Courses and Training

Instructor of Record:

Florida Gulf Coast University

BSC 4052 Conservation Biology

Taught: Fall 2024, Fall 2025

Course Summary: The scientific basis of biological conservation. The course focuses on a description of biological diversity, threats to biodiversity, and current practices in maintaining biodiversity.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to …

Describe the major perspectives, principles, and issues that define the field of conservation biology.
Explain biogeographical patterns and drivers of Earth’s biodiversity, including identifying global biodiversity hotspots.
Justify the value of biodiversity to ecosystem functioning and human society.
Explain the key drivers of past and present biodiversity decline, especially habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, and invasive species.
Demonstrate fundamental problems of small populations, including population viability, genetic drift, and inbreeding.
Describe strategies used to manage and restore biodiversity, such as population monitoring, single-species management, ecological restoration, and protected area design.
Explain how key regulatory frameworks and organizations guide current conservation management decisions.
Critique opposing viewpoints on pressing conservation issues.
Demonstrate data collection and analysis skills relevant to conservation management and applicable to the current job market.

BSC 4312 Marine Biology

Taught: Spring 2025

Course Summary: This course allows students to explore the diversity of organisms living in the oceans, with an emphasis on the adaptations that enable organisms to live in marine habitats from the intertidal zone to the deepest portions of the oceans.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to …

Describe the basic physical and chemical characteristics of the marine environment
Explain how these characteristics drive biogeographical patterns in marine biodiversity
Describe the major marine taxa, including their unique adaptations.
Illustrate how humans impact marine organisms
Identify, summarize, and communicate authoritative information in written and oral form
Critique opposing viewpoints on pressing marine issues
Demonstrate data collection and analysis skills relevant to marine biology and applicable to the current job market

BSC 1010C General Biology with Lab I

Taught: Fall 2024, Spring 2025

Course Summary: In this course, students will apply the scientific method to critically examine and explain the natural world. This course will cover molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics, metabolism, and replication.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, …

Students will demonstrate scientific literacy by articulating and practicing the scientific method.
Students will evaluate data regarding validity.
Students will read and interpret a variety of scientific data.
Students will identify major macromolecules and state their importance to living organisms.
Students will explain metabolism.
Students will compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic structures and processes of cell division and replication.
Students will explain gene expression.
Students will solve problems in transmission genetics.

BSC 6846 Scientific Writing and Communication

Taught: Spring 2025

Course Summary: This course involves individualized project work and experiences in research protocol, scientific methodology, and writing related to specific skills and experiences learned in Professional Aspects in Biology I. Students will learn to present scientific data in a seminar format, practice grant writing, and conduct scientific literature reviews. Students will also learn to effectively communicate scientific information and implications to a general audience.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, students should be able to …

Demonstrate appropriate study design, data collection, and analysis skills relevant to the biological sciences and applicable to the current job market
Identify, summarize, and communicate authoritative information in written and oral form as an individual and/or as a member of a team
Critique opposing viewpoints on pressing biological science issues
Identify and apply ethical practices in all aspects of the biological sciences

Florida State University

GLY 4751C Introduction to Remote Sensing, Air Photo Interpretation, and GIS for the Earth Sciences
GLY 5757C Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Air Photo Interpretation, and GIS for the Earth Sciences

Taught: Fall 2020

Course Summary: This course is an introduction to the: 1) principles of electronic and photographic imaging acquired from aircraft and satellites; 2) physics of the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and materials of Earth’s surface; and 3) use of digital image analysis and GIS in the study of Earth resources and global change.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students should be able to –

Describe what a Geographic Information System (GIS) is and how it is used in technical and non-technical applications
Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental GIS and remote sensing concepts, including competency in the use of common software (e.g., ArcMap, R) found in GIS and remote sensing workflows
Identify appropriate sources of available GIS and remote sensing data from private, non-profit, local, state, federal, and/or international entities based on a critical evaluation of the research or management question at hand

Guest Lectures:

Fall 2023 University of North Carolina Wilmington BIO 366 Ecology
– “Talking Turtle: Sea turtle life history and conservation”

Fall 2021 Florida State University OCE 4930/OCC 5930 Professional Skills Development
– GIS Fundamentals (2 lectures) as part of this Special Topics course which was developed in consultation with the Department’s graduate student body to address perceived gaps in the current curriculum