Teaching & Outreach
"Maybe the single most important thing we can do for conservation in general is to give people an appreciation of nature.”
~ Dr. Anurag Agrawal
~ Dr. Anurag Agrawal
This sentiment nicely conveys my approach to both teaching and outreach. During my career I have taught both inside and outside the classroom to a variety of audiences from college students to senior centers and girl scout troops. My goal as an ecologist is to not just share my research but the (fun!) process of science in general.
Outreach
One of the most satisfying experiences in my career is the opportunity to share my work with the general public. In my research working in residential landscapes, my assistants and I had countless, spontaneous teaching opportunities with inquisitive neighbors interested in what we were doing. During this time I spoke to gardeners about their landscaping, arborists about ecosystem services, middle and high school students about their interest in science as a career, just to name a few. In parts of inner-city DC, I was told by several homeowners that their experience learning about my PhD work was their first interaction with a 'real-life scientist'. These are the sort of experiences that I aim to expand, by connecting my future lab with the surrounding community. My continued goal is to increase the diversity of communities that learn and interact with local researchers.
From my experience as an avian ecologist, I have over a decade of providing outreach using bird banding demonstrations. There are few things that are more enjoyable than watching someone see a bird in the hand for the first time. I have given hundreds of demonstrations using banding as a tool to excite and inspire observers to connect with the natural world. With a bird in the hand, you can share information about its biology, ecology, and cultural importance while the public observes the individual in a more intimate way.
In addition to 'on-the-ground' outreach, I am also involved with several alternative media outlets to disseminate information at local and global scales. During my PhD I created websites and newsletters to share updates with the citizen scientists involved in the project. I also use social media outlets like Twitter and online blogging to widely spread information in topics related to my research such as gardening for wildlife, caterpillar host plants and avian ecology.
From my experience as an avian ecologist, I have over a decade of providing outreach using bird banding demonstrations. There are few things that are more enjoyable than watching someone see a bird in the hand for the first time. I have given hundreds of demonstrations using banding as a tool to excite and inspire observers to connect with the natural world. With a bird in the hand, you can share information about its biology, ecology, and cultural importance while the public observes the individual in a more intimate way.
In addition to 'on-the-ground' outreach, I am also involved with several alternative media outlets to disseminate information at local and global scales. During my PhD I created websites and newsletters to share updates with the citizen scientists involved in the project. I also use social media outlets like Twitter and online blogging to widely spread information in topics related to my research such as gardening for wildlife, caterpillar host plants and avian ecology.
Teaching
My collegiate teaching style is comprised of three main components, 1) critical thinking, 2) deliverable skills and 3) getting outside. I want every student who takes a class from me, whether a science major or not, to acquire marketable skills in addition to learning ecological information and a deep appreciation of local flora and fauna.
URBAN ECOLOGY
In Fall 2015, I developed and taught a graduate level readings course within my specialization, urban wildlife. In this 1-credit course, students learned the general theories of urban wildlife ecology while practicing their ability to read publications critically and public speaking. As a class we discussed fruitful areas of new research and limitations in current literature. Each week a student briefly presented a chosen paper and the class discussed the conclusions. Each student also had a class project to develop a new research proposal on a topic of their choosing within an urban system, and present their idea using the IGNITE talk format.
APPLIED ECOLOGY
As a lecturer, my background prepares me to flexibly teach a wide variety of university courses in ecology and natural resources. At University of Delaware, I prepared lectures across a broad array of topics such as behavioral ecology, entomology, evolution, population ecology, ornithology and more. I connect with students by encouraging active, spontaneous discussion of topics in addition to prepared lectures. I have also given workshops on field techniques, using social media professionally and computer programming.
For students majoring in wildlife or natural resources, getting out in the field is just as important as the classroom. I believe spending unstructured time observing the environment can encourage critical thinking in ways beyond reading a textbook can. In the field, I have taught undergraduates field methods in avian ecology, entomology, mammalogy, and dendrology.
