The course will introduce junior/senior undergraduate students to the basic physical concepts of remote sensing as they relate to different earth surface processes. It will introduce students to a variety of recently developed ground, airborne, and satellite instruments and their applications to monitor and analyze environmental processes. These include active (e.g., Lidar), and passive (radiometers) sensors, optical (e.g., Landsat, MODIS), microwave (e.g., SMAP), and gravitational (e.g., GRACE) satellites.

The course will introduce junior/senior undergraduate students to the basic physical concepts of remote sensing as they relate to different earth surface processes. It will introduce students to a variety of recently developed ground, airborne, and satellite instruments and their applications to monitor and analyze environmental processes. These include active (e.g., Lidar), and passive (radiometers) sensors, optical (e.g., Landsat, MODIS), microwave (e.g., SMAP), and gravitational (e.g., GRACE) satellites.

Many of the greatest challenges we face today come from understanding and interacting with the natural world: from global climate change to the sudden collapse of fisheries and forests, from the spread of disease and invasive species to the unknown wealth of medical, cultural, and technological value we derive from nature. Advances in satellites and micro-sensors, computation, informatics and the Internet have made available unprecedented amounts of data about the natural world, and with it, new challenges of sifting, processing and synthesizing large and diverse sources of information. In this course, students will learn and apply fundamental computing, statistics and modeling concepts to a series of real-world ecological and environment

This course introduces identification methods and techniques for collection and preparation of specimens and associated biological data, field observation, and recording and interpretation of arthropod behavior, relationships to habitats, and plant-arthropod interactions.

This course introduces identification methods and techniques for collection and preparation of specimens and associated biological data, field observation, and recording and interpretation of arthropod behavior, relationships to habitats, and plant-arthropod interactions.

Insects display an incredibly rich array of behaviors, including extravagant displays, rituals, deception, sociality, and slavery. In some cases, these behaviors are innate, but in other cases individual insects can actively learn and modify their future behaviors based on real-life experiences. This course will focus on the development, structure, and function of insect behaviors, using examples from classic and recent publications. We will examine the evolution of insect behavior, how these behaviors play a role in the ecology of the organisms that express them, and explore various modes of communication that allow insects to judge their environment and respond appropriately.

Covers topics ranging from mythological ideas about spiders and their importance in traditional cultures and folklore, to diversity patterns, ecology, behavior, and general biology of spiders. In the laboratory section, students learn to identify local spiders and to prepare a collection.

Covers topics ranging from mythological ideas about spiders and their importance in traditional cultures and folklore, to diversity patterns, ecology, behavior, and general biology of spiders. In the laboratory section, students learn to identify local spiders and to prepare a collection.

In this class, students study the natural history and evolutionary biology of island terrestrial and freshwater organisms and their communities, and of marine organisms in the coral reef and lagoon systems. The students also learn about the geomorphology of volcanic islands, coral reefs, and reef islands. Features of island biogeography are illustrated with topics linked to subsequent field studies on the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia. The course trains students as independent scientists, as students develop, conduct, and communicate independent research projects on a topic of their choice.

In this class, students study the natural history and evolutionary biology of island terrestrial and freshwater organisms and their communities, and of marine organisms in the coral reef and lagoon systems. The students also learn about the geomorphology of volcanic islands, coral reefs, and reef islands. Features of island biogeography are illustrated with topics linked to subsequent field studies on the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia. The course trains students as independent scientists, as students develop, conduct, and communicate independent research projects on a topic of their choice.