ESGN 596 (Spring ’08)
Environmental Biotechnology (Geomicrobiology)
3 Credit Hours
Course Web Site
This course is a graduate-level course that will explore the activity of microorganisms in modern and ancient geochemical environments. We will particularly focus on modes of microbial metabolism that are sustained by inorganic redox reactions, and their relevance to Early Life, Life in the Deep Biosphere, and Life in Extreme Environments (including Astrobiology). We will also investigate known mechanisms of microbial mineral dissolution and biomineralization. These topics are addressed in lecture format, small-group exercises, and in-depth discussion of current literature. Graduate level course: for Geosciences, Engineering, Chemistry and Biology students. At least some undergraduate background in chemistry or geochemistry is strongly suggested; ESGN 586 is a prerequisite.
ESGN / EGGN 354
Introduction to Environmental Engineering II (Spring ’08)
3 Credit Hours
Second semester introductory level to environmental science and engineering. Topics covered include: fundamentals in atmospheric systems, air pollution control, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, waste minimization, pollution prevention, role and responsibilities of public institutions and private organizations in environmental management (relative to air, solid and hazardous waste). Additional topics covered include: history of environmental law and regulation (air and soil), major sources and concerns of air and soil pollution, soil science concepts, air science concepts, mass and energy balances (air and soil), environmental quality of air and soil (physical, chemical and microbiological parameters), air and soil toxicology and risk assessment.
ESGN 586 Microbiology of Engineered Environmental Systems (Fall '07)
3 Credit Hours
The course begins with an introduction to environmental microbiology that include topics of diversity, biochemical processes and adaptations, and molecular phylogeny. The course then moves to applications of recombinant DNA technology to the development of enzymes and organisms used for environmentally friendly industrial purposes. Topics include genetic engineering technology, biocatalysis of industrial processes by extremozymes, dye synthesis, biodegradation of natural and anthropogenic aromatic compounds, biosynthesis of polymers and fuels, and agricultural biotechnology. Prerequisites: introductory microbiology and organic chemistry or consent of the instructor.
ESGN 591 Introduction to Environmental Analysis
3 Credit Hours
This course will be an introduction to the natural and anthropogenic characteristics and processes of the environment. The class will focus more on the technical aspects of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Assessment (EA) processes required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970. We will also discuss the political, social, economic and ethical implications of things that we are considering. We will be particularly considering things that pertain to life—in all of its forms. Expect to engage in diverse conversations pertaining to life in the Western US and relevant environmental concerns. This course is a policy course and will likely leave few stones unturned. The course is discussion based, and is never the same twice.
ESGN 552 Reclamation of Disturbed Lands
3 Credit Hours
This course will be an introduction to the natural and anthropogenic characteristics associated with reclamation processes of disturbed lands in the environment. The class will focus more on the technical aspects of the reclamation process, e.g., microbial processes. Examination of reclamation methods including recontouring, erosion control, soil preparation, plant establishment, seed mixtures, nursery stock, and wildlife habitat rehabilitation are considered. Practitioners in the field talk on their experiences. The class will also discuss the political, social, economic and ethical implications of things that we are considering. We will be particularly considering things that pertain to life—in all of its forms. Expect to engage in diverse conversations pertaining to land, reclamation / remediation techniques, life in the Western US and relevant environmental concerns. This course is a policy course and will likely leave few stones unturned. The course is discussion based, and is never the same twice.
International Geobiology Course
University of Southern California, Wrigley Institute for Environmental
Studies
Catalina Island, California
5 Week Summer Course, Intense Learning Environment
Course Web
Page
This course offers intensive interactions between the fields of biology and earth sciences on an advanced level. Over a period of five weeks, the participants will be exposed to an in-depth treatment of how biology interacts with the environment and how these interactions have shaped the evolution of the earth. Participants will get hands-on experience on modern research methods in geobiology and participate in small research groups solving current questions relevant to the field.
