Undergraduate Courses

With the rapid increase in human population, it is becoming harder and harder to produce enough protein to feed everyone. In this course, you will see the enormous potential of protein from edible insects. We will address questions such as: Who eats insects? Are insects really that disgusting to eat? Can insects be used to feed the animals we eat? Can you prepare an appetizing meal with insects? We will discover that insects are highly nutritious and are significantly more sustainable than vertebrate protein. We will use insects to understand basic biological questions about what organisms need to grow. You will use that knowledge to grow your own mealworms and collect data on their growth and survival. At the end of the course, you will prepare and eat a meal from the mealworms you grew!

Terrestrial arthropods (insects and their relatives, such as spiders, scorpions, millipedes and mites) are the most successful and diverse form of life - in fact, more than 80% of animals on Earth are arthropods! In this course we take on the role of scientists to investigate the biology, ecology, behavior, and evolutionary history of these fascinating organisms. Along the way, we will learn how life developed on our planet, how evolution produces novel forms, and how the systems we rely on for survival are shaped by our arthropod neighbors. We humans are relative newcomers to this planet. What secrets can we discover by turning our scientific spotlight on one of the oldest and most successful groups of animals to evolve on Earth?

The Sonoran Desert Region is home to more species of native bees than any other region of the world. In this course our main research goal will be focused on discovering and documenting the diversity of Tucson's native bees. This course provides an introductory research experience that will immerse students in the process of discovering, describing, and classifying biodiversity. We will explore biodiversity research using cutting edge laboratory, field, museum (curatorial), and bioinformatics techniques. The data we collect will be published and shared freely with both the scientific community and the general public.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.

The course will focus on the principles and practices of insect pest management in agricultural crops. IPM concepts and management tactics will be discussed in detail. Case studies of successful pest management programs unique to SW desert cropping systems will be examined.

This course will provide students with an opportunity for hands-on-experience on multidisciplinary research being conducted by faculty members in the department of Entomology. Joining a research lab will allow students to move beyond the traditional classroom environment into an atmosphere of discovery, collaboration and focus on projects with broad impacts to the modern world. Moreover, participation in directed research activities will contribute to the development of mentoring relationships with faculty and other members of research groups, stimulate familiarity with scientific literature and exposure to a variety of instrumentation or scientific techniques while promoting awareness of safety practices.

Qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work.

During ontogeny, organisms constantly have to adjust their physiology in response to the environment they encounter. This course will provide an integrative understanding of life history evolution from the perspective of the constraints imposed by their underlying physiology. We will emphasize how physiological tradeoffs at the level of the whole organism ultimately define an organism's life history and fitness. The course will provide students with a conceptual approach to the integration of whole-organism physiology underlying life history traits. Relevant physiological, evolutionary and ecological background necessary to understand the concepts discussed will be given in lecture. Course will focus primarily on insects and will also use examples from other animals.

Biology of host-parasite relationships with emphasis on parasites of veterinary and human importance. Parasite morphology and physiology, life cycles, epidemiology, pathogenesis and zoonotic potential.

This course examines the taxonomy, ecology, evolution, and conservation of aquatic insects. Having a basic understanding of aquatic entomology will be useful for students interested in aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, water quality monitoring, conservation biology, and/or outdoor recreation (e.g. fly fishing). Active learning is a major focus of the course, and includes observing, documenting, and collecting aquatic insects in the lab and field.

Insect Discovery is a special course that combines an introduction to insect biology with practical experience in science outreach. Students will learn insect biology through lectures, labs and field trips, and communicate their knowledge to elementary school children by leading hands-on, inquiry-based science activities.

Introductory and advanced statistical methods and their applications in ecology. Focuses on how research design dictates choice of statistical models; explores principles and pitfalls of hypothesis testing.

Insect Systematics is a four unit lecture/lab course offered to undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in learning basic principles of systematics, insect structure, phylogeny and classification, and insect identification.

How have vertebrate immune systems evolved from simple origins? We will cover comparative immunology of prokaryotes, protozoans, plants, fungi, invertebrates, and "lower" vertebrates. By studying the origins and evolution of immunity across the history of life, and following the progression of immune system complexity across different lineages, we begin to see patterns that help explain how our immune system developed from those of our ancestors. Such comparative study will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of our immune system, and point to ways in which other organisms have overcome the same pathogenic stresses we currently face. This class will pull together data from many fields, including immunology, molecular and cell biology, ecology, and evolution.