DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
321 Steinhaus
Hall; (949) 824-6006
World Wide Web: http://www.bio.uci.edu/
Albert F. Bennett,
Department Chair
Faculty
John C. Avise: Molecular evolution and population genetics
Francisco J. Ayala: Population and evolutionary genetics
Albert F. Bennett: Environmental physiology; physiological ecology
Rudi C. Berkelhamer: Director of Instructional Laboratories
Peter A. Bowler: Habitat restoration; wetland ecology
Timothy J. Bradley: Comparative physiology of ion transport epithelia
Adriana D. Briscoe: Molecular evolutionary physiology
Nancy Burley: Behavioral ecology, sexual selection, social organization and communication
Robin M. Bush: Evolution of infectious disease
Diane R. Campbell: Plant population biology; pollination ecology
F. Lynn Carpenter: Community ecology; behavioral ecology
Michael T. Clegg: Plant genetics; molecular evolution and population genetics
Walter M. Fitch: Molecular and genetic evolution
Steven A. Frank: Social behavior and evolutionary genetics
Branden S. Gaut: Plant molecular evolution
Michael L. Goulden: Ecosystem ecology, plant physiological ecology, micrometeorology
Bradford A. Hawkins: Insect population and community ecology
James W. Hicks: Comparative physiology of circulation and gas exchange
George L. Hunt, Jr.: Behavioral ecology, marine ornithology
Chenyang (Sunny) Jiang: Aquatic microbiology and ecology
Robert K. Josephson: Comparative neurophysiology; muscle physiology
Natalia L. Komarova: Mathematical biology, biophysics, evolution of language, models of cancer and viruses
Harold Koopowitz: Conservation of endangered plant species
Anthony D. Long: Quantitative genetics
Matthew J. McHenry: Hydrodynamics and mechanoreception of aquatic animals
Laurence D. Mueller: Theoretical and empirical studies of density-dependent natural selection
R. Michael Mulligan: RNA editing in plant mitochondria and chloroplasts
Diane E. Pataki: Plant physiological ecology, land-atmosphere exchange, global change
Michael R. Rose: Evolution of life histories and genetic systems
Ann K. Sakai: Plant population biology
Georg Striedter: Brain development and evolution; neuroethology
Katherine N. Suding: Community ecology, plant-soil feedbacks
Adam P. Summers: Vertebrate biomechanics
Richard Symanski: Conservation biology
Kathleen K. Treseder: Microbial ecology; global change biology
Neil D. Tsutsui: Molecular and behavioral ecology; genetics of invasive species
Douglas C. Wallace: Molecular and mitochondrial medicine and genetics
Arthur E. Weis: Evolutionary ecology of plant-insect interactions; plant population biology
Stephen G. Weller: Plant reproductive ecology; plant population ecology
Dominik Wodarz: Theoretical biology: dynamics of infectious diseases and cancer
Guiyan Yan: Ecology and genetics of malaria
Ecology and evolutionary biology deals with the establishment of adaptations over evolutionary time and with the organismal function in ecological time. Faculty in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology study questions pertinent at a variety of levels of biological organization, from molecular aspects of evolution, to organismal structure and performance, to the ecology of ocean ecosystems. Research is conducted in both the laboratory and field and includes work on a variety of organisms from phage and bacteria, to higher plants and animals. Primary attention is given to evolutionary, ecological, and functional questions rather than to particular habitats or taxa. Faculty and graduate student research is often collaborative and interdisciplinary in approach. Departmental research activities include physiological ecology energetics, plant-herbivore and plant-pollinator interactions, microbial ecology and coevolution, quantitative genetics, life history evolution, population and reproductive ecology, and community ecology. These research endeavors provide a balance between empirical and theoretical approaches to evolutionary, organismal, and ecological problems.
The graduate program offers both the Plan I M.S. and the Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. A basic course sequence consisting of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 204, 205, 206, 207, and 208 is recommended for most entering students during their first year. At the end of the first year, students complete an examination based upon three of these courses (205, 206, and 208) and other materials the Department might require. Satisfactory performance on this Comprehensive Examination is required for continuation in the graduate program.
Each entering graduate student chooses a faculty advisor and a three-person advisory committee for guidance, with whom the student meets at least twice each year. All students are encouraged to submit a research proposal to their advisory committee during their first year of residency. A comprehensive proposal is required before the end of the second year. The progress of each student is reviewed by the student's advisory committee, together with the graduate advisor, once each academic year.
Normally, all requirements for the Ph.D. should be completed within five years. No more than seven years will be allowed for completion of the program. All requirements for completion of the M.S. degree should be completed within two years, with a maximum of three years allowed for completion of the program. Advancement to doctoral candidacy by an oral examination is expected during the third year for students entering with a B.A. or B.S. or during the second year for those entering with an M.A. or M.S. Applicants for this program should have a solid undergraduate program in biology and ecology, emphasizing both research and field work. In addition, course work in statistics, mathematics, and physical and chemical sciences is expected. All applicants are required to submit aptitude and advanced biology GRE scores. The deadline for application is January 15.
