Teaching Positions:
Graduate students and professionals
Undergraduate students
High school and middle school students
Students of all ages
If you're an aspiring ecologist looking for advice on finding jobs or going to graduate school, I have some helpful tips and resources:
Graduate students and professionals
- Program developer & leader, Women in Conservation Technology (Ol Pejeta Conservancy, WILDLABS, Fauna & Flora International)
- Workshop developer & leader, Women in the Field (Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique)
- Workshop developer & leader, Camera Trap Methods and Analyses (Gorongosa National Park M.Sc. Program in Conservation Biology, Mozambique)
Undergraduate students
- Guest lecturer, Animal Behavior, Ohio Wesleyan University (ZOOL 343) (x2)
- Guest lecturer, Wildlife Conservation in the Anthropocene, Macalester University (ENVI 494)
- Guest lecturer, Tropical Ecology & Conservation: Serengeti, Princeton University (EEB 344)
- Guest lecturer, Vertebrate Natural History, Virginia Commonwealth University (BIOZ 313)
- Guest Lecturer, Ecology (Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve/University of Minnesota, EEB 3407/5407)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute Teaching Assistant Fellows for Inclusive Excellence (University of Minnesota)
- Guest Lecturer, Science of Animal Behavior (Carroll University, ANB 101)
- Teaching Assistant, Ecology (University of Minnesota, EEB-3407)
- Teaching Assistant, Animal Behavior (University of Minnesota, EEB-3412)
- Mentor, Nature of Life (University of Minnesota, BIOL-1805/1806)
- Mentor, Evolutionary and Ecological Perspectives (University of Minnesota, BIOL-1001)
- Mentor, Environmental Biology: Science and Solution (University of Minnesota, BIOL-1055)
High school and middle school students
- Teacher, Discover Stem in Nature (U of MN North Central Research and Outreach Center)
- Mentor, “ALPHA (All People Have Access) for Students with Cognitive Disabilities”, Minneapolis Public Schools
- Mentor, “Flight Path”, Red Wing Public Schools
Students of all ages
- Frequent contributor to "Skype a Scientist"
- Contributor to "Letters to a Pre-Scientist"
- Contributor, Scientist in Every Florida School, Florida Museum
- See below for recordings of online lessons!
If you're an aspiring ecologist looking for advice on finding jobs or going to graduate school, I have some helpful tips and resources:
Supervising:
I have been actively engaged in supervising 15 undergraduate students (10 women), of which 5 have completed independent research:
I have also supervised six M.Sc. students:
In addition, I mentor graduate students online through programs such as:
I have been actively engaged in supervising 15 undergraduate students (10 women), of which 5 have completed independent research:
- Abby Gross (University of Minnesota): The Coexistence of Mesopredators in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania (Honors Thesis)
- Lyndsay Reese (University of Minnesota): Pride Overlap in Two-Timing Serengeti Lions (Honors Thesis)
- Philip Johnson (University of Minnesota): Impact of Fires on Predator-Prey Interactions in Serengeti National Park
- Faith Kelly (University of Minnesota): Territory Overlap in Male-Sharing Lion Prides
- Auset Taylor (Princeton University): Mesopredator Release in a Landscape of Fearlessness (Senior Thesis)
I have also supervised six M.Sc. students:
- Stanslaus B. Mwampeta (University of Dar es Salaam): Genet and Civet Coexistence
- Alix Thoreau (Université de Lyon): Bayesian Modelling of Jackal Species Interactions
- Jess Dewey (University of Minnesota): "Snapshot Serengeti" in the Classroom: Developing Ecological Coursework for High School Students
- Ayoub Asenga (Nelson Mandela University): Spatial Distribution of Woody Encroachment and its Effect on Ranging Ecology of African Lions
- Raimundo José Raimundo (Gorongosa National Park M.Sc. in Conservation Biology Program): Modelos de ocupação e co-ocorrência de dois viverrídeos africanos (civeta africana - Civettictis civetta e geneta malhada - Genetta maculata) no Parque Nacional da Gorongosa
- Sofia Nhalungo (Eduardo Mondlane University): Effect of Trophy Hunting on behavior and population structure of Impala (Aepyceros melampus) in the Niassa Special Reserve
In addition, I mentor graduate students online through programs such as:
Online Lessons:
I am available to Skype into classrooms or workshops and to create materials for online lessons focused on wildlife ecology, camera trapping, or citizen science. Check out the following recordings, which can be directly accessed under "Outreach"!
