Research and Teaching Program in Conservation Biology

Dorothy Prowell

Professor of Entomology &
Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences

dprowe@lsu.edu

Education

B.A. 1974, University of Texas at Austin - Zoology
Ph.D. 1980, University of Texas at Austin - Zoology

Resume  

 
THEN                                                                      NOW

My current research focus is in conservation biology.  Former research has centered on population genetics and speciation and systematics. 

  
Teaching Program

Conservation Biology - I teach this senior level course to ~60 students.  Students can take it with a discussion section and receive 4 credits as communication intensive course or take lecture only for 3 credits.  The course is an eye opening and sometimes career changing experience for students.  The role and responsibility of humans in the fate of the earth is emphasized.   BIOL/ENTM 4015 Syllabus.

Fall 2006 Conservation Biology field trip to remove Chinese privet at Bluebonnet Swamp

Science and Society - Jim Ottea, another entomology professor, and I teach this General Education class.  The course is aimed at freshman, sophomores, and others who have not been exposed to college level science courses.  For many of the 150 or so students, this is their only exposure to biology.  The goal of the course is to provide students with a basic understanding of fundamental biological concepts in the context of contemporary issues facing society today.    AGRI 1005 Syllabus.

How Do We Know? Making Sense Of and Acting in Today's World - I teach this honors class with John Maxwell Hamilton, the Dean of the School of Mass Communication.  This class is not easily classified.  Its purpose is to ponder the ways we make decisions about issues that matter in a democracy -- whether they relate to questions of science or questions about candidates running for office.  The course does not tell you what to think about any issue, but it does challenge you to think about how you arrive at a position.  Syllabus for HNRS 3031