Ecology and Evolution
Ecology and Evolution In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics. The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive species and their patterns of spread). We will emphasize experimental design, data collection in the field and in the laboratory, data analysis, and writing skills. This course is not open to seniors and second semester juniors in the Fall.
Ecology and Evolution In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics. The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive speci …Read more
I really did enjoy this course with Professor Eggleston! She is really enthusiastic and will always help you understand anything too difficult. The only problem I had was with her exams because the questions were very vague and you were expected to know every detail that she wanted. The lab was super fun and very interactive, and Professor Nurok is the sweetest person who will always work to help you!
I really did enjoy this course with Professor Eggleston! She is really enthusiastic and will always help you understand anything too difficult. The only problem I had was with her exams because the questions were very vague and you were expected to know every detail that she wanted. The lab was super fun and very interactive, and Pro …Read more
Eric Moody is a deceptively funny guy. You will be sitting there listening to him describe something boring like ecosystem stability and all of a sudden a meme with Drake and a duck will be on the screen summoning giggles from the entire class. He is a tough grader but very fair and understanding. Monday and Friday have been lecture days and Wednesday is a group discussion day where we go over the weekly problem set. I would definitely take the class again and recommend it to anyone looking to take a biology course!!!
Eric Moody is a deceptively funny guy. You will be sitting there listening to him describe something boring like ecosystem stability and all of a sudden a meme with Drake and a duck will be on the screen summoning giggles from the entire class. He is a tough grader but very fair and understanding. Monday and Friday have been lecture …Read more
I love Professor Allen. He made this course amazing and something I looked forward to (even though it was at 8am). Professor Allen always takes the time to explain concepts and make sure that everyone understands the material. I also appreciate that exams aren't all that matter and that there are so many other assignments that allow you to display your knowledge in the course.
David Allen is a great professor who is clearly very passionate about this course. He is super accomodating and understanding. The course is fairly easy and the coursework is not overwhelming at all. The exams are straightforward and the labs, especially the outdoor ones, can be pretty fun.
This course was fun and easy. Labs weren’t difficult and reminded me of high school bio classes. The lecture section was easy enough, involved some group work, and exams. Exams were take home, online, and pretty straightforward. Would take a class with Dave Allen again.
Eco Evo with dave Allen was a very easy course. Lectures were pretty boring, but other than readings (which I never really did) there was no real work until exams. Exams are on the lectures, NOT stuff in the textbook readings that he didn't go over in class. Lab was boring but easy.
Professor Allen's expectations are clear. The papers discussed throughout the course are interesting and relevant to the field. He is incredibly knowledgable and he finds interesting ways to tie our learning to the Vermont landscape. His exams and grading are both fair.
This class was very similar to a higher level high school biology class, which makes it a lot easier. I found the course load to be pretty light, but the lab was a good amount of work. For the lecture every Wednesday a series of questions were due that you then work in your TA group to make sure everyone understood the material. The exams were not too difficult and they were online, but that may have been due to some COVID restrictions. Overall I really enjoyed the course and definitely enjoyed professor Coe and her teaching style.
This class was very similar to a higher level high school biology class, which makes it a lot easier. I found the course load to be pretty light, but the lab was a good amount of work. For the lecture every Wednesday a series of questions were due that you then work in your TA group to make sure everyone understood the material. The …Read more
Moody is great, he seems like a fair grader and is will give you partial credit on exam questions. He's also always happy to chat about concept questions or random biology questions. This class also does exam corrections which means you can gain back point which was super helpful. Not a lot of homework per week, about 20 pages of textbook reading a week and a worksheet. Mondays are lectures, wednsday is discussion with groups on the homework, and friday is either a lecture or an activity to apply the concepts. Would definitely recommend.
Moody is great, he seems like a fair grader and is will give you partial credit on exam questions. He's also always happy to chat about concept questions or random biology questions. This class also does exam corrections which means you can gain back point which was super helpful. Not a lot of homework per week, about 20 pages of te …Read more
Overall I really enjoyed this course, I felt like it was very similar to Natural Science but much more in-depth and organized (I much preferred this course). Even as a non-bio major, I felt like the concepts were pretty easy to understand and there are a lot of TA's to go to for help if you need it. Labs were very interesting and grading for the lab portion was fair (Nurok will take points off for serious errors, but overall she wants you to learn). Eggleston's grading was a bit harsh/unclear on exams; sometimes if felt unclear what she was asking for with the questions.
