretical frameworks. Evaluated student’s understanding of lecture material through essay-style quizzes and exams.
Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Teaching Assistant (Spring '03), Principles of Evolution (IB301). Introduced students to the evidence for evolution and the origin and types of genetic variation. Stressed various modes of selection and modern observations and experiments illustrating the evolutionary process by reviewing these concepts with students to supplement lecture material.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '02), Ecology (IB203) with Dr. George Batzli. Explained the conceptual links between evolution and ecology by helping students to understand population dynamics, community structure, and ecosystem function at local and global scales. Assisted students in the development of ecological principles through management of field and lab exercises. Assessed student learning through written assignments and exams.
Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine
Teaching Assistant (Spring '96 and '98), The Cellular Basis of Life (BI163). Introduced students to the theory of natural selection and to the diversity of organisms. Facilitated hand-on learning of these concepts through experimental application of material.
Teaching Assistant (Fall '95 and '97), Biodiversity (BI131). Instructed students during labs and on an individual basis with the goal of encouraging an understanding of the variety and variability of life on Earth. Topics included habitat and taxonomic diversity, evolution and speciation, ecosystems, and biological conservation.
Public Outreach and Teaching of K-12 Students in the Public Schools of Los Angeles (2010-present)
I introduce students at schools in the greater Los Angeles area to the concepts of evolution and biological diversity. On this occasion, students discussed the co-evolutionary relationships between humans and dogs.
Marmot Week, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (2011)
Education of students at "Kidz Camp" about the basic principles of observing and trapping of wild marmots. Provided insights into performing field experiments and testing hypotheses to explain observed patterns.
Zoology Instructor, Math, Science, & Technology (MST) Program (2006-2009).
Gifted and Talented Education Program at MSU.
Developed and instructed a field-intensive course on behavioral and ecological research as part of a residential program for academically gifted and talented middle school students at Michigan State University.
Darwin Day, MSU Museum, East Lansing, MI (2009,2010)
On Charles Darwin’s birthday, educated the public about the process of natural selection by explaining how the unique dentition and skull morphology of mammalian species promotes specialized feeding adaptations.
Active Participant, Linking All Types of Teachers to International Cross-cultural Education (LATTICE, 2008). The main goal of the LATTICE program is to heighten awareness, sensitivity and understanding of global issues through activism and partnerships with scholars of education within the state of Michigan. Once a month, teachers from the Greater Lansing area, international graduate students, and faculty from various universities discuss the role of global issues in education. Through collective study and discussion, we extend teachers' perspectives about the world so that these worldviews may be expressed in the classroom.
Michigan Science Olympiad, State Tournament, East Lansing, MI (2005-2009, annually). Michigan leads the nation in participation in the Science Olympiad, with more schools competing than in any other state. At the tournament, I volunteer at the experimental design competition, where students devise hypotheses and design an experiment using a surprise set of materials given to them on the day of competition. Then, students report and interpret their findings. Successful students must be able to apply the scientific method to new circumstances.
Girls' Math and Science Conference, East Lansing, MI (2005-2010, annually). This one-day conference, called “An Invitation to Sample Success,” is an annual event designed to encourage 6th grade girls to explore career opportunities in math and science. As a scientist, I model what it is like to pursue research by leading discovery workshops. The girls research the natural history of organisms living in African grasslands. Based on their findings, the girls construct a food web structured by the ecological niche each organism fills in the "web of life."
Teaching Faculty, Maine Audubon Society, Hog Island, ME (August 2000, 2001). Provided intensive instruction of marine ecology to 50 students on the coast of Maine.
Teaching Faculty, Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School, Millbrook, NY (July 1999-July 2000). Cared for 140 exotic and indigenous animals, including 7 endangered species, at the only high school in the U.S. with a zoo. Managed student volunteers working at the zoo and advised students conducting research projects at the zoo.