DATA MANAGEMENT, CODING AND ECOLOGICAL MODELING
Every student conducting research can benefit from courses in data management and analysis, however, most departments lack courses to learn these necessary skills. An important goal of mine is to continually keep up-to-date with current methodologies and develop my programming and modeling abilities. Using R as my primary programming language, I have independently taught several workshops and was the teaching assistant for a data analysis lab to teach coding and ecological modeling to students and professionals. I have also developed labs and modules that use real ecological data to teach current methods in data analysis and visualization. I am well prepared to take these skills to a formal classroom and aim to teach data management and analysis to undergraduates and graduates by grounding lessons within an 'real-world' ecological context. My experience lends to courses using both frequentist and bayesian approaches, with an emphasis on comprehension of the underlying models rather than 'black box' execution.
MENTORSHIP
I have mentored several undergraduates throughout the entire process of their independent research project; from support in study design and data collection, to analysis and thesis writing. My approach to mentorship is to not just guide them to a destination with their research, but to provide an arena for open discussion about topics of interest and concern either in life or school. My objective is a symbiotic relationship with two goals. First, to produce a novel and publishable manuscript on a topic that interests the mentee. Second, to convey the importance of responsibility, critical thinking and to help the mentee graduate from a 'student of science' to a colleague.
Given the system that I work in, urban landscapes, my research can be conducted at any university in any state. Most importantly, this system is perfect for involving the local undergraduate body to get research opportunities in their "own backyard". This accessibility increases the diversity of students obtaining valuable work experience, regardless of race, gender, income, disability or family obligations.
URBAN ECOLOGY
In Fall 2015, I developed and taught a graduate level readings course within my specialization, urban wildlife. In this 1-credit course, students learned the general theories of urban wildlife ecology while practicing their ability to read publications critically and public speaking. As a class we discussed fruitful areas of new research and limitations in current literature. Each week a student briefly presented a chosen paper and the class discussed the conclusions. Each student also had a class project to develop a new research proposal on a topic of their choosing within an urban system, and present their idea using the IGNITE talk format.
APPLIED ECOLOGY
As a lecturer, my background prepares me to flexibly teach a wide variety of university courses in ecology and natural resources. At University of Delaware, I prepared lectures across a broad array of topics such as behavioral ecology, entomology, evolution, population ecology, ornithology and more. I connect with students by encouraging active, spontaneous discussion of topics in addition to prepared lectures. I have also given workshops on field techniques, using social media professionally and computer programming.
For students majoring in wildlife or natural resources, getting out in the field is just as important as the classroom. I believe spending unstructured time observing the environment can encourage critical thinking in ways beyond reading a textbook can. In the field, I have taught undergraduates field methods in avian ecology, entomology, mammalogy, and dendrology.
DATA MANAGEMENT, CODING AND ECOLOGICAL MODELING
Every student conducting research can benefit from courses in data management and analysis, however, most departments lack courses to learn these necessary skills. An important goal of mine is to continually keep up-to-date with current methodologies and develop my programming and modeling abilities. Using R as my primary programming language, I have independently taught several workshops and was the teaching assistant for a data analysis lab to teach coding and ecological modeling to students and professionals. I have also developed labs and modules that use real ecological data to teach current methods in data analysis and visualization. I am well prepared to take these skills to a formal classroom and aim to teach data management and analysis to undergraduates and graduates by grounding lessons within an 'real-world' ecological context. My experience lends to courses using both frequentist and bayesian approaches, with an emphasis on comprehension of the underlying models rather than 'black box' execution.
MENTORSHIP
I have mentored several undergraduates throughout the entire process of their independent research project; from support in study design and data collection, to analysis and thesis writing. My approach to mentorship is to not just guide them to a destination with their research, but to provide an arena for open discussion about topics of interest and concern either in life or school. My objective is a symbiotic relationship with two goals. First, to produce a novel and publishable manuscript on a topic that interests the mentee. Second, to convey the importance of responsibility, critical thinking and to help the mentee graduate from a 'student of science' to a colleague.
Given the system that I work in, urban landscapes, my research can be conducted at any university in any state. Most importantly, this system is perfect for involving the local undergraduate body to get research opportunities in their "own backyard". This accessibility increases the diversity of students obtaining valuable work experience, regardless of race, gender, income, disability or family obligations.
