- Principles of Genetics (EFB 307). Summer Session I. Online with weekly scheduled virtual meetings. The central goal of this course is to prepare students to understand, describe and analyze basic principles of classical and modern genetics. Additionally, students will understand how basic scientific concepts arise from observation and experimentation, and will improve their analytical thinking and problem solving skills. The course involves video lectures, in-class discussions, question and answer sessions, online homework assignments, and student-led presentation involving key concepts and current literature in the field of genetics.
- Principles of Animal Behavior (EFB 480). Summer Session I. Online with weekly scheduled virtual meetings. We will examine how natural selection, learning and cultural transmission shape the natural behaviors of animals - including people. We will explore sexual selection and mate choice, mating systems, kinship, cooperation and conflict within social systems, parental care and social behavior, foraging and anti-predator behavior, habitat selection, migration, aggression, play and the role of communication in mediating interactions among individuals, and the role of genes, environments and learning in regulating behavioral diversity. We will seek to understand both the proximate mechanisms underlying behavior and ultimate evolutionary reasons for the existence of a behavior. You will learn a logical framework within which all aspects of animal behavior can be examined. I draw on examples from across the animal kingdom to illustrate the complex mechanisms underlying adaptations, and complement these with natural history videos that highlight key concepts. We will evaluate the scientific rigor of studies used to test theory, and highlight the often ingenious methods adopted by researchers to understand animal behavior. Note: there is an extensive field component where you will develop and test hypotheses related to animal behavior.
- Evolution (EFB 496). Summer Session II. Online with weekly scheduled virtual meetings. An introduction to the fundamental processes driving evolution (genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, sexual selection, and natural selection), the evolution of life-histories, trade-offs, and phenotypic plasticity. Macroevolutionary concepts covered include speciation, extinction, co-evolution, and the reconstruction of phylogenies.
- Tropical Conservation Biology (EFB 496). Summer Session II. Online with weekly scheduled virtual meetings. As an introduction to the discipline of conservation biology, this course seeks to demonstrate how basic biological science can be integrated with social, economic and political perspectives to achieve the goals of biological conservation. Several core themes that will be covered in a series of video lectures, online discussions and readings, include: biodiversity - distribution, value and measurement; global threats to biodiversity; philosophy, tools and applications; and tropical conservation problems and solutions.
All aspects of offered courses are online, utilizing video lectures, recitations, computer-based laboratories and virtual resources. These online courses are likely different than your traditional classroom experience. However, please note that these courses are equivalent in every other way in terms of material covered. There are many advantages to the online learning environment, mainly that you have access to all the materials and services for the course so that you can immerse yourself in a multi-media rich environment whenever and as often as you like.
There are weekly virtual meetings to enhance your learning experience. I establish times that are conducive to your schedules. If you have questions, please email me.
For registration details, please visit SUNY ESF (Summer Semester)
- SUNY ESF ranks 38 in "Best Value Schools."
- Highest ranked SUNY school in Best Value.
- Top 50 in the nation among public universities.
- Rated #4 by Sierra Club based on environmental practices.
- Number 2 Green College in the Nation (Princeton Review).
Tropical Conservation Fund Field Expeditions
Field Research Excursions to Peru in Spring and Fall
Field Research Excursions to Peru in Spring and Fall
- Travel down from the snow-capped Andes Mountains to the Amazon rainforest
- See an incredible diversity of wildlife including hundreds of bird species
- Discover the home of jaguars, giant river otters, anacondas, and some of the biggest trees in the world
- Take boat trips down the Alto Madre de Dios River in the Amazon basin
- Explore on canopy walkways, viewing platforms, and rafting on oxbow lakes
- Conduct various types of field and laboratory research
- Support conservation projects in the field
For more details, visit the Tropical Conservation Fund.
About SUNY-ESF
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is a public university in Syracuse, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. ESF is immediately adjacent to Syracuse University, within which it was founded, and with whom it maintains a special relationship. It also operates facilities in the Adirondack Park (including the Ranger School in Wanakena), the Thousand Islands, elsewhere in central New York, and Costa Rica. The college's curricula focus on the understanding, management, and sustainability of the environment and natural resources.
The ESF mission statement is "to advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments." ESF is a "specialized institution" of the State University of New York, meaning that curricula focus primarily on one field, the College's being environmental management and stewardship. ESF has academic departments in the fields of chemistry; environmental and forest biology; environmental resources engineering; environmental studies; forest and natural resources management; landscape architecture; and paper and bioprocess engineering. Environmental science programs offer students integrative degrees across the natural sciences.
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is a public university in Syracuse, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. ESF is immediately adjacent to Syracuse University, within which it was founded, and with whom it maintains a special relationship. It also operates facilities in the Adirondack Park (including the Ranger School in Wanakena), the Thousand Islands, elsewhere in central New York, and Costa Rica. The college's curricula focus on the understanding, management, and sustainability of the environment and natural resources.
The ESF mission statement is "to advance knowledge and skills and to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both the natural and designed environments." ESF is a "specialized institution" of the State University of New York, meaning that curricula focus primarily on one field, the College's being environmental management and stewardship. ESF has academic departments in the fields of chemistry; environmental and forest biology; environmental resources engineering; environmental studies; forest and natural resources management; landscape architecture; and paper and bioprocess engineering. Environmental science programs offer students integrative degrees across the natural sciences.