Recent Classes

EVOLUTION

Evolution is central to our understanding of Biology; it helps us explain both the diversity and commonality in organismal form, function, and behavior that have been generated over 3 billion years of life on Earth. We will discuss the mechanisms of evolution within populations and between species, examine some branches of the tree of life and learn how the tree is generated, discuss how phenotypes arise from genotypes and interactions with the environment, and how development is central to understanding evolution. Some themes include the evolution of symbiosis, sex, and human evolution, as well as the crucial role that evolutionary principles play in society including agriculture, medicine, and even the judicial system.

DIVERSE BIOLOGY OF SEX

Sex evolved multiple times in nature, and it is the most common way to reproduce in eukaryotes. This class will explore the diversity of sexual strategies that have resulted in over 500 million years of evolutionary history, diving deeply into mechanisms of sexual differentiation, and the resulting phenotypes. We will focus on an exploration of sexual systems that rely primarily on two mating types: Female and Male, and discuss the origin of this sexual binary, its usefulness and limitations, the common misunderstandings that are pervasive in modern culture, and how we can better engage with the nuance of biological complexity. We will discuss sex and gender and how they are viewed across disciplinary boundaries. Students will write reflective entries on the reading material, keep an inquiry journal with their questions and insights after each class, give a short presentation during the semester, and prepare a capstone project on a topic of their choosing.

NATURE IS QUEER

The term queer was originally used to mean "strange", and now is often used to signify non-cis-heterosexual identities in humans. This class will highlight the diversity of sexual strategies in nature, and help dispel the notion that Biology describes sex as binary or only heterosexual. Biologists are well aware of the queerness of nature, and evolution has resulted in myriads of ways in which organisms have sex sometimes for reproductive purposes, and sometimes as a social tool. Class discussion will require an open mind, and developing comfort around conversations related to sex, reproduction, and the history of science. Students will be expected to write assignments for the general public.

VERTEBRATE ANATOMY

We will study the , function and evolution of the diversity of structures that allow vertebrates, including humans, to perform basic functions. We will connect these functions with day-to-day challenges for vertebrates, and we will discuss functional disruption such as disease and trauma. Students are expected to work in groups, as well as view most lectures before class. Class time will be used for active discussion and occasional guest lectures. During lab time, we will dissect many vertebrates and comfort with working with preserved and often smellly specimens is a must. This class requires memorization of many structures in a functional context

Biology of social issues

Evolution and human sexual behavior

Other classes