Teaching

My teaching is guided by these four principles:

1) The best place to teach forest ecology is in the forest

2) Each student has unique perspectives and unique objectives

3) Differing student backgrounds demand different teaching approaches

4) Teaching with colleagues synergistically improves instruction

Teaching Statement (.pdf)

Experience College of Forest Resources, University of Washington

2009-Current. Instructor

Ecology of Sierra Nevada Forests and field methods (at the Yosemite Forest Dynamics Plot)

2006, 2007. Pre-Doctoral Instructor

Graduate Forest Community Ecology (Archived Web Site). Co-instructed with Andrew Larson.

2006, 2007. Teaching Assistant

Ecosystem Management in the Sierra Nevada (Archived Web Site)

Wildland Recreation and Amenity Management (Archived Web Site)

Society and Sustainable Environments (Archived Web Site)

2007. Curriculum Development

Assisted with development of course content for paired undergraduate core courses in ecological and social aspects of forestry (Archived ESRM200 Web Site, ESRM201 Web Site)

Teaching Award

2007. Faculty Teaching Award (Honorable Mention) for CFR501

Seminar presentations and guest lectures

In addition to the lectures developed for the classes where I had a teaching responsibility, I have lectured on the following topics.

2012. Community and Landscape Ecology (half day seminar for the City of Bellevue Master Naturalist’s Program).

2011. Forest ecology and management in western Washington (Guest lecture and field trip for the Keio University summer class.

2010. Forest ecology and management in western Washington (Guest lecture and field trip for the Keio University summer class.

2009. The skeptical analyst—appropriate use of Landsat fire severity data (Lecture/Lab for Landscape Ecology, twice)

2008. Reasonable and responsible use of satellite remote sensing data (Lecture/Lab for Landscape Ecology)

2008. Environmental planning in the Puget Sound region (Guest lecture to Keio University summer class)

2007. Development of forest structure (Guest lecture to Sustaining Pacific Northwest Ecosystems)

2007. Introduction to ecological data collection (Field trip lecture to Sustaining Pacific Northwest Ecosystems)

2006. Changes in alpine and subalpine composition and productivity over planetary scales (Lecture in Physiological Ecology of Alpine Systems)

2006. Climate change and North American bark beetle populations (Lecture in Forest Entomology)

2006. History of human views of large carnivores in North America (Lecture in Wildlife Conservation in the Northwest)

2004. Using ASTER visual/near-infrared and thermal remote sensing to analyze patterns of aggregated and dispersed green tree retention (Lecture in Spectral Remote Sensing)

2004. Using ASTER remote sensing images to estimate pre-fire fuel loading and post-fire burn intensities in Yosemite National Park (Lecture in Fire Ecology)

2003. Population studies of Phellinus weirii in Mercer Island Pioneer Park (Lecture in Forest Pathology)