BIOS 5970 I.D.E.A.S. Collaboratory (Fall 2024) - co-instructor Jacklyn Brickman
I.D.E.A.S. Collaboratory: InterDisciplinary Experimentations in Art and Science Collaboration Laboratory is a new laboratory with a collaborative emphasis on experience-driven, cross-disciplinary pollination of ideas between Science and Art. The I.D.E.A.S. Collaboratory focuses on engaging students and faculty in science and art research approaches with field, laboratory, and studio-based work. Participants experience the nature of collaboration between science and art, building greater understanding of each others’ viewpoints and one anothers’ practices as emerging scientists and artists. Sound Ecology lab member and IDEAS student Lisa Trapp created the video above showing our final collaborative project!
The IDEAS Collaboratory was made possible through an Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant from the Empowering Futures Grant, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President.
BIOS 4390 Animal Behavior (Fall 2024)
Why do animals behave the way they do? How do behaviors evolve? What are genes and physiological processes underlie behavior? How do you study the behavior of animals in the field and in the lab? In this course, students will explore these questions and more to gain a broad understanding of the integrative study of animal behavior.
BIOS 4430 Conservation Biology (Spring 2024)
Conservation biology explores threats to the conservation of nature. We've focussed on conservation communication as a critical component to finding common ground among diverse stakeholders and solutions to the current conservation crisis. Our work in conservation communication included sharing stories of and the science behind local nature and conservation through Instagram (@soundeco_lab) and a collaboration between students in Conservation Biology and students in Graphic Design that resulted in Infographics highlighting conservation issues and solutions. The image gallery highlights the students' work. Click on any infographic to see in detail and for student credits.
BIOS 1620 Ecology and Evolution (Fall 2025)
The main underlying theme of this course, as well as modern biological thinking, is the theory of evolution by natural selection. Students will be introduced to this critical idea, and will also study the evolutionary history of life on earth, the diversity of organisms inhabiting the earth and aspects of their structure and function, ecology from the perspectives of individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems, and conservation biology. Lecture and laboratory.
BIOS 5470 Ornithology (Spring 2025)
This course delves into the biology of birds. Students will study such topics as evolution and phylogeny of birds, their anatomical adaptations, reproduction and behavior, and will learn to identify Michigan bird species. This is a lecture-based course, but students are required to attend some weekday and weekend trips to local nature preserves, which will allow us to observe and identify birds in the field.