Teaching

My work and research takes place both in the college classroom and in the field. I am a professor at the Abess Center at the University of Miami, where I teach environmental policy, and I am a co-founder and director at Field School and the Field School Foundation, two Miami-based organizations that focus on getting students involved hands-on in research about the natural world and their place in it.

Students

I work with master's and undergraduate interns through my work at Field School and the University of Miami. Students need to be based in Miami, FL for the duration of the internship. Interested students should apply for the internship program here and mention me, as well as relevant interests and goals in their cover letter.

Chatting through data collection protocols with some new interns out for a day of marine science research.

University Courses

Environmental Policy

This course introduces students to critical concepts in Environmental Policy, including the history of the environmental movement and associated changes in cultural values, how institutions shape how we interact with the environment at different scales, and how social forces - from individual psychology to scientific progress to economic forces - influence policy choices. 

A small local fishing boat heads up for the evening from St. Vincent.

Environmental Psychology

This course gives students a foundation in applied psychology and  introduces them related to fields including marketing and behavioral economics.  We address three broad themes throughout the course: environmental decision making from a social psychology perspective, economic considerations, and how attitudes and behaviors are changed.  An emphasis is placed on applying concepts to specific environmental case studies. 

One of my favorite parts of field courses is getting to chat informally with students about their career goals and interests.

Marine Conservation Outreach

This course introduces students to the variety of social science approaches to apply to science communication and human behavior. Students learn about science outreach best practices and apply these lenses to a variety of outreach case studies. The course culminates in students developing their own strategic communication plan for a conservation issue, including creating a Theory of Change model and an evaluation plan. 

Interviewing an shore-based angler for PBS's Changing Seas.

Charismatic megafauna

This course introduces students to the ecology, biology and behavior of charismatic megafauna, including elephants, sharks, bears, birds, sea turtles, marine mammals and wolves. There is a focus on policy and the human dimensions of conservation problems. It is generally co-taught with my long-time collaborator and interdisciplinary ecologist, Dr. Catherine Macdonald. This collaborative approach allows us to teach students to consider these topics from an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring not only the evolutionary history of species, but the history of their interactions with humans and the ways in which science and policy may or may not effectively serve conservation goals.  Students gain a good understanding of common biological and ecological characteristics of charismatic megafauna, the policy tools and conservation approaches used to manage populations, and the major historical and contemporary trends in human relationships with wildlife

Field Courses

In addition to semester-long university courses, I also teach week-long field courses through Field School. Field courses focus on a range of topics including shark research and tropical marine research and conservation, and are taught in collaboration with ecologists and physiologists.