Fall 2020 Graduate courses
BIO 380T Ecology Laboratory
Prof. L. Gilbert, W 1-6 pm. This course includes a combination of 1) field problems for which ecological data is collected by small teams and then compiled into a total group data set for each individual to analyze and write-up weekly. A variety of ecological questions are addressed, different tools and methods of analysis explored; 2) An acre of BFL is assigned to each student for semester-long study involving mapping habitat variation, census of plants and ants, monitoring of seasonal changes and comparisons with past studies of the site over >2 decades; and 3) An independent project is conducted that incorporates elements of concepts and technique learned earlier and applies these to addressing a question and related hypotheses about organisms or systems of interest to each individual student.
BIO 380R Ecology
Prof. N. Fowler, TTh 9:30-11 am. For graduate students who have not taken an undergraduate ecology course. Graduate students attend classes with Bio 373, the undergraduate general ecology course for biology majors. Graduate students take the exams and complete most of the undergraduate assignments, and also do an individual library research project that includes an annotated bibliography and term paper on a topic of relevance to their research interests.
BIO 384K Biology of Bonding
Prof. S. Phelps. This graduate course is a broad survey of literature on the biology of bonds. It will synthesize diverse conceptual perspectives from animal and human research, bringing together insights from behavioral ecology and social psychology. These conceptual frameworks will be integrated with mechanistic perspectives on the neural and endocrine mechanisms of bonding. The course is intended for graduate students in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior (EEB), Psychology, Anthropology, and Neuroscience. The class will meet online-only for 3 hours per week at a time to be determined based on student schedules. We will take advantage of the remote nature of the class to involve a diverse group of experts from around the country. The class will wrap up with a mini-symposium of student presentations, each of which is a 20min talk that outlines a topic or study system interpreted through the lens of “bonding.” Such topics might include social buffering, loneliness, a novel study species, or a class of behavior not covered in course. Students will also write a short review (2-3k words) on the same topic as their presentation.
BIO 384K Chemical Ecology
Prof. B. Sedio, M 10-1 pm. Chemical ecology is a mechanistic approach to understanding the causes and consequences of species interactions, distribution, abundance, and diversity. This course will explore the breadth of chemical ecology, from its historical focus on pheromonal communication, plant-insect interactions, and coevolution to new frontiers, including novel methods in metabolomics and the community and ecosystem effects of chemically mediated species interactions. Students will formulate testable hypotheses regarding the role of chemically mediated interactions in their own study systems, process their own samples, and analyze their own data in class.
BIO 384K Theoretical Ecology
Prof. C. Farrior, WF 2-3:30 pm. Introduction to mathematical modeling in Ecology. The course will cover basic tools of mathematical modeling and recent advances in theoretical ecology. Students will come away with an ability to evaluate the appropriateness of specific models to their questions, their utility in hypothesis development, and their limitations. Topics will include: population dynamics, species coexistence, collective behavior, adaptive dynamics, and applied models such as species viability analyses and earth system models. A working understanding of calculus is assumed, but the course will be taught with an understanding that there will be a wide range of math backgrounds among students.
BIO 384K 39 Phylogenetic Prospectives EEB
Prof. D. Hillis, W 10-1 pm. An introduction to the methods of phylogenetics as applied to biological data, and applications of these methods to the fields of ecology, evolution, and behavior. Topics covered include parsimony, distance-based, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian approaches for inferring phylogenetic trees; statistical analysis of results; character evolution; coalescent approaches for analyzing collections of gene trees; models of evolution in phylogenetics; species delimitation; and consensus methods. Students in the course select applications of phylogenetics from the current literature to discuss in class. Each class consists of lectures followed by discussion of applications in the current literature.
BIO 384K 45 Seminars in Brain Behavior/Evolution
Prof. S. Phelps, F 12-1 pm. It is composed of research presentations by students, faculty, and postdocs from the Center for Brain Behavior and Evolution, from across campus, and from the region. Graduate students in the group typically give one full seminar on original research each year. The students also actively provide feedback to one another. The seminar exposes students to research in evolution, neuroscience, pharmacy, psychology, anthropology -- providing an interdisciplinary training experience.
BIO 86K 3 Adv Subjects Plant Systematics
Prof. R. Jansen, M 1-2 pm; W 1-5 pm. Principles of plant classification, phylogeny and diversity as exemplified by families and species of flowering plants found seasonally in Texas with an emphasis on the local flora. Includes field trips to Austin Parks, collection and identification of plants from central Texas, an overview of flowering plant diversity, evolutionary relationships and classification, and access to UT-Austin’s plant collections in the Plant Resources Center.
