Pollinators (ENTOM 120)

When many people think about pollinators, they think mainly of just one species: the honey bee, Apis mellifera. However, there are at least 20,000 different species of bees, not to mention the thousands of other butterfly, moth, beetle, wasp, hummingbird, bat, and lizard species that pollinate flowering plants. This biodiversity is critical for maintaining our natural ecosystems and providing humans with food. In Pollinators (offered each Spring), we examine the diversity of animal pollinators, their ecology, current threats to pollinators, and their conservation. We will explore some of the details of these topics through lecture, readings, discussions, in-class projects, and an independent research project.

Digital Entomology (ENTOM 799)

AI and computer vision are rapidly transforming entomology and other fields in the natural sciences. In this project-based course, we will take a practical, hands-on approach to learning cutting-edge skills in computer vision and automation for applications in entomology, ecology, and agriculture (or anything else!). Students will learn the basics of computer vision, taking projects from data collection to annotation, model training, evaluation, and deployment. We will build custom devices using open-source hardware (including Raspberry Pis) and learn some basic fabrication skills (e.g., 3D printing). Guided in-class exercises mini projects will be paired with group discussions of recent research papers exploring cutting edge applications for science. No coding experience required!