Teaching
Evolutionary Biology and Diversity (BIOLOGY 305)
Semesters taught: Spring
The goal of this class is to foster understanding of the history of biodiversity and how evolution shapes our world. Many pressing biological challenges for society are directly influenced by evolutionary processes, such as the rise of antibiotic/pest resistance, declines in the abundance/yield of harvested populations, and the extinction of threatened and endangered populations. This course will engage students to build an understanding of evolution, which is essential for practicing scientists in the domains of human health, agriculture, conservation, wildlife biology, and beyond. Students will gain proficiency in considering evidence, thinking critically, and solving biological problems that arise because populations change over time. Weekly instruction includes a conceptual overview of the week’s central theme and key principles, followed by the analysis of case studies and a coupled recitation-quiz session to reinforce concepts.
Introduction to Population and Quantitative Genetics (BIOLOGY 519)
Semesters taught: Fall
Population and quantitative genetics provides the conceptual foundation for understanding and studying the evolution of populations. These disciplines are relevant to both fundamental and applied aspects of modern biology and therefore play a major role in guiding life-sciences research in the 21st century. In this course, we build a process-based understanding of why and how biological populations change over time. The course develops models of evolution that demonstrate the effects of recombination, mutation, migration, genetic drift, and various forms of natural selection. Using this as a foundation, the course develops both theory and applications on the study of quantitative trait evolution, specifically the resemblance among relatives, heritable components of genetic variation, and responses to selection. Finally, students will gain proficiency in a week-long workshop integrating data on relatedness and phenotypic distributions to infer key genetic parameters in breeding programs. Throughout this course, students will gain basic proficiency with simple models and the interpretation of genetic data in R.