Courses

Instructors: Struwe and Duffy

Not currently offered

Journal club in evolution including examination of major elements of organismal evolutionary theory. Emphasis on phylogenetics, genetic variation, natural selection, adaptation, and speciation. Demonstration of methodology and software programs.

Instructor: Morin

Patterns and processes involving sets of two or more existing species. Theoretical and empirical studies.

Instructor: Morin

Prerequisites: Calculus.
A survey of the application of multivariate statistical methods to the analysis of problems in ecology and evolution. Topics covered include cluster analysis, ordination, discriminant function analysis, canonical correlation, multivariate analysis of variance, and analysis of repeated measures.

Instructor: Morin

A basic understanding of the biology of single species populations is an essential part of ecological literacy. This course will use a "hands on" approach combining real world examples and data together with explorations of model populations using R to provide insights about basic population processes and quantitative approaches. Topics will include continuous-time and discrete-time population growth models, estimation of population growth rates, survivorship analysis, life tables, age- and stage-specific population projection matrices, complex population dynamics in simple and stage-structured populations, alternate population models, population viability analysis, metapopulation dynamics, SIR models, and simple models of interspecific interactions.

Not currently offered

Guest Lecturers

Attendance at Thursday, 4:00 p.m. seminar series

Highly recommended for first and second year students

Instructor: Juan Bonachela

Syllabus 16:215:600:02 (165k PDF)
Theoretical models are great vehicle to understand biological systems from a different perspective that complements empirical work. For many systems, we are very often given typical/prescribed mathematical models, and using them or adapting them to our specific needs can be challenging without a deep understanding of what each term in the model represents, or what the best way to analyze the model is.
In this course, we will review classic as well as state-of-the-art models, and the different mathematical and computational techniques required to analyze them. We will dissect and understand the models and assumptions involved, with the ultimate goal of learning how to construct and modify them, and tailor them to specific biological systems and questions.

Instructor: Chen

Required for first and second year students

Winfree organizes, various faculty teach

Overview of ecology field including biodiversity, biogeography, animal behavior, community ecology, landscape ecology, marine ecology, theoretical ecology, global change ecology, and conservation. Designed to prepare students for taking graduate exams.

Required for first and second year students

Winfree organizes, various faculty teach

Overview of evolution field including paleobiology, systematics, biogeography, molecular evolution, population genetics, evolutionary theory, and the evolution of behavior and disease. Designed to prepare students for taking graduate exams.

Instructor: Bhattacharya

Course syllabus

This course will focus on the foundations of modern genomics: from experimental design to data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation. The course will be of an introductory nature and is intended to provide students with the tools and understanding to take part in the on-going genomics revolution. Areas to be covered include de novo genome sequencing and assembly, gene prediction and annotation, functional genomics (RNA-seq), metagenomics, and single cell genomics. Applications of these tools in the environmental, medical, and evolutionary microbiology fields will be covered with each of these broad areas being looked at in detail through lectures, paper-readings, and discussions. Students in this semester-long theory course are expected to enter with basic training in biology and an interest in bioinformatics and evolution.

Instructor: Lathrop

Topics vary by semester. Current listing can be found on the on-line schedule of classes and a synopsis of the classes will be listed below in the semester they are offered.
Topics in the past have included: Microbial Ecology; Selfish Genetic Elements; Field Ecology; Biology of the Ericaceae; Environmental and Cultural Behavior; Ecological Economics, Ecological Networks, and Experimental Ecology.

Instructors: Multiple Faculty 

Individual/independent study in an area of expertise of the faculty.

Instructors: Various faculty from the Cary Institute for Ecosystems Study

Description – TBA

A critical review of ecosystem ecology, including biogeochemical cycles and budgets, ecosystem energetics, the theory and history of ecosystem ecology, and the response of ecosystems to disturbance.
Interim two-week course offered every January at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY.

