Undergraduate courses
Animal Sex & Sexuality (ANST-UA 600.002): Fall 2024
How do animals have sex, why, and with whom? What are we talking about when we discuss “biological sex”? In this course, students will discuss readings in evolutionary biology, animal behavior, history of science, science & technology studies, and gender studies to explore the complex possible responses to these seemingly simple questions. Sex and sexuality in the animal world are stunningly diverse, encompassing a staggering array of behaviors, traits, and strategies in service of reproduction, socialization, and pleasure. At the same time, animal sex has long been a metaphorical site of contention where humans have wrestled with our understanding of our own relationships to sex and sexuality – and, indeed, what it means to be human. In this seminar-style course, we will explore the natural history of sex and sexual behavior in animals, analyze how scientists have studied animal sex through time, and discover how our shifting conceptualization of what is “natural” in the animal world has important implications for the way we create and enforce sexual norms in human society.
Community ecology (ENVST-ua 450.002): Spring 2025
Biological processes do not occur in a vacuum; all organisms must navigate life in a world with other beings. This course will explore how this context and interconnectedness influences ecological properties and ecosystem functioning in a changing world. Through lectures, analysis of the scientific literature, and class activities throughout the city, students will learn a) how ecological communities are formed and biodiversity is maintained, b) how animals, plants, fungi, and microbes interact and communicate, and c) how communities respond to and are reshaped by global change.
graduate Courses
Foundations in environmental studies II: spring 2026
This course is part of a two-semester sequence for first-year doctoral students introducing and engaging with the fundamental questions in Environmental Studies, including what defines Environmental Studies as a field, and what shape it might take moving forward, encompassing natural and social sciences and humanities. This course is organized around an in-depth examination of specific environmental problems, cutting edge questions emphasizing the need for an interdisciplinary, integrative, multi-scalar approach to Environmental Studies anchored in robust scientific approaches.