Teaching

While research is what initially attracted me to conservation biology, I soon found that a conservation scientist has to be a teacher, above all. I find teaching and mentoring students extremely rewarding, and I firmly believe that a strong educational component is the cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard Earth’s biodiversity. 

In early 2000s, prior to grad school, I participated in several conservation projects in Romania as an environmental educator doing outreach in elementary schools in rural communities. This amazing experience and the students’ reactions when talking about wildlife in their backyard are the reasons why I become excited about teaching. Read my teaching statement here: Statement of Teaching Philosophy.

 

Recent courses @ Ohio University:
  • Spring: BIOS 4810/5810 – Animal Conservation Biology (3 credits)
  • Spring: BIOS 7970 – Seminar in Conservation Biology (graduate; 2 credits)
  • Fall: BIOS 3740 – Wildlife Habitat Management (3 credits)
  • Fall: BIOS 4770/5770 – Population Ecology (3 credits)
  • Fall & Spring: CAS 1415 Intro to Sustainability (3 credits; team-taught course led by Dr. Nancy Manring, OU Political Sciences)
 
Courses taught in the past:
  • Spring 2015: instructor; University of Bucharest – Scientific writing (graduate course, 3 CR)
  • Spring 2014: instructor; Simon Fraser University – Renewable energies and Conservation (undergraduate seminar; 1 CR)
  • Spring 2007: teaching assistant; SUNY-ESF – Introduction to Conservation Biology (instructor: Dr. J.P. Gibbs; lab exercises and discussions; 3 CR)
  • Spring 2007: teaching assistant; SUNY-ESF – Geographic Modeling (instructor: Dr. M. Hall; computing lab course; 3 CR)
  • Fall 2007: teaching assistant; SUNY-ESF – Herpetology (instructor: Dr. J.P. Gibbs; systematics lab and field trips; 3 CR)
  • Summer 2006: instructor; SUNY-ESF, Cranberry Lake Biological Station – Ecological Monitoring: techniques for Herpetology (field course; part of a 3-week 3 CR course)
  • Spring 2002: instructor; University of Bucharest – Geographic Information Systems (computing lab course; 3 CR; 20 students)

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