Understanding geobiology will open new insights into the history of life on earth and possibly suggest approaches to discovering life on other planets. The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of the many facets of the exciting field of geobiology by bringing together various aspects of a number of environmental sciences. Since a major goal of the course is to initiate contacts between scientific disciplines that are not usually combined, it encourages a rapprochement between various areas of microbiology, geochemistry, earth systems sciences and geology and treats them with an evolutionary outlook. It encourages interactions between students and instructors in a uniquely informal setting.
The course provides interdisciplinary training for a new generation of scientists. It is our expectation that the gathering of biologists, geochemists and geologists will promote the development of collaborations between established investigators and young scientists to solve important problems in geobiology. The development of a common "geobiological language" that the course will facilitate is essential for progress in this field at all levels. Our most important goal is to train students to identify geobiological topics of interest, pose challenging research questions and explore ways to approach them.
Teaching Philosophy
My first real teaching experience began fifteen years ago. I worked for an outdoor education school where the outdoors is the classroom. It was not typical teaching. Being able to talk about glaciology in front of a glacier, cave formation 10 miles underground, climbing 1500 feet up a wall, or group dynamics and teamwork during a mock rescue are all uniquely advantageous to both the student learning and the teacher teaching. The most important thing that I learned by teaching in this fashion is not only that I have a wide variety of ideas to convey but that I have new ideas to learn from those that I am teaching. To be a good teacher is not to have a one way flow of ideas; there needs to be an effective interchange of ideas between both the student and the teacher.
Outdoor education was an excellent way for me to learn a personal philosophy of teaching. Outside, there is no chalk board, no overhead projector, no climate controlled venue, and no roof over your head. This means that you talk in a normal tone of voice in one instant, and in the next, scream at the top of your lungs so the person in the back can hear you over the wind or the rain. It also means creative improvisation to convey a point with only what you have in front of you. For example, I have pulled some needles off of a pine bow (needles representing hydrogen atoms) to demonstrate the single / double bond characteristics of saturated verses unsaturated fatty acids for a nutrition class. Teaching outside means being able to convey a complex topic without the use of much visual aid. You have to paint a verbal picture from which the student can take away the message.
Why talk about all of this here? Because a college classroom is no different. You still have to paint a verbal picture, you still have to improvise and work with what is in front of you. You still have to understand your students. To an extent the classroom provides an extra benefit because you have access to the technology of a chalkboard, an overhead projector, and a non-variable climate. With these tools present however, I still like to concentrate on the fundamentals of good teaching. For example, when I am asked a question after explaining a point, I always think of another example to get the point across. Students have a wide range of learning styles (i.e., auditory, visual, kinesthetic) so I try to present information from several different perspectives and appeal to multiple intelligences. Being able to teach means knowing the subject, being able to talk about the subject, and understanding the audience who is listening.
Listening is a problem in our society. We live in a sound-bite society where people have developed short attention spans. I feel that most people are willing to talk, some quite a bit more than others, but not many people care to listen and to listen carefully. This is where the two way exchange of ideas comes into focus. A good teacher needs to get to know the audience. For me, that means listening. That in turn leads me to be able to facilitate individual learning—which is the heart of education. We all must have the ability to, and desire for, lifelong learning.
In all of the classes I teach I employ the above philosophy, and from past evaluations, my students have respected my teaching philosophy. I am a believer in the premise that you cannot know a subject until you teach the subject. I also feel that you cannot just keep teaching the same subject; if you do, then you should always change the class. With the way research is progressing in nearly every area today, this is not hard. By accepting new ideas, learning about new subjects, and teaching new classes, there is a lot of learning to be done! I believe that daily current events can play a role in every class. There is not a day that goes by that I do not find some biologically related piece of news for relevant to Environmental Biology, or a statistical point that I can incorporate into a graduate data analysis class. Not only does this allow for a further understanding of the class material, it allows for a further understanding of the world happening around us. This is what the college experience is all about.
