Courses

Insect Systematics

EIS517/ECOL517/ENTO417; 4 units; Graduate and upper division undergraduate course. Instructor: Wendy Moore

In this course students gain an appreciation and understanding of insect diversity, form and function within a phylogenetic context as well as the basic tools and procedures used in systematic biology.  Students learn details about the evolution and classification of insects, including insect structure and phylogeny, and how to identify insect orders and common families. This course is designed to help students learn the basic morphology of insects, learn how insects are classified, learn to use and construct identification tools, and learn key diagnostic characters of insect families using morphological characters.

Secrets of Success: A Natural History of Terrestrial Arthropods

ENTO170C2; 3 units; General Education Tier One undergraduate course. Co-Instructors: Robert L. Smith and Wendy Moore

Terrestrial arthropods (insects and their relatives, such as spiders, scorpions, and mites) are the most successful and diverse forms of multicellular life on Earth.  In this course we cover of basic principles of their biology, including their structure and function, development, ecology, behavior and reproduction. We also emphasize their diverse array of unique roles in nature, many of which are exceedingly important to the maintenance and functioning of healthy and productive ecosystems.  This course serves as a primer to the basic concepts of biological science directed by our exploration of diversity and adaptations among terrestrial arthropods.

Presentation Skills: Critical Listening and Speaking

EIS 596A; 2 units; Graduate seminar course. Co-Instructors: Wendy Moore and Molly Hunter

This 2 unit seminar course is designed to provide a forum for learning to talk about and present research interests and results. This seminar differs from a course one might take in a Communications Department because here, both content and style will be honed by other members of the EIS/Ecology/Neurobiology community (your colleagues) to target your professional audience. The learning objectives include (a) developing critical skills in understanding and assessing scientific presentations, (b) developing confidence in describing your research to colleagues, as well as the general public, and (c) finding a presentation style that works for you and your audience.  The hope of the course is that in the process, you will not only develop better tools for presenting your research, but that in talking about it repeatedly with your classmates, and as if for different audiences, you will actually have a greater insight into different ways to frame your research.

Entomology and Insect Science Seminar Series 

EIS 596A; 1 unit; Graduate seminar course. Instructor: rotating (Molly Hunter, Mike Riehle, Patricia Stock, Wendy Moore, Goggy Davidowitz)

This 1 unit seminar course is offered to graduate students every Fall semester in conjunction with the Entomology and Insect Science Seminar series. This seminar course meets for one hour once a week. Students read, present, and discuss papers pertinent to the topic of the upcoming seminar in the Entomology and Insect Science Seminar series.