Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution Spring 2015

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Revision as of 20:14, 25 January 2015 by Nora Mitchell (Talk | contribs) (Schedule)

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EEB 3894 Course Objectives:

The purpose of this course is to explore the ecology and evolutionary biology research being conducted by top researchers in these fields. The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department invites the highest caliber scientist to UConn as part of a weekly seminar series. Our class with have the opportunity to meet with these researchers in a comfortable, round-table table discussion each week. Prior to each discussion, as a group we will examine related scientific literature, learning how to critically read and interpret data from a variety of study systems. Following our discussions with the visiting researchers, we will attend the their formal lecture to the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department. Students will become critical readers of primary scientific literature, will be familiar with major research avenues in ecology and evolutionary biology, and will become comfortable asking questions and interacting with visiting scientists.

Be sure to consult the SyllabusPdficon small.gif

Instructors

Nora Mitchell                                                     Jimmy Bernot
Office: BioPharm 302                                          Office: TLS 478
Email: nora.mitchell@uconn.edu                        Email: james.bernot@uconn.edu

Expectations

This is a discussion-based class centered on the EEB Seminar Series. As such, you are expected to:

  • Attend class every week and actively participate in discussion (TLS 171b)
  • Attend the EEB seminar every week (4-5pm in BPP 131, except for Teale Seminars at Dodd Center 2/26, 3/26, 4/16)
  • Read an assigned article from the primary scientific literature every week
  • Write a one-page response to the above-mentioned article
  • Contact the speaker and lead discussion one week of the semester

Guidelines

See the provided documents to help with your assignments:

Schedule

Meeting Time

Thursday 2:30PM–5:00PM
Bamford Room (TLS 171b)

Additional information about seminar speakers available at http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebwww/30th-seminars/

Date Speaker Background Lecture Title Discussion Leader
Jan. 22 Yang Liu Bryophyte phylogeny and evolution of organelle genomes Mitochondrial Genome Evolution and Phylogenomics of Early Land Plants
Jan. 29 Daniel Ksepka Avian paleobiology March of the Fossil Penguins: Paleobiological Insight into the Evolution of Sphenisciformes Pdficon small.gif Jimmy/Nora
Feb. 5 Steven Pacala Climate change, ecosystem biology, and plant community ecology The fate of the land carbon sink
Feb. 12 Daniel Simberloff Invasive species dynamics and community ecology TBA
Feb. 19 Michael Donoghue Plant evolution and phylogenetics TBA
Feb. 26 Seth Borenstein Associated Press national science writer Dispatches from a Hotter Planet & a Cooler Cosmos Shilla
Mar. 5 David Hillis Evolution, molecular systematics, and phylogenetics TBA
Mar. 12 Robert Ricklefs Evolutionary ecology of birds, avian blood parasites TBA Lauren
Mar. 19 Spring Break: No Class
Mar. 26 Gregg Mitman Science history, the environment, and human health Ecological Imperialism Revisited: Entanglements of Disease, Commerce and Knowledge in a Global World Rachel
Apr. 2 Gene Likens Ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, human impacts on ecosystems TBA
Apr. 9 Susan Wessler Genome evolution TBA Sarah
Apr. 16 Tyrone Hayes Amphibian development and environmental contamination From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads & Men
Apr. 23 Mimi Koehl Physiology and mechanics of marine organisms TBA
Apr. 30 Peter Raven Botany, conservation, and sustainability Saving Plants, Saving Ourselves