ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME:
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
SUMMER:
EFB 496
Animal Behavior
3
4
FALL:
ESF 109
EFB 420
EFB 498
Honors Seminar
Internship
Independent Research
1
3
2
26
1
2
SPRING:
EFB 420
EFB 498
Internship
Independent Research
3
3
1
1
No. of Lab.
Sections
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Course No.
EFB 899
EFB 999
Title
Master’s
Ph.D
Credit
Hrs.
1-6
1-9
No.
Students
4
4
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No.
Title
No. of Lectures
SCE 614
Nature of Science in Science Education
Freshman Orientation: Discussion leader on book
Invited Faculty: Project Advance for Secondary Science Teachers:
Course on Forensic Science. Syracuse University, Lectures on:
Forensic Science and the Law, and 2. Forensic DNA Technology.
July 2008.
1
2
2
II. STUDENT ADVISING
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor __21 and unofficial advisor 7__
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
1. Jason Townsend, Ph.D. Ecology & Conservation of Bicknell’s Thrush. Began 9/05, Expected finish in 05/10.
2. C. J. Hazell, Ph. D. Ecology of wolves and Jackals in Kyrgistan, began 9/2001 should finish 12/09.
3.
Ayesha Prasad, Ph. D. Invasion by the Exotic Plant Lantana camara in a Tropical Deciduous Forest Landscape.,
Begun September, 2003, Finished 05/08.
4. Jose Valdez, M.S. European Crow Behavioral Ecology, Begun 09/08 Expected finish 05/10.
5. Heather Doviak. M.P.S. Part Time, Began in January 2004, Finished 12/07.
6. Ryan Allen, M.S. Began in September, 2003. Expected Finish 12/10.
7. Tanya Rogers, M.S. Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a Fuelwood Substitute in the Western Ghats of India:
Effectiveness and Influence of Socioeconomic Characteristics Began September 2006, Finished 5/08.
8. Caitlin Burns, M.S. No project, began January 2008 changed MP to Stacy McNulty.
CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR
1.
William Helenbrook, PH. D. Ecology and Genetics of Primates and their Parasites. Began September
2007, Expected finish 05/11 with Chris Whipps.
Amanda Dillon, M.S. Ecology and Behavior of Native Bees, Begun 5/07, Expected finish 12/09 with B.
2.
Hager.
MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)
CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.
Chaired one committee- Don’t remember student’s name
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)
Research in Forensic Science & Statistics
Research in Behavioral Ecology
Research on Dragonfly Ecology and Behavior
Research on Teaching Field Biology
5%
10%
10%
25%
B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)
US EPA star Fellowship. Jason Townsend 2007-2010.
3.
Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)
Multiple small to medium grants to a Variety of Institutions to support William
Helenbrook and his research on primate conservation genetics and epidemiology.
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts
in preparation).
A. Refereed Publications
None
B. Non-refereed Publications
None
B. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)
Forensic DNA Technology: Promise and Peril, Monroe County Public Defender, October 2008.
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)
1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local): Consulting on Forensic DNA & Statistical Issues
2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc. : Consulting on Forensic DNA & Statistical Issues
C.
Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.
Board of Directors (1996- ) and Treasurer (1996-2001), Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Education
Foundation, P.O. Box 621, Skaneateles, New York 13152.
Pro Bono consulting and expert witness for various individuals and entities including the Alliance of Families
of MIA’s and POW’s, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Innocence Project.
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)
B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or
consultant)
2. Professional Society Membership
American Ornithologists Union
American Society of Naturalists
Animal Behavior Society
3. Other Professional Activities
a. Editorial activity
Journal (s)
Responsibility
Other (books, symposia, etc.)
b. Reviewer
Journal(s)
Animal Behavior
American Naturalist
Ecological Modeling
Biol. J. Linnean Society
No. of manuscripts
2
1
1
1
Agency
No. of proposals
NSF
2
Other
c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)
Name of workshop, etc.
Date
Place
New York State Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey Workshop, Albany New York, May 2009.
D. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.
Sabbatical to write a book with Barbara Hager on Teaching Field Biology January –June 2009.
E.
Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)
Australia- April 2009, Gather additional material for the book.
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
Field Studies Coordinator
Member, Graduate Studies Committee?
B. College-level
EFB representative to Honors Council
C. University-wide, including Research Foundation
VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS
REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE
COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful:
this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The
information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your
strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions
to the department and college this reporting period.
Student Relations:
This fall I taught the freshman honors seminar by myself for the first time. I did have the able help of two
colleagues as Chris Nomura and Tim Toland gave superb guest lectures. The course was designed to provide the
students with the experience of doing research on different aspects of energy use and presenting an evaluation of each
to the group as a whole. The students found it to be a successful course that was stimulating and useful. I enjoyed it
tremendously and actually feel a little guilty about being able to interact with our best and brightest every week. I
continue to spend lots of my time as official and unofficial advisor to numerous students and this year finished three
of my own graduate students. I continue to be asked to write letters for numerous students from this year’s grads and
numerous former students as well.
Department/College
I acted as coordinator and reviewer of petitions associated with field programs. On average, I discuss the issue
and review petitions for about 10-15 students per year.
As a member of the Graduate Program Committee I attended meetings and discussed numerous issues
associated with our graduate program. The committee agreed to recommend that EFB develop a way to provide
larger stipends for our best applicants, something I have sought for 4 or 5 years at the college and more recently the
department level, and something I am happy that the department decided to implement this year. Maybe we can
continue to lead the college on this issue.
I have acted as one of the official mentors to Jesse Brunner. Not much work as he is doing a superb job on his
own.
Professional Development
Although I accepted one new and superb Ph.D. student this year, he decided to go elsewhere. Bill Helenbrook
switched his plans and will be doing research on primates and their parasites in South America. We recruited Chris
Whipps as co-major professor because of common interests and because I thought it would be good for both Will and
Chris. Amanda Dillon shared with Barb Hager as co-major professor has gathered all of her data studying the
diversity and abundance of solitary bees and wasps in different microhabitats at three rivers WMA for her masters.
She is processing data and expects to finish soon. CJ Hazell has gathered all of her data in Kyrgyzstan and is here to
finish off her Ph.D. this year. I plan to continue my slowly developing work on my book on the Nature of Adaptation
on which I have worked on and off for 20 years. My sabbatical went well as Barb and I conducted library research on
teaching field biology and people and nature to set the context for our book. We have begun writing it (have three
chapters completed) and will provide a report in late summer detailing the results. It is still intended to be both
philosophical and humorous as teaching in the field often is. It also will use specific projects done by students over
the years to illustrate the process and excitement of field biology. I still am ruminating on my book on the nature of
adaptation. I believe that its time is coming soon but Barb and I are excited about our first joint work. Finally, I still
do some consulting and expert witnessing I will also continue doing teaching and research in this arena as warranted.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)
I volunteered and will be teaching a new sophomore honors course in the fall. I spent some time thinking about how
to organize it and choosing the books to be read and discussed. I am pleased to note that 16 have signed up for the
course so far.
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
1. Summer 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
None
b. Proposed research activity
Dragonfly research
Writing of Book with Hager
c. University, professional society, and public service
Same committees and responsibilities
2. Fall Semester 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
ESF 109 Freshman Honors Seminar
EFB 296 Sophomore Honors Seminar
b. Proposed research activity
The same
c. University, Professional society, and public service
The same
3. Spring Semester 2010
a. Course(s) to be offered
EFB 480 Principles of Animal Behavior
b. Proposed research activity
The same
c. University, professional society, and public service
The same