Courses in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
200A-B-C Research in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (2 to 12 per quarter) F, W, S. Individual research supervised by a particular professor. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
201 Seminar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (2) F, W, S. Invited speakers, graduate students, and faculty present current research in ecology and evolutionary biology. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit. Concurrent with Biological Sciences E107.
203A-B-C Graduate Tutorial in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (2 to 12 per quarter) F, W, S. Advanced study in areas not represented by formal courses. May involve individual or small group study through reading, discussion, and composition. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
204 Writing Grant Proposals (2) S. Provides students with hands-on experience writing proposals in their research area of ecology, evolution, organismal biology, or physiology. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
205 Special Topics in Ecology (4) F. Lecture, four hours. Survey of special topics in ecology. Restriction: graduate students only.
206 Special Topics in Evolution (4) S. Lecture, four hours. Extensive introduction to the primary literature of evolutionary biology. Topics include population genetics, quantitative genetics, neutralism, molecular evolution, evolution of genetic systems, genetic architecture of fitness, speciation, and macroevolution. Restriction: graduate students only.
207 Quantitative Methods in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (4) W. Lecture, four hours. Statistics for ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Emphasis on specific applications and underlying assumptions rather than on methods of calculation. Topics include experimental design, parametric and nonparametric methods, analysis of variance and covariance, and multiple regression. Prerequisite: at least one quarter of statistics, including regression and analysis of variance. Open to graduate students only.
208 Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology (4) F. Seminar, four hours. A summary of information in organismal biology, comparative and ecological physiology, and the biophysical basis of organismal function. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
NOTE: Enrollment in the following courses (210-285) may be approved for undergraduate students with advanced standing.
210A-B-C Foundations of Physiology (4-4-4) F, W, S. Lecture and discussion, four to eight hours. Physical and functional principles common to many living forms. Course forms a basis for subsequent specialization in any of the subdisciplines of physiology. May be repeated for credit. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
218 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (4) F, S. Seminar, three hours. Content and instructor will vary from quarter to quarter. Possible topics include quantitative genetics, experimental methods of evolutionary studies, mathematical modeling in evolutionary studies, and the evolution of genetic systems. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
219 Advanced Topics in Ecological Genetics (4) W. Seminar, three hours. Content and instructor will vary from year to year. Possible topics include coevolution, sex-ratio evolution, evolution senescence, plant population biology, and density-dependent selection. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
221 Topics in Plant Ecology (2 to 4) F, W, S. Weekly discussion of current topics in plant population biology and ecology. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
223 Advanced Applied Statistics (3) W. Lecture, three hours. Applications of general linear models using SAS software. Topics include: theory of general linear models, multiple regression, multivariate analysis, and random effects in mixed models. Sample data come from ecology and evolution and are analyzed using SAS. Prerequisite: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 207 or consent of instructor. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only.
225 Global Biological Change (4) F. Lecture, two hours; field work, one hour. An investigation of the mechanisms that underlie responses of organisms to human-caused environmental changes. Activities include field trips, literature discussions, and lectures. Focuses on issues of interest in Southern California, including nitrogen deposition, invasions, and habitat fragmentation. Same as Earth System Science 260.
228 Seminar in Conservation Biology (2) F, W. Devoted to the application of basic ecological principles to the understanding and resolution of environmental problems of both local and global natures. Current problems approached through a combination of readings, group discussions, and visiting speakers. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.
243 Principles of Brain Evolution (4). Lecture two hours. Brains obviously differ between different species, yet many commonalities exist. Surveys species similarities and differences in brain organization, then extracts some general principles of how brains evolve. Emphasis placed on vertebrate brains and on the functional implications of neuroanatomical change. Concurrent with Biological Sciences N117. Same as Neurobiology and Behavior 243.
260 Ornithology (4). Lecture, three hours. A thorough introduction to the biology of birds, covering topics ranging from avian anatomy and physiology to behavior, natural history, ecology, genetics, evolution, systematics, and conservation. Examples from both local and global avifauna. Concurrent with Biological Sciences E160.
275 Coastal Ecosystem Health (4) F. Seminar, three hours. Examines the causes of coastal ecosystem degradation and strategies to restore the ecosystem balance or prevent further coastal ecosystem health degradation. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor. Same as Environmental Analysis and Design E205.
280 Demystifying DNA (3). Laboratory, 10 hours. Provides students with hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques, including genomic DNA extractions, PCR, cloning, working with plasmids, Southern blots, library construction, and library screening. Prerequisites: radiation safety course from Environmental Health and Safety; consent of instructor.
285 Topics in Evolutionary Genetics (2). Discussion, one to two hours. Weekly discussion of recent research on evolutionary genetics. Prerequisites: graduate standing and consent of instructor.
398 Teaching Assistant Seminar (2) W. Seminar, two hours. Readings, lectures, workshops, and student presentations designed to help develop teaching skills of graduate students teaching university-level biology classes. Topics vary and may include: course organization, presentation styles, exam design, grading, motivating students, and commonly encountered problems. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
399 University Teaching (4-4-4) F, W, S. Limited to Teaching Assistants.