I teach for both the Departments of Botany and Geography at UW-Madison. My courses have been cross-listed with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Department of Entomology, Department of Integrative Biology, Department of Horticulture, and Department of Agronomy. See coures descriptions at UW-Madison Course Guide
Spring 2021
Geography 920/Botany 575 - Graduate seminar: Biogeography of Plant-Animal Interactions: This seminar will explore important plant-animal interactions, such as pollination and herbivory, from a biogeographical perspective. For numerous reasons, these interactions can vary over space and time, even between the same pair of organisms. In addition, similar interactions often arise between two completely different organism pairs in different places. The course will use primary literature, discussion, and group presentations to cover numerous facets, including biogeography and chemical ecology, of this topic.
Fall 2020
Geography/Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies 127 - Physical Systems of the Environment: An introduction to physical geography, the study of natural environmental systems, emphasizing how these systems produce local and global patterns of weather and climate, vegetation, soils, and landforms. The course has three objectives: 1) To provide a basic understanding of the most important processes shaping the physical environment in which we live; 2) To convince you of the dynamic nature of that environment and the degree to which it has changed in the past and is changing at present, in part because of human activity; and 3) To provide you with important tools that you can use, with background knowledge from this course, to explore the climate, vegetation, soils, and landforms of particular places and how they are changing over time. The course has separate lecture and lab components, which are coordinated so the labs provide you with a more in-depth understanding of many of the same basic concepts discussed in lecture, along with new material.
Biology/Botany/Integrative Biology 152 - Introductory Biology (Plant Biology - Evolution - Ecology) - Ecology Module: Provides students with a solid foundation in the fundamental concepts and knowledge base of modern biology and help students develop the skills that are integral to the process of science. This course provides a coherent framework for understanding biology and prepares students for their upper-level courses. We hope also to encourage in students an intellectual excitement for biology and for science in general.
Science is hierarchical and current findings build on historical knowledge. In Introductory Biology 152 we are providing the FOUNDATION upon which the rest of a student’s biological growth stands. As a result, both process AND content are crucial.
Spring 2020
Entomology/Botany/Integrative Biology 473 - Plant-Insect Interactions: Plant-Insect Interactions addresses the diverse ways in which insects and plants interact with each other over ecological and evolutionary timescales, and the implications of those interactions for both natural and managed ecosystems. The course explores the many mechanisms by which insects exploit plants, and how the interactions can benefit or adversely affect plant growth, survival, and community dynamics. Conversely, the course also addresses how plants defend against insects, and the consequences of herbivory for insect fitness, trophic cascades, and population dynamics. Finally, we consider the implications of plant-insect interaction theory to natural resource management and current environmental issues.
Fall 2019
Geography/Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies 127 - Physical Systems of the Environment: See description above.
Biology/Botany/Integrative Biology 152 - Introductory Biology (Plant Biology - Evolution - Ecology) - Ecology Module: See description above.
Spring 2019
Botany 575/Hort 375/Agronomy 375/Pl Path 375 - Undergraduate seminar: Frontiers in Plant Biology: This seminar class is intended as a unifying academic experience for the Plant Biology Option and a capstone experience for students in Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology. Its larger objective is to mediate substantive intellectual interactions among both the students and the faculty in the program. To date, only Horticulture has approved it for capstone. Two faculty members will co-teach each offering of Frontiers in Plant Biology. Faculty instructor pairs will come from different plant biology departments to ensure that each version of the class has an inclusive, interdisciplinary perspective. The instructors will choose a topic for the semester from a current area in which they have interest and expertise. (Sample topics might include: Physiology of plant stress response to droughts and floods; Current topics in sustainable food production; Ecological and agronomic roles of endophytic microbes; Perspectives on genetically modified plants; Understanding the functions of plant structure). The teaching faculty will present initial foundational material and assemble a list of assigned papers in the topic area. Each week one or two students will present background material and lead a discussion on a current article from the peer-reviewed literature or other relevant source material. This course will be an active, participatory learning experience rather than a passive speaker-of-the-week seminar. The course will expose students to a challenging small-group experience involving extensive interaction with faculty. Because the topic will change each offering, this course may be taken more than once for credit. The course's projected learning outcomes are that students will: 1) acquire depth of knowledge in a specific sub-discipline; 2) develop skills in oral presentation of plant biology research; and 3) have advanced skills and confidence in critical scientific analysis.
Fall 2018
Geography/Botany 338 - Environmental Biogeography: This course takes an ecosystems approach to understand how physical – climate, geologic history, soils – and biological – physiology, evolution, extinction, dispersal, competition, predation – factors interact to affect the past, present, and future distribution of terrestrial biomes and all levels of biodiversity: ecosystems, species, and genes. A particular focus will be placed on the role of disturbance, recent human-driven climatic and land-cover changes, biological invasions, and differences in historical and current distributions of global biodiversity.
Biology/Botany/Integrative Biology 152 - Introductory Biology (Plant Biology - Evolution - Ecology) - Ecology Module: See description above.
Spring 2018
Entomology/Botany/Integrative Biology 473 - Plant-Insect Interactions: See description above.
Geography/Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies 120 - Introduction to the Earth System: We live in a swiftly changing world characterized by rapidly changing climates, shifting landscapes, and growing human populations. Now, more than ever, it is essential to understand how the earth system works, how it affects our livelihoods, and how we are altering it. This course provides a critical foundation for understanding just that. Through this course students gain a deeper appreciation for the diverse processes that shape our local, regional, and global landscapes. Many students take this course to fulfill the physical science requirement. Others use it as a gateway to majors and careers in Geography, Environmental Studies, and Environmental Science.
Fall 2017
Geography/Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies 120 - Introduction to the Earth System: See description above.
Biology/Botany/Integrative Biology 152 - Introductory Biology (Plant Biology - Evolution - Ecology) - Ecology Module: See description above.
Spring 2017
Geography/Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies 120 - Introduction to the Earth System: See description above.
Fall 2016
Geography/Botany 338 - Environmental Biogeography: See description above.
Biology/Botany/Integrative Biology 152 - Introductory Biology (Plant Biology - Evolution - Ecology) - Ecology Module: See description above.