I am available to Skype into classrooms or workshops and to create materials for online lessons focused on wildlife ecology, camera trapping, or citizen science. Check out the following recordings, which can be directly accessed under "Outreach"!
- "Earth School": Earth School is a TED-Ed and UN Environment initiative to connect students with nature. Thirty different quests offer students unique opportunities to learn about the natural world. Our camera trapping work features as Quest 26, using our unique interactive citizen science materials to connect kids with nature in diverse ways. This Quest also contains additional resources like educator materials, access to select data, and a SciStarter Earth School page.
- "EarthLIVE Lessons": EarthLIVE Lessons offers daily 20-minute live lessons from scientists, conservationists, wildlife filmmakers and more, hosted by the BBC's Lizzie Daly.
- "Lunch with a Scientist": Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Center hosts monthly interactive events where researchers are able to share their ongoing research projects with the general public.
- "Skype a Scientist": Skype a Scientist is a group of 5000+ scientists who are available to video chat into classrooms and have an open discussion with students. The goal of the program is for students to have positive experiences with scientists and form a personal connection with someone working in a scientific field.
- "Into the World of Citizen Science" with SciStarter: SciStarter is an online community dedicated to improving the citizen science experience for project managers and participants. During Citizen Science Month 2020, I partnered with SciStarter and Princeton University Libraries to host an online 'adventure' into the world of citizen science, introducing participants to the scope of online citizen science projects and "megathon"ing different projects across medicine, biology, physics, literature and history.
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Teaching Tools:
In addition to producing prodigious amounts of scientific data, our camera traps images provide a value source of educational material for undergraduate and high school students. I work with a number of partner organizations to create accessing teaching tools for K-12 and undergraduate students.
In addition to producing prodigious amounts of scientific data, our camera traps images provide a value source of educational material for undergraduate and high school students. I work with a number of partner organizations to create accessing teaching tools for K-12 and undergraduate students.
- Exploring Species Interactions with "Snapshot Serengeti": We present a community ecology undergraduate lab module that uses data from a long-term camera trap study to allow students to design and conduct their own scientific inquiries. "Snapshot Serengeti" is a 10+ year wildlife monitoring survey in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Over 200 camera traps continuously collect fine-scale spatial and temporal data on the dynamics of ~50 animal species. The charismatic subject matter engages students, while the ample amount of processed data enables students to conduct real ecological research. We present two lab variations: a four-week in-person and five-week remote-learning online option. From this module, students learn to generate testable research questions, produce and interpret graphs, participate in peer review, and communicate their results in both oral and written format. In addition to a greater awareness of community ecology principles, students will come away from this lab with a better understanding of how exploratory research fits into the scientific process and confidence in their own ability to engage in the process of science. Created in collaboration with the UMN Biology Teaching and Learning Department.
- "Snapshot Safari" Activities for Middle-Schoolers: We rely on online volunteers ("citizen scientists") to help classify animals captured in our millions of camera trap images. Citizen science platforms provide a novel opportunity for public engagement and science education, and we have created educational multimedia based on the Snapshot Safari citizen science experience to promote these learning opportunities. Here, we present activities and videos aimed at a middle school-level audience that use our camera trap images to teach ecological and conservation principles.This collection contains six educational activities to teach ecological principles via authentic learning experiences using read data from our wildlife surveys. Created by Jessica Dewey and the Snapshot Safari team.
