Who I am:I am an ecologist who studies species responses to anthropogenic change, with the primary goal of informing policies to conserve biodiversity in a human-dominated world. Research that conserves biological diversity is absolutely critical as our window of opportunity for averting the sixth mass extinction rapidly closes.
Why teaching is important to me:In the United States, we live in a time when science is under attack, in large part due to organized campaigns of misinformation and obfuscation and outright denial and suppression. In this difficult environment, I take very seriously my responsibility to support and challenge students by teaching fundamental scientific skills and encouraging curiosity; confronting and correcting misconceptions in science; and helping students advance their analytical and writing skills as developing and practicing scientists. Critical thinking, skepticism, and rational, empirically-based reasoning are essential to break down the barriers of misinformation and anti-science propaganda.
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About my teaching experience:
I have been a teaching assistant for many courses in ecology and environmental science, including, most recently, Landscape Ecology (a concepts course) and Landscape Analysis and Management (a methods course that includes sampling design for inventory and monitoring, multivariate and spatial statistics, site prioritization, and interpreting and forecasting landscape change).
My background and training make me well prepared to teach courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level in Landscape Ecology, Landscape Genetics, Conservation Genetics, Molecular Ecology, Paleoecology, and Climate Change.
I have recently acted as lead instructor for a graduate-level course in Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) at Duke University. SDM is a complex and fast-moving field, and for that reason it was my highest priority to not just teach students the mechanics of the statistical analyses, but also help them develop an analytical framework for evaluating and critiquing the modeling process. In a field that is increasingly fraught with ecological as well as statistical nuances that are poorly understood by most practitioners, my goal was to train students in the science and craft of using species distribution models for modern applications. For these advanced students, this includes a healthy dose of skepticism for extrapolation of these models in the absence of independent data for validation. Additionally, the course was project-based, with each student developing an analytical framework and set of models from their own data. They shared their successes and failures with fellow students, and, in this way, were exposed to the nuances of modeling a variety of data types. They also developed critical thinking skills by applying what they had learned with their own data to understand someone else’s project and provide constructive feedback. I also implemented an iterative writing process with the goal of producing a final project paper in the format of a primary article for peer-review and publication. Recently, one of my student's projects has been published in Environmental Research Letters!
Additionally, as part of my work with the Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN), I have developed a lesson plan for high school students that uses real data on the endangered Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel to help students assess threats from climate change to this high-elevation species, using an SDM framework. This lesson plan meets NC Essential Science, Common Core Math, and Next Generation Science Standards and comes with background information for teachers, slides, and a student handout. Please contact me if you would like access to the full lesson plan.
My background and training make me well prepared to teach courses at the undergraduate and/or graduate level in Landscape Ecology, Landscape Genetics, Conservation Genetics, Molecular Ecology, Paleoecology, and Climate Change.
I have recently acted as lead instructor for a graduate-level course in Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) at Duke University. SDM is a complex and fast-moving field, and for that reason it was my highest priority to not just teach students the mechanics of the statistical analyses, but also help them develop an analytical framework for evaluating and critiquing the modeling process. In a field that is increasingly fraught with ecological as well as statistical nuances that are poorly understood by most practitioners, my goal was to train students in the science and craft of using species distribution models for modern applications. For these advanced students, this includes a healthy dose of skepticism for extrapolation of these models in the absence of independent data for validation. Additionally, the course was project-based, with each student developing an analytical framework and set of models from their own data. They shared their successes and failures with fellow students, and, in this way, were exposed to the nuances of modeling a variety of data types. They also developed critical thinking skills by applying what they had learned with their own data to understand someone else’s project and provide constructive feedback. I also implemented an iterative writing process with the goal of producing a final project paper in the format of a primary article for peer-review and publication. Recently, one of my student's projects has been published in Environmental Research Letters!
Additionally, as part of my work with the Scientific Research and Education Network (SciREN), I have developed a lesson plan for high school students that uses real data on the endangered Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel to help students assess threats from climate change to this high-elevation species, using an SDM framework. This lesson plan meets NC Essential Science, Common Core Math, and Next Generation Science Standards and comes with background information for teachers, slides, and a student handout. Please contact me if you would like access to the full lesson plan.