BIO 389D Subjects/Skills Grad Students in Biology
Prof. U. Mueller, M 9-12 pm. This course uses an interactive seminar format to introduce students to the many skills required in a successful graduate research program. Specifically, the class will serve as a general introduction to the writing, presenting, and organizational skills needed to excel in biological research. The course focuses on three interrelated topics and skills: 1. General tips for organization and success in graduate school 2. Writing and reviewing a grant proposal (using the NSF-GRFP format) 3. Giving and evaluating research presentations The course will typically be split into two discussion sections, with a break in between. We will cover material via assigned readings, mini-lectures, and in-class exercises/discussions. Students will be expected to complete, evaluate, and revise assignments in order to develop their research program and skill base.
BIO 390C Fundamentals of Evolution
Prof. C. Linder, Th 3:30-5 pm. A comprehensive overview of biological evolution, intended primarily for graduate students in the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (EEB) graduate program to fill either gaps in knowledge or to expand understanding of both basic evolutionary principles and current ideas and trends in the field. Students outside the EEB graduate program may be admitted with the instructor's permission and if there is sufficient space. The course meets for interactive lectures on evolution covering both microevolutionary population genetics as well as macroevolutionary topics in speciation, phylogenetics, molecular evolution and biogeography. There are also a required term paper and discussions of readings from the primary literature. Under the current pandemic conditions, the course is being taught remotely, but effort will be made to make it as interactive as possible.
spring 2021 courses
BIO 380C Advanced Conservation Biology
Prof. Fowler. Case-study-based course in conservation biology. Readings from a textbook, scientific papers, government documents, etc. Lectures, class discussions, two exams. Each student does an individual project on a mutually-agreed topic, which includes annotated bibliography, term paper, and class presentation. Course includes an ethics component focusing on stakeholders and their values; public roles of conservation biologists; negotiation.
BIO 382K Introduction to Biology for Data Science
Prof. Hofmann. This course will cover biological concepts and methods (including its assumptions and limitations), particularly in the areas of systems biology, medical and evolutionary genomics, and neuroscience, with an emphasis on those approaches that produce a lot of data but are analysis-challenged. We will also look at the conceptual foundations and historical roots of various research programs in theoretical and computational biology. This course is aimed at graduate students in the quantitative sciences (e.g., computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and statistics), engineering, and the life sciences. Note that this course will not teach any scripting or coding. Prequisites: None.
BIO 384K 45 Seminar Brain, Behavior, and Evolution
Prof. Phelps. It is composed of research presentations by students, faculty, and postdocs from the Center for Brain Behavior and Evolution, from across campus, and from the region. Graduate students in the group typically give one full seminar on original research each year. The students also actively provide feedback to one another. The seminar exposes students to research in evolution, neuroscience, pharmacy, psychology, anthropology -- providing an interdisciplinary training experience.
BIO 84L Issues in Population Biology
Prof. Wolf. The course covers advanced topics in modern ecology, evolution, and behavior (EEB). Students are expected to take this course in the first year of their graduate program. Each class will consist of (1) a faculty, postdoc or student lecture on a foundational biological concept related to current research topics, (2) a Q&A with the speaker and (3) an in depth discussion of an article chosen by the guest speaker. Participation in the class will help students to build a broad foundation of knowledge and to practice active engagement with research outside of the focus of their dissertation. These skills will enable students to be active members of the academic community in biology throughout their time at UT and beyond. Students may take this class on either a C/NC or a full credit basis.
BIO 384K Cognitive Ecology
Prof. Muth. This course will cover topics in animal cognition from an ecological perspective. It will consist of weekly readings, based around Shettleworth’s ‘Cognition, Evolution and Behavior’ book, as well additional journal articles. Each week a different topic will be discussed as a group, including subjects such as the fundamental mechanisms of learning, tool use and physical cognition, social cognition, numerical cognition, spatial cognition, and timing and episodic memory.
BIO 390D Fundamentals in Integrative Animal Behaviour
Prof. Cummings/Hofmann. This is an advanced graduate course on the fundamental principles of integrative animal behavior. The approach to this course is to consider both proximate and ultimate mechanisms of behavior; that is, how behavior works and how it evolves. Instead of addressing proximate and ultimate issues separately, we attempt to integrate them and illustrate how such integration is important to deeply understand why animals behave the way they do.