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institution's BioInteractive program supports an online interactive lab and curricula for teachers based on our WildCam Gorongosa camera trapping project. Here, students can investigate ecological questions by exploring trail camera data using an interactive map. Data can be filtered and downloaded to perform analyses and test hypotheses. Educators can set up private classrooms and invite students to join. Data sets can be curated or students can explore on their own. Guided activities and supporting educational resources are also available.
- In collaboration with Twig Education, a STEM education company that delivers award-winning K-12 programs to over 60 countries in 19 languages, we have created a module on predator-prey relationships which will heavily feature my research and real-life "stories from the field". Twig operates in partnership with Imperial College London and Stanford’s SCALE group to create a scientifically literate society by inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Field Courses:
I am available to lead ecology field method courses; to date, my workshops have primarily taken place in countries across Africa and involve both local and international students as well as government officials and members of regional NGOs.
I am available to lead ecology field method courses; to date, my workshops have primarily taken place in countries across Africa and involve both local and international students as well as government officials and members of regional NGOs.
- Mozambique: In partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institution and the Gorongosa Master’s in Conservation Biology Program (the first and only M. Sc. in conservation biology in Mozambique), I developed and lead a workshop focused on camera trap methods for ecology and conservation. The goal was to introduce students to camera trap methods and analyses; students learned what ecological questions can be asked using camera traps and suitable survey designs and statistical techniques for answering these questions. I introduced techniques for handing, storing, and processing camera trap data and engaged students critically with current camera trap literature. Specifically, I covered how to camera trap in order to address questions relating to: 1) species presence/absence, 2) species distribution/occupancy, 3) animal abundance/density, and 4) animal behavior. As part of this workshop, students gained hands-on experience setting up camera traps and collecting field data as well as formulating their own camera trapping projects using existing Gorongosa camera trap data.
- Tanzania: Camera trap workshop materials I have developed will be incorporated in to the Grumeti Fund's new Research and Innovation in the Serengeti Ecosystem (RISE) "Women in the Field Skills-based Training Program" for Tanzanian women interested in pursuing careers in conservation science. A core goal of RISE is to contribute to the development of the next generation of conservationists in Tanzania; women are historically underrepresented in this area and RISE seeks to prepare Tanzanian women to pursue opportunities in the conservation and scientific communities via skill development and by creating a network of women working in the conservation sector across Tanzania.
- Botswana: In partnership with Wildlife ACT and Wildtrax Explorations, I taught a short course in the Chobe Enclave focusing on focusing on ecology, conservation, and field data-collection methodologies. I developed lesson plans and teaching materials for the field and classroom covering techniques for monitoring of wildlife and methods for the collection and analysis of camera trap data. Together, we working with international students and local students from the Okavango Research Institute to deploy and maintain camera traps throughout this valuable wildlife corridor. This opportunity was funded by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment program.
Hack-a-thons:
While much of my teaching is focused on ecological concepts and field research methods, I have partnered with several computer science teams to facilitate workshops and educational challenges for computer science and machine learning students.
While much of my teaching is focused on ecological concepts and field research methods, I have partnered with several computer science teams to facilitate workshops and educational challenges for computer science and machine learning students.
- In conjunction with Google DeepMind and Deep Learning Indaba, we hosted a five day machine learning hack-a-thon at Kenyetta University for African computer scientists. Students were challenged to build machine learning algorithms to classify species, count individual animals, and create programs that automatically extracted new and exciting information from camera trap image data. Hack-a-thon materials and additional information are available online. Additional organizers include Tejumade Afonja, Aya Salama, Ismael Kone, Stig Petersen, Jonathan Schwarz, and Ulrich Paquet.
- ZindiAfrica is a website where data scientists can test their skills on real-world data sets, building models that solve Africa's toughest challenges. Standard Bank has hosted a Tech Impact Challenge using Snapshot Serengeti camera trap data with the goal of creating a machine learning model to accurately predict the likelihood than an image contains a zebra as opposed to an elephant.