Teaching

I teach two graduate courses and one undergraduate course.

Graduate course

FW 730 – Ethics in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 2-credits, every Fall semester

Professional ethics are about scientific integrity and responsible conduct of research, which requires that scientists be aware of the ethical dimensions of their work, desire to make the right decisions, and know how to address issues that arise. By actively participating in this course, students should become able to: (1) see and articulate ethical issues, (2) understand consequences of unethical practices, (3) be better able to solve ethical dilemmas in research and natural resource management, (4) confront the possibility of needing to act against their own self interest in order to avoid or solve a moral problem, and (5) develop leadership skills in the area of ethical conduct of research.

Mixed (Grad and Undergrad) course

FW 595 – Citizen Science: Understanding the Participatory Sciences, 3-credits, every Fall semester

This class is open to graduate students and upper-level undergraduate students interested in citizen science and similar forms of public engagement in science.  Students will learn through readings, class discussions, and public conversations via various forms of social media. The objectives are for students to:

1. Recognize varied approaches to participatory sciences. Students will become familiar with differences among the participatory sciences. Students will be able to reference key literature about different styles, designs, names, and goals of participatory sciences.

2. Critique citizen science and other participatory sciences. Students will be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of different designs, including fluency with ethical, legal, social, and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) considerations of participatory sciences in real-world situations.

3. Appreciate varied expertise that multiple disciplines bring to citizen science and other participatory sciences. Students will gain exposure to the disciplines involved in advancing participatory sciences, including the fields of social science, education, critical geography, science and technology studies, science communication, ecology, public health, volunteer management, and more.

Undergraduate course

FW 221 – Conservation of Natural Resources, 3-credits (I teach in spring semesters of odd-numbered years, but it is offered every semester by other great instructors)

In this course, students examine the importance of natural resources, their role in meeting the needs of societies, and the physical, biological, ecological, and social principles that underlie the sustainability of natural resource use. The course emphasizes renewable natural resources, the importance of habitat, and a broadly international context. The course takes an optimistic perspective that life on earth can and will be better in the future if we learn and practice good resource management today.