• Students must first apply and be accepted into the course by the Cary Institute. To receive credit for the course students must then register through Rutgers registration. Any additional course costs are not covered by Rutgers tuition remission. Students from other universities should consult with their programs and registrars regarding tuition remission and additional course cost coverage.

Instructors: Multiple Faculty

Register by advisor’s name for research credits to fulfill degree requirements. 701 is fall registration, 702 is spring and summer registration. 

Instructor: Lathrop

Currently taught through Plant Biology graduate program

Instructor: Struwe

Instructor: Meixler

Instructor: Struwe

Instructor: Struwe

Instructor: Duffy

Instructor: Aronson

Instructor: Meixler

Instructor: Aronson

Instructor: Aronson

Highly recommended for first and second year students

Instructor: Wiedenmann

Instructor: Winfree

Explores ecological challenges of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and environmental consequences of our food and energy systems. Develops students' critical reasoning and writing skills. Lec. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: General biology (01:119:115 or 01:119:116), or equivalent, or permission of instructor. Meets Core Curriculum requirements for Contemporary Challenges, Writing and Communication.

Description – TBA

Prerequisites: 01:640:115 or equivalent. Credit not given for more than one of 01:960:201, 211, 285, and 401; nor for more than one of 01:960:212, 384, 401, and 484.
As applied in fields other than statistics; treats research projects dependent on the use of observed data from planned experiments. Includes inference methods in estimation and hypothesis testing, and general linear models.

Prerequisites: Statistics 16:960:563 (Regression Analysis)
Model based forecasting methods, autoregressive and moving average models, ARIMA, ARMAX, ARCH, state-space models, estimation, forecasting and model validation, missing data, irregularly spaced time series, parametric and non-parametric bootstrap methods for time series, multi-resolution analysis of spatial and time series signals, time-varying models, and wavelets.

Prerequisites: 34:970:515 or 516 or equivalent 
Brief history of GIS, core concepts, GIS on the Internet, projections and coordinate systems, thematic mapping, data classification and exploration, map interpretation, data visualization, basic cartography, data collection and management GIS data collection and management, address geocoding, ORDBMS concepts, and spatial analysis. Introduces basic concepts of geographic information science and its computer applications.

Only open to doctoral students
Description - TBA

Only open to doctoral students
Description - TBA

Instructor: Falkowski

Introduction to major processes that have shaped Earth’s environment, including climatic processes on geological time scales, the evolution of organisms, the cycling of elements, and the feedback between these processes.

Prerequisites: Introductory chemistry, biology, and physics, or permission of instructor.

Instructor: Nielsen

Prerequisite: General ecology.
This course uses the dominant form of life on earth, the insects, as a means for exploring basic concepts in ecology and evolution. Topics include insect diversity and biogeography; herbivores and herbivory; mutualism; natural enemies; biodiversity and ecosystem function; the history of human-insect interactions; and insect conservation. (Crosslisted with 16:215:599).

Description - TBA

This course discusses the definitions and ethical problems caused by fabrication of data, falsification of results, plagiarism, and other behaviors inconsistent with ethical scientific conduct. This course is required for all SGS Biomedical PhD students and Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences students. The course complies with NIH guidelines for RCR training. Students will receive 1 credit for successfully completing the course. Postdoctoral fellows as well as F33 and K award recipients are invited to participate in the course and will receive a certificate of completion after attendance at a minimum of eleven one-hour weekly meetings. Students in their 5th year graduate school must take a refresher training course (16:115:558).

Instructor: TBA

Critical review of the history of the discipline and recent debates regarding the study and teaching of comparative literature, world literatures, and translation studies. Workshops on publishing scholarly articles, dissertation writing, and preparing a teaching portfolio.

Institutional, technical, procedural, and normative factors that influence environmental planning and policy. Topics include environmental decision-making, stakeholders, methods, process issues, and decision criteria. Case studies and in-class exercises put topics into context.