Overall I really enjoyed this course, I felt like it was very similar to Natural Science but much more in-depth and organized (I much preferred this course). Even as a non-bio major, I felt like the concepts were pretty easy to understand and there are a lot of TA's to go to for help if you need it. Labs were very interesting and gra …Read more
I took this class as a non-stem person but legitimately curious about the subject matter, open to learning as much as I could. Unfortunately, the course is not designed for people hoping to learn, but is clearly set up for pre-med students who need to intake information to spit out later. The concepts in lecture are very vague inferences I could have easily explained before taking the class, yet lots of detail is required in responses on exams. The skill builder assignments in lab are incredibly prescriptive, teaching you how to check certain boxes and meet scientific writing standards but not encouraging you to learn or think creatively. Perhaps academic curiosity wasn't actively suppressed, but it certainly wasn't encouraged. If you're a major, best of luck. But if you're a humanities or other student simply hoping to learn something, don't waste your time here. Don't be afraid to go to TA hours constantly and ask for help, everyone does it and your mental health will thank you.
I took this class as a non-stem person but legitimately curious about the subject matter, open to learning as much as I could. Unfortunately, the course is not designed for people hoping to learn, but is clearly set up for pre-med students who need to intake information to spit out later. The concepts in lecture are very vague infere …Read more
Ecology and Evolution was a good class. I enjoyed the labs and fieldwork element and felt that it helped the class remain interesting and fun. The course content is pretty memorization heavy but easy enough to grasp.
The readings were all very relevant and were an appropriate length for what was being discussed. The lectures were very informative and succinct. Tests were difficult but there was nothing unfair. The lab section corresponds well with the lectures and the workload is balanced. Overall, a well taught and enjoyable class.
Eric Moody is a great professor. He is very knowledgable on biology and evolution. He also tries to make the class as engaging as possible with interesting slides (all of which he also posts) and some interesting activities. He always makes sure he answers everyone's questions. The exams were take home and every Wednesday was a group discussion on questions from textbook readings. There were tons of resources to help students succeed.
Eric Moody is a great professor. He is very knowledgable on biology and evolution. He also tries to make the class as engaging as possible with interesting slides (all of which he also posts) and some interesting activities. He always makes sure he answers everyone's questions. The exams were take home and every Wednesday was a group …Read more
Moody is obviously so passionate about what he teaches, and after a few classes you realize that he's actually hilarious. Monday/Friday is generally lecture and Wednesday is group work (you generally won't see him at all). Tests are open note with a focus on real life examples.
Professor Erin Eggleston had high enthusiasm when teaching this class! She was also very helpful during office hours when answering any questions I had. The exams were not difficult, however the ways in which they were worded could be very confusing at time. The labs, especially the outdoor labs, were great and made learning really fun!
I believe Dave Allen was teaching 3 sections a day and for this reason I understand his slightly lackluster teaching style. However, he was fair, kind, and his overall affect was pleasent. I was able to succeed in this class with minimal effort and while my interset in the subject was not high there was nothing about this class that should steer someone away from taking this pre-requisite with Dave Allen
I believe Dave Allen was teaching 3 sections a day and for this reason I understand his slightly lackluster teaching style. However, he was fair, kind, and his overall affect was pleasent. I was able to succeed in this class with minimal effort and while my interset in the subject was not high there was nothing about this class that …Read more
I really liked this class, the field work was fun and he was super chill. If you need a SCI distribution requirement definitely take this class. II learned a lot with out it being overwhelming and would highly recommend any class with Moody
Allen is an amazing professor and is very helpful during off hours. The lecture was fairly easy to follow and understand. I also enjoyed the lab as a whole but it does have outside labs which was a bit cold.
Lauren was always very enthusiastic during lectures and available if we had questions about problems/exams etc. The exams were graded very fairly, and we had many opportunities to increase our grade in the class.
I really enjoyed this course with Professor Coe. They are very passionate about the material and approachable. The material is interesting and the lectures were very helpful in my opinion. I also really enjoyed the labs they were very fun and hands-on.
This was a good course. It was interesting material and the labs for this class were very fun as we were able to go outside. Professor Allen is a very fair professor and does not try to kill students with exams. Everything was pretty straightforward.
I loved having Professor Moody as a professor. He clearly wanted his students to succeed and was willing to work with students to meet their goals. His workload was manageable, and his lectures help break down the reading.
Professor eggleston was a tougher grader, especially compared to the other class who had Moody. Class overall was somewhat interesting, but boring at times since it is intro level biology. It wasn't hard, it just had a lot of reading and felt like busy work a lot of the time
This course was interesting for those interested in bio, but not worth the time for those who aren't. The exams were tough, but they are not worth a lot of your grade in the class. You can definitely get away with doing little work outside of class, but that may set you behind in content learning. Overall, I enjoyed, but it's not for everyone.
This class was pretty chill! Not super hard but not the most engaging (just by nature of being an intro course). Dave was super nice and always answered questions and gave us more than enough time for exams!