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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY THE
URIARTE LAB Department of Ecology, Evolution &
Environmental Biology |
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NEW: NSF FUNDED
WORKSHOP. Training in Bayesian Modelling for Practicing Ecologists. ·
Statistical modelling in ecology and evolutionary
biology (EEEB G5010). This course teaches
students the practice of modern
statistical methods to enhance their
own research through a combination of lectures, evaluations of scientific
literature, and application of techniques to real data. By the end of the
course students have (1) acquired a broad understanding of the philosophical
and statistical issues underlying scientific inference; (2) gained
quantitative confidence in the use of models; (3) acquired a good understanding of the
use and limitations of likelihood and Bayesian methods; and (4) developed skill in the
use of some of the software tools (e.g., statistical software R, JAGS )
they will need to apply statistical modelling to their research. ·
Doctoral
Thesis Development Seminar (EEB 4990) (co-taught with Dustin Rubenstein). This
course is designed to engage students in research early in their academic
careers and teach them the necessary skills to be effective and independent
researchers. The course will focus on acquisition of the following skills:1)
Synthesize scientific literature and understand the “big picture” of science;
2) Develop research and dissertation proposals; 3) Critique scientific ideas
(written and oral critique);4) Discuss research with peers and give both
formal and informal scientific talks. ·
Foundations of
Ecology and Evolution (EEEB 4122) (co-taught with Joel Cracraft). An overview of the major
questions in Ecology and Evolution. ·
Land Use Transitions in the Tropics (EEB G6150). This is a graduate level seminar
focused on exposing students to novel interdisciplinary research. The goal of
this course is to enhance knowledge and skills needed for carrying out
applied and interdisciplinary research on topics related to ecology and
sustainability science. In order to encourage
the cross-fertilization of ideas across conventional disciplinary boundaries,
the course is co-taught by faculty members from the natural and social
sciences. · Scaling in ecology and sustainability science (EEB G6150) (co-taught with Ruth DeFries). An overview of physical, biological, and political approaches to scaling ecological processes and the sustainability of the ecosystem services they provide, and how interdisciplinary methods could contribute to the understanding of such relationships. Students develop and complete a group project aimed at publication. · Sustainability Science: Interactions between human and environmental systems. A Distributed Seminar among Harvard, Univ. Minnesota, Columbia, and Arizona State University. This is a research seminar on the core theories of sustainability science -- an emerging field of problem-driven research dealing with the interactions between human and environmental systems. The problem that motivates the course, and the field, is the challenge of sustainability: improving the wellbeing of present and future generations in ways that conserve the planet’s life support systems over the long term. The goal of the seminar is to introduce researchers interested in sustainability science to the field’s principle themes, cutting-edge findings, active debates and unresolved research questions. To this end, participants will critically discuss a set of presentations and papers covering the field in a systematic way, drawing on and integrating contemporary research from earth systems science, resource economics,institutional analysis, ecology, geography, development studies, health sciences and engineering. |