This course has two main objectives: 1) to illustrate the diverse uses of natural history collections for research, teaching and conservation, and 2) to introduce students to the fine art of avian specimen preparation. Students will learn multiple specimen preparation techniques (skeletons, spread wings, and round skins) and will be required to prepare 20 round skins to receive course credit. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their specimens and on their participation in an in-class debate surrounding the value of natural history collections.

Full details for BIOEE 1150 - Techniques of Avian Specimen Preparation

This class relies more on intuitive reasoning rather than complicated mathematical formulas to convey basic concepts about how the ocean works. For this reason, the class is very accessible to non-science majors. The class covers standard material about how the ocean works, but also includes current environmental threats facing the ocean such as global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing and coastal pollution. Students will gain a depth of knowledge about the ocean and global warming to enable them to speak and write confidently about contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future. This course satisfies the Physical and Biological Sciences (PBS) requirement for students in most colleges. For students in A&S and CALS, this course counts as "in-college" credit.

Catalog Distribution: (PHS-AS) (OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 1540 - Introductory Oceanography

This class relies more on intuitive reasoning rather than complicated mathematical formulas to convey basic concepts about how the ocean works. For this reason, the class is very accessible to non-science majors. The class covers standard material about how the ocean works, but also includes current environmental threats facing the ocean such as global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing and coastal pollution. Students will gain a depth of knowledge about the ocean and global warming to enable them to speak and write confidently about contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future. This course satisfies the Physical and Biological Sciences (PBS) requirement for students in most colleges and the Introductory Life Sciences/Biological Sciences requirement for students in CALS. For students in A&S and CALS, this course counts as "in-college" credit. This course is suitable for non-life sciences majors.

Catalog Distribution: (PHS-AS) (BIO-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 1560 - Introductory Oceanography with Laboratory

This course provides an introduction to ecology, covering interactions between organisms and the environment at scales of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Ecological principles are used to explore the theory and applications of major issues facing humanity in the 21st century, including population dynamics, disease ecology, biodiversity and invasive species, global change, and other topics of environmental sustainability.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS) (BIO-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 1610 - Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment

Considers explanations for pattern of diversity and the apparent good fit of organisms to the environment. Topics include the diversity of life, the genetics and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, evolution by natural selection, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, origin of humans.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS) (BIO-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 1780 - An Introduction to Evolutionary Biology and Diversity

Considers explanations for pattern of diversity and the apparent good fit of organisms to the environment. Topics include the diversity of life, the genetics and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, evolution by natural selection, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, origin of humans.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS) (BIO-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 1781 - Introduction to Evolution and Diversity

Full details for BIOEE 2233 - Field Lectures in Biodiversity and Evolution

This on-campus and international field course combination provides participating students with a broad introduction to the research process in field ecology, with literature and hands-on examples drawn from the fauna and flora of coastal Patagonia (Argentina), an area that provides us with unprecedented access to both marine and terrestrial wildlife as well as exposure to conservation challenges and success stories. The course begins in the latter part of the Fall semester (BIOEE 2525) when it meets twice weekly for seven weeks, largely to discuss relevant papers from the scientific literature with an emphasis on best practices in designing field studies to address questions in Neotropical ecology, behavioral ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology. During the 2+ week field component in January (BIOEE 2526), students travel among field sites in Patagonia and put this knowledge to work in an experiential context by designing and implementing a series of research projects, including numerous short 'blitz' projects and several longer, more intensive independent projects; many of these field studies involve close-hand observations of marine mammals, penguins, or other seabirds. The course (BIOEE 2527) is focused on building skills in data analysis and scientific writing, based on the data collected in the field by each student.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AG, OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 2525 - Ecology and Conservation of Wildlife in the Neotropics

Full details for BIOEE 3250 - Evolutionary Medicine

This course provides an in depth survey of ecology emphasizing conceptual foundations and the integration of experimental and quantitative approaches, including population and community ecology, ecosystem biology, and ecological modeling. Current and classical ecological research is used to introduce major concepts and methods, derive major ecological principles, and critically discuss their applicability on multiple organizational levels, on multiple scales, and in a variety of ecosystems. Weekly discussion/lab sections focus on measurement techniques and computation (modeling, simulation and data analysis using the R language).

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS, SMR-AS) (OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 3610 - Advanced Ecology

Exercises designed to give students direct experience with field research to address ecological hypotheses, with emphasis on developing observational skills and basic methods in population and community ecology. Topics include methods in plant succession, niche relationships, influence of herbivores and competitors on plant communities, aquatic food web analysis, use of scientific collections, and presenting research results in written and oral form. We will visit a diversity of habitats and natural areas in Central New York.  Students will conduct an independent research project and present their findings.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS) (OPHLS-AG)

Full details for BIOEE 3611 - Field Ecology

This course is an introduction to CT visualization for its applications in comparative biology of the vertebrates. Students will learn and practice the exploration of vertebrate anatomy with OSIRIX 3-D visualization software or its future replacement; work on student-designed projects and/or a large survey of the vertebrates based on CT scans from specimens in the Cornell museum as well as the Smithsonian and other museums around the world.           

Full details for BIOEE 3780 - Digital Morphology through CT

This course covers many aspects of avian biology, including ecology, behavior, evolution, anatomy, physiology, and conservation. This is an active learning-style offering in which students complete pre-class work through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Academy online learning platform, and then engage in interactive activities and exercises during class periods. BIOEE 4750 may be taken alone, or students can choose to enroll simultaneously in the associated laboratory classes, BIOEE 4751.

Catalog Distribution: (BIO-AS)

Full details for BIOEE 4750 - Ornithology, Lectures

Designed to give qualified undergraduate students teaching experience through actual involvement in planning and assisting in biology courses. This experience may include supervised participation in a discussion group, assisting in a biology laboratory, assisting in field biology, or tutoring.

Full details for BIOEE 4980 - Teaching Experience

Graduate-level discussion of the ecology, epidemiology, genetics, and evolution of infectious disease in animal and plant systems. Weekly discussion of research papers published in the primary scientific literature. Participation in discussion and presentation of at least one paper required for course credit.

Full details for BIOEE 6900 - Seminar in Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases

Lectures and intensive study of special topics in the field of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Content varies each semester.

Full details for BIOEE 7600 - Special Topics in Evolution and Ecology

Group intensive study of current research in plant-insect interactions. Topics vary from semester to semester but include chemical defense, coevolution, insect community structure, population regulation, biocontrol, tritrophic interactions, and mutualism.

Full details for BIOEE 7640 - Plant-Insect Interactions Seminar

Critical evaluation and discussion of theory and research in ecology and evolutionary biology. Lectures by faculty and student-led discussions of topics in areas of current importance.

Full details for BIOEE 7670 - Current Topics in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Dissertation research conducted by a Ph.D. student in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology with advice and consultation of a major professor who is a member of the field.

Full details for BIOEE 9990 - Ph.D. Dissertation Research