TEACHINg
Outreach and teaching are among the most impactful contributions for any researcher. I find that the sense of discovery that comes from learning and participating in the scientific process is an excellent motivator for students in the classroom and in the lab. I do by best to bring that excitement to all of my teaching opportunities in the classroom, in the lab, and in the field. I view museum events, exhibit content, and public talks as an important part of my teaching career as well because I am committed to science education for all.
Instructor
Introductory courses
Ecology and Evolution lecture & lab
Biological Diversity lecture & lab
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Upper level courses
Ecology lecture & lab
Plant Biology lecture & lab
Paleobotany lecture and lab (starting 2023)
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Non-majors (core) courses
Life on Earth
Ethnobotany
Museum internship coordinator
During my appointment at the Florida Museum of Natural History (2014-16), I was the coordinator and mentor for the Panama Canal Project Museum Internships Program. Students assisted in collections management, fieldwork, and original research in paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, and vertebrate paleontology.
Research mentor
Undergraduate a post-bac mentorship is an important part of my research program. Specimen-based research projects are ideal for students of plant science, geology, biogeography, or paleontology. Fossils provide direct evidence of extinct organisms and their distributions and, therefore, can be used to test evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses.
Paleoart
Artistic depictions of ancient plant and animal communities help connect the public with current research. Well-done renderings convey the state-of-the-science through anatomically correct depictions of plants and animals, species associations, and behavior. github.com/PaleoNate/extinct_plants hosts resources for artists interested in plants in paleo art. Follow us on Twitter @PPaleoart
Videos
Maryland Natural History Society talk, 2021 (available on YouTube directly)