University of Michigan
EARTH 111/ENVIRON 112: Climate and Humankind In 13 lectures we explore the connections between humans and climate, from human origins millions of years ago through the present, with an outlook to the future. This is a mini-course that runs for a half semester. Click here for the syllabus for Fall 2021 to get a sense for the scope of the course. Note that this syllabus was for a remote version of the course. Offered last: Winter 2024.
EARTH 144: Climate Change in the Age of Humans This First Year Seminar explores how climate change and humans have influenced each other through time. Focus is placed on understanding the fundamentals of Earth’s climate system and the role of humans in it. The course explores examples of human-climate interactions through a series of case studies, with a focus on the primary data. Click here for the syllabus from Fall 2017.
EARTH / ENVIRON 202: Introduction to Environmental Science This is an introductory summer field course taught at the UM Camp Davis Field Station located near Jackson Hole, WY. In the course we examines earth and environmental science in the Rocky Mountain west. Through observation and hands-on experiences, students study how natural and human processes have caused environmental change both in the past and present in the Rocky Mountains. Students learn principles of the natural sciences, including geology, ecology, and atmospheric sciences, and apply these principles in field settings. As part of this students learn explore pressing environmental issues including climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution (in air, water and soil), energy use and conservation and agricultural activity. The course is mostly held outside in the field; it involves projects based learning, beginner-to-moderate intensity hiking and field trips to national parks and other sites of interests. Check out the course page for more information. Offered every year.
EARTH 331 / ENVIRON 332: Climate & Climate Change In this class, students learn how the Earth’s climate works as a system, naturally and in response to human perturbations. We aim to better understand the Earth’s climate system and the physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes that maintain it. We examine evidence of ongoing climate change and explore its impacts across local, regional, and global communities, including strategies for adaptation and mitigation. We pay careful attention to climate change in the news. In discussion sections (“labs”), students dig deeper into lecture topics, work with quantitative climate data, solve problem sets, and gain clarification of lecture material as needed. Click here for the Fall 2024 syllabus. This course is taught every Fall and Winter semester but the instructor varies.
EARTH 467: Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis This course provides an overview of the major concepts and tools underlying correlation, sedimentation, paleogeographic interpretation, regional stratigraphy and sedimentary tectonics. Students should take EARTH 305 prior to EARTH 467 if possible. Click here for the Fall 2021 syllabus and here for the current schedule of topics and activities. Note: this course no longer meets the ULWR requirement. Offered last: Fall 2023.
EARTH 531: Seminar for First Year Graduate Students – This course is required for all first year graduate students. It provides an introduction to the department, graduate school and a launch pad for your professional career. I taught this while I was Associate Chair for Graduate Studies 2018-2021.
In 2020, I joined a group of other faculty working together to consider the “Hidden Curriculum” of grad school in the geosciences. Michele Cooke (U Mass Amherst) led this group with a GSA presentation – Making the Hidden Curriculum Transparent through 1st year courses for geoscience graduate students in Fall 2020. We’re continuing this work with a NAGT Webinar on March 30, Graduate student onboarding courses: Exposing the hidden curriculum to help your students succeed, lead by Karen Viskupic (Boise State).
Johns Hopkins: While an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins I taught Sedimentary Geology and Geobiology and co-taught Climates of the Past and Environmental Field Methods.