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Courses Taught and Student Enrollment:
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General
Biology I (BIOL 120)
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Fall 2005 (2 sections, 304 students)
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Summer 2006 (1 section, 30 students)
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Fall 2006 (2 sections, 298 students)
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Summer 2007 (1 section, 31 students)
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Fall 2007 (2 sections, 284 students)
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Summer 2008 (1 section, 43 students)
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Fall 2008 (2 sections, 228 students)
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Spring 2009 (1 section, 126 students)
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General
Biology II (BIOL 121)
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Spring 2006 (2 sections, 185 students)
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Spring 2007 (2 sections, 192 students)
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Spring 2008 (2 sections, 173 students)
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Ecology
and Evolution (BIOL 353 - writing intensive course)
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Fall 2008 (1 section, 19 students)
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Spring 2009 (1 section, 34 students)
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Ichthyology
(BIOL 462)
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Spring 2006 (1 section, 5 students)
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Spring 2007 (1 section, 4 students)
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Spring 2008 (1 section, 8 students)
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Spring 2009 (1 section, 17 students)
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Research
Design and Analysis (BIOL 598)
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Fall 2005 (1 section, 10 students)
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Fall 2006 (1 section, 11 students)
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Fall 2007 (1 section, 14 students)
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Fall 2008 (1 section, 14 students)
Expanded Course Descriptions:
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General Biology
I (BIOL 120): This course
is the first part of a two-semester sequence designed to prepare biology
majors for upper level courses in biology and to provide non-majors a
firm foundation in the principles of biology. Course content includes
cell biology, developmental biology, classification and taxonomy, and
evolutionary theory. The course also introduces the way scientists
approach and attempt to solve problems leading to the discovery of and
development of new knowledge.
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General
Biology II (BIOL 121):
This course is designed
to provide a broad overview of animal biology, emphasizing animal
diversity and taxonomy, basic anatomy and physiology, evolutionary
adaptations, and ecological relationships. The first part of the course
will provide a basic overview of the various animal phyla starting with
the protozoans, which are the simplest animal-like organisms, and ending
with human evolution. The second part of the course will provide a
comparative examination of the major organ systems found in animals,
with an emphasis on vertebrate organ systems. The third part of the
course will provide a broad overview of how animals interact with each
other and their environment. The entire course will be placed within an
evolutionary context.
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Ecology
and Evolution (BIOL 353):This
course is intended for upper-level students interested in bridging
connections between ecology and evolution. In addition to understanding
the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change, factors affecting
population growth, and evolutionary adaptations that result from
ecological interactions, students will learn how to use mathematical
models and graphs to better understand ecological and evolutionary
processes. Students will also learn how to synthesize scientific
information into their own ideas and present those ideas in a
well-written and coherent argument
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Ichthyology
(BIOL 462):
Ichthyology encompasses various aspects of the study of fishes,
including anatomy, behavior, conservation, ecology, evolution,
physiology, taxonomy, and zoogeography. More
than 24,000 species of fishes have been described from every conceivable
aquatic habitat, making it the largest group of vertebrates known. To
help organize the inherent complexity associated with the study of
fishes, this course will consist of three major parts: (1) the
anatomy and physiology of fishes, (2) the evolution, systematics, and
zoogeography of fishes, and (3) the conservation and ecology of fishes.
The material will cover fishes from around the world, both marine and
freshwater, but will emphasize the freshwater fishes of Texas. The
unparalleled diversity of fishes provides an excellent opportunity to
effectively illustrate fundamental concepts of ecology and evolutionary
biology.
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Research
Design and Analysis (BIOL 598):The
purpose of this course is to survey the statistical principles of
research design for experimental and observational studies, emphasizing
(1) the role of statistics in scientific studies, (2) how to determine
which statistical test to use, (3) the underlying assumptions associated
with statistical tests, (4) how to interpret results from a statistical
analysis, and (4) how to properly conduct a scientific investigation.
Although the course requires no previous knowledge of statistics, it
does require a basic knowledge of algebra.
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