Conservation Biology        A conservation biologist is a problem-solver who applies tools from disparate fields – e.g., evolutionary biology, genetics, ecology, paleontology, anthropology, and population biology – to address complex real-world dilemmas of relevance to human, wildlife, and ecosystem health. To effectively leverage their data, conservation biologists must also recognize and navigate government regulations, diverse cultural practices, and stakeholder perceptions. This course is international in scope. Emphasis will be placed on current issues such as species reintroduction, detecting extinction, rewilding, novel ecosystems, protected area design, shifting baselines, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. This course will require engagement with community partners in independent research. Open to juniors and seniors.

The Horror of Deep Time Vanishing species, hostile climates, plagues that engulf planets – the looming dread of our current world can be paralyzing. In this course, we will cultivate curiosity as a technique for confronting such phenomena by looking to those who regularly face the limits of human knowledge: scientists and the protagonists of cosmic horror. Paleontology provides the ideal toolkit for grappling with overwhelming timescales, worlds without humans, and bizarre lifeforms. We will combine works by Lovecraft, Thacker, VanderMeer, and others with visits to spaces of science (e.g., fossil outcrops, molecular laboratories) to engage with the simultaneous beauty and terror inherent to discovery. Projects that blend scientific, environmental, and creative writing will allow students to explore darkness as an empowering opportunity to shine light.

Mammalogy Thanks to a rogue asteroid, we now live in the Age of Mammals. Mammals fulfill important ecological roles and have adapted to a wide range of habitats – flying, swimming, and scurrying their way to survival. Mammals are also central to numerous livelihoods and cultural practices. We will use the phylogeny of mammals globally to build expertise with evolutionary concepts. Locally, we will work within Vermont to develop a field-based toolkit for studying wild mammals. Experiential learning opportunities may include preparation of salvaged animals, non-invasive monitoring, engagement with trappers/hunters, and introduction to molecular techniques.

Pleistocene Park, Jurassic World: Fossil Stories of Our Future What can coprolites tell us about climate change? Will mammoths roam Siberia once more? While paleontology might seem like it’s all about the past, the tools that paleontologists employ are directly relevant to our future. Students will explore scientific topics such as the process of fossilization, how to reconstruct the history of life, and why mass extinctions happen. We will also discuss the ethical dimensions of fossil ownership, de-extinction, science communication, and other societal issues. Ultimately, students will leverage the richness of geologic and evolutionary time to develop a new personal context for interpreting our rapidly changing planet. 3 hrs. lect

Community-Engaged Environmental Studies Practicum In this course students work in small groups with one of a variety of partners and organizations to complete a semester-long, community-engaged project. Project themes vary by term and typically focus on local and regional environmental issues that have broader application. Projects rely on students’ creativity, interdisciplinary perspectives, skills, and knowledge developed through their previous work. The project is guided by a faculty member and carried out with a high degree of independence by the students. Students will prepare for and direct their project work through readings and discussion, independent research, collaboration with project partners, and consultation with external experts. The course may also include workshops focused on developing key skills (e.g., interviewing, public speaking, video editing). The project culminates in a public presentation of students’ final products, which may various forms such as written reports, policy white papers, podcasts, or outreach materials. (Open to Seniors) (ENVS  0112 OR APES[5]) AND (ENVS  0211 OR PSCI  0211) AND (ENAM 0215 OR ENVS  0215 OR ENGL  0215) AND (GEOG  0120 OR ENVS  0120 OR GEOG  0150 OR ENVS  0150 OR ENVS  0251 OR GEOG  0251 OR ENVS 0261 OR GEOG  0261 OR ENVS  0271 OR GEOG  0271 OR ENVS  0281 OR GEOG  0281 OR GEOG 0252))

Science of Environmental Systems We will utilize a systems approach to study selected environmental topics as we learn how to integrate scientific principles of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. We will also explore intentionally interdisciplinary approaches such as socioecological and regenerative systems frameworks. In lecture, we will take a more global approach as we examine climate change, water, energy, biodiversity, ecosystem services, pollution, and agriculture. We will discover emerging knowledge that is shaping potential solutions and learn how to evaluate such efforts through a systems science lens. In the lab units, we will investigate local manifestations of human-environment relationships through experiential, hands-on, embodied approaches.

Alexis Mychajliw

Reviews and ratings for Alexis Mychajliw at Middlebury College.Alexis Mychajliw teaches Conservation Biology, The Horror of Deep Time, Mammalogy and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Alexis Mychajliw good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

This course was admittedly much more difficult than I had heard or than I expected. I feel that it was a good preliminary introduction to paleontology, and also brought in several concepts from Bio and ECSC courses I have taken previously. I think that if I had not already taken any Bio or ECSC courses, I would have been pretty confused. I appreciated that the class was interdisciplinary in many aspects, and also tied in the ethics of fossil extraction/trade, which was super interesting! 

This course was an interesting but shallow dive into Earth's geologic history, fossilization, and ecosystem reconstruction. Professor Mychajliw also did a good job of incorporating topics such as ethics and scientific communication. The problem sets and writing assignments were manageable and covered interesting topics.

Although the course material was interesting, the homework and problem sets were very difficult. Concepts that we weren't taught in class often showed up on the problem sets, which was frustrating and put a lot of pressure on the TAs. The lectures, however, were very interesting and introduced new concepts unique to the paleontology field. I was told this class was a gem, but it is DEFINITELY not. 