Category Archives: behavioral ecology

Hurry! We have an opening at Wash U for an ecologist in any specialty!

Please share this exciting position for a tenure track ecologist of any flavor! We have a great group and are in a world clss city! Join us! Below is the advertisement.   Washington University in St. Louis Department of Biology … Continue reading

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Teaching without lecturing: Exploded discussion in Class 3

   In discussion session on Friday the students told the TA, Omar, they wanted me to explain some of the questions that they did not understand. So I agreed and offered them one of two lectures. Either they could hear … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Curious about the legendary Winter Animal Behavior Conference, WABC, held each year in Steamboat Springs, Colorado?

       Imagine skiing on world-class tree trails and well-groomed pistes through Colorado’s legendary powder. Consider afternoons and evenings with intense academic talks and post-talk discussions, perhaps involving exotic cocktails and recently legalized um… relaxants that made some people giggle, perhaps … Continue reading

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Why you should aim for a three year Ph.D. degree

Why not get your Ph.D. in three years? Can’t you learn what is needed in this time frame? This may sound ridiculous to an American who may hardly even have identified a thesis topic by their third year. How did … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Graduate school, Managing an academic career | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Consider a temporary stint as ecology and evolution editor at Nature

Patrick Goymer is taking a half year paternity leave at Nature and so they are looking for a replacement. Here is the announcement. I bet there are few positions that are as likely to help you learn about your field … Continue reading

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No, you may not use that image without permission and attribution

My students are getting ready to teach high school students next Saturday. They will have a short talk, hopefully in story format, and then an activity that illustrates the scientific principle from their talk. These are the same students who … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Ethics, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

How do you get the word out about a new job?

If you read this you probably already know we have an open position at Wash U in evolutionary biology. I hope you forwarded it to worthy candidates and to others that know such people. I suppose the form that forwarding … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Jobs, New assistant professor | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Build curiosity first, then answer questions

  First day of class and I meet these wonderful new students, all 54 of them, more actually if you count the hopefuls. If I can’t make behavior seem interesting and wonderful, I have no business teaching. I have a … Continue reading

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The joy of outreach!

Emilie Snell-Rood has organized a museum day after the Animal Behavior meetings in Boulder next week. I signed up to participate months ago, knowing it was the right thing to do, and might be fun. As the time neared, of … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Outreach | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did you forget about books?

Did you forget about natural history, the story of the earth and its inhabitants in all their particulars? Yes, particulars, for it is in the details that the most wondrous stories lurk. Have you learned the specifics of even a … Continue reading

Posted in behavioral ecology, Field work | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments