Life History Evolution and Ecological Physiology - Kenyon 2007, 2008

In the spring at Kenyon College I teach a seminar in ecological and evolutionary physiology. This course is designed to expose students to current primary literature, while teaching them modern scientific tools necessary to investigate the subject area.

Students learn both field and lab techniques while developing and implementing research projects of their own design.

Animal Physiology - Swarthmore 2005

In this course, students examined physiologic regulation in animals. Topics included but, were not limited to metabolism, thermo- and osmoregulation, endocrinology, muscle physiology and evolutionary physiology.

Students on the far left are shown presenting results from their independent research project on Bess beetles ability to avoid freezing through supercooling. Other projects included diurnal variation of thermoregulation in western fence lizards (top right), and how fasting and diet influence salivary cortisol in students (bottom right).

Biology of Aging - Swarthmore 2006

This seminar had students investigating questions centered on the biology of aging. We began by discussing the evolutionary and genetic basis of aging and then explored proximate mechanisms of aging.

Half of the class periods were spent discussing the primary literature (photo far left), and during the other time students developed and implemented projects investigating mechanisms involved in aging. One project had 3 Swarthmore students collaborating with 5 Kenyon students to investigate the affects of antioxidants on immune function in birds (photos to right show the inside of the Kenyon aviary).

Organismal and Population Biology - Swarthmore 2006

Organismal and Population Biology was an introductory course in the Swarthmore Biology Department. This course served as an introduction to evolution, ecology, physiology and behavior of organisms and populations.

The lab students to the left are examining the physiology of the dive response. While the student's face is submerged in water their heart rate begins to drop. In this lab students elucidated what cues signaled the beginning of a dive - and got a little wet in the process.

Comparative Endocrinology - Iowa State University 2001 - 2005

While a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University, I was a teaching assistant for Comparative Endocrinology. In lab, students gained a better understanding of experimental approaches taken by endocrinologists in their efforts to answer major questions in endocrinology.

One experiment invesdtigated the effects of different hormone in animal coloration. The photo on the left shows three Xenopus frogs at two time points. The frogs in the top panel were photographed and then injected with saline (left), melanocyte stimulating hormone (center), or melatonin (right). After 30 minutes, the frog on the left is unchanged, the frog in the center has noticeably darkened and the frog on the right has blanched.