Courses

I will be developing new courses at UT Austin, both for undergraduate and graduate students, beginning Spring 2022 (graduate) and Fall 2022 (undergraduate). More info soon! In the meantime, below are examples of the courses I contributed to at Cornell.

Previous Teaching at Cornell University

Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity – BIOEE1780 – 4 credits (5 credits for writing in the major option)

This lecture course is one of the Biology Core Courses for the Major. We consider explanations for patterns of diversity and for the apparent good fit of organisms to their environment. Topics include the genetic and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, the theory of evolution by natural selection, levels of selection, concepts of fitness and adaptation, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, rates of evolution and extinction, as well as a survey of the Tree of Life. This course applies active learning pedagogies in the classroom.

Herpetology and Herpetology Lab – BIOEE4700/4701 – 4 credits

In this course we cover various aspects of the biology of amphibians and reptiles, including evolution, biogeography, ecology, behavior, and physiology. Students acquire knowledge of the major groups of amphibians and reptiles, with respect to their main diagnostic characteristics, and learn to synthesize, integrate, and discuss details of morphology, ecology, behavior, and physiology for major lineages of amphibians and reptiles.

Graduate Field Course in Ecology “Florida Field Course” – BioEE6602 – 3 credits

The Florida Field Course has been running in EEB since 1968! The course is designed to give graduate students experience in defining questions and designing field investigations. The course is based at the Archbold Biological Station in central Florida over spring break and during the following week. The class visits several ecosystems including sand pine scrub, cattle ranches, cypress swamps, and the Everglades. The Florida Field Course is co-taught by Jed Sparks and Kelly Zamudio [course info]

Non-model Genomics Journal Club – BioEE7600 – 1 credit

This is a weekly discussion of the burgeoning literature on non-model genomics, and more specifically on applications of next-gen sequencing to address ecological and evolutionary questions in non-model organisms (i.e. without the benefit of a fully sequenced reference genome). This is not a strict boundary on topics, but will be the main discussion area. Our focus will be on applications, but inevitably there will be some focus on methods because they are under such intense development. Kelly Zamudio, Nina Overgaard-Therkildsen, and Matt Hare, trade off teaching non-model genomics in alternate semesters [course website]