Teaching

 I teach and have taught a variety of courses in both the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the University of Colorado Museum.  These include General Biology, Biology of Insects, Collections Management, and Plant-animal Interactions.  I also run a weekly discussion group on Plant-animal Interactions.

Collections Management

This course is one of the required courses for the Museum and Field Studies program administered by the CU Museum.  The course covers a variety of topics related to collections and their management.  Topics include collecting and collection policies, processing of incoming and outgoing material, legal issues and regulations, organization and storage, environment and security, grant writing and evaluation, and databasing and digitization of collections.  The goals of this course are to increase your understanding of the value of collections for the many facets of the museum world:  collections, education, research, exhibits, and outreach.

Insect Biology

This course provides an introduction to insect biology.  The goals of the course are to develop your understanding, enthusiasm, and enjoyment of the amazing world of insects.  Throughout the semester, the course will examine insect morphology, physiology and development in order to develop a context for understanding insect ecology, behavior, evolution and interaction with other organisms.  The laboratory will focus on learning insect identification; techniques for collecting, mounting and labeling insects; insect morphology and evolutionary relationships.

Plant Animal Interactions

This is an informal weekly discussion group/journal club that has been meeting for the last 15 years or so.  The focus is on plant-animal interactions, very broadly defined.  The kinds of papers we discuss range from the evolution of sociality in insects, to ethnobotany, to the chemical ecology of plants and animals.  We meet at 5:00 on Mondays and have a great time.