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University-Level
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Colby College, Maine (Winter 2018):
ES397J, Elephants and Environment in Sri Lanka (Co-instructor with Dr. Philip Nyhus, short field course)
ES397J, Elephants and Environment in Sri Lanka (Co-instructor with Dr. Philip Nyhus, short field course)
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Course Description
An interdisciplinary field course introducing Sri Lanka through the theme of elephants. Students will gain experience with wildlife behavior and ecology, conservation policy, and the interaction of religion, culture, and environment. They will meet scientists and practitioners, undertake research, and complete a field journal. Students will meet at Colby for preparatory activities followed by three weeks in Sri Lanka. Includes visits to national parks, communities, and areas of cultural, economic, and environmental importance. Course catalogue > |
Sample Student Feedback
There are no words to express how grateful we are for the knowledge and wisdom you gave us over this January. We learned a lot about elephant behavior but we also learned what it means to be an effective, understanding & revolutionary conservationist/environmentalist. You are so inspiring and incredible, thank you for sharing your work with us. I had an amazing time and I will never forget you and this experience. Please come back to Colby! It is difficult to adequately express to anyone what you meant in this experience for all of us. I so appreciated your efforts to teach us, speak with us, and be with us. It isn't that often that someone asks me my interests and genuinely listens, and that is truly valuable to me, so thank you. I feel I learned so much in this time and look forward to the future groundbreaking research I will hear about you completing! It means so much especially for a trip of mostly women, to see such a strong example of what we can become. Thank you! |
"It has been an honor to be able to work with you and spend time with you on this trip. You are such an inspiration and a great role model to look up to. Through your profound research on Asian elephants, you have given us the confidence and knowledge to pursue our passion, whatever that may be. You do such great work and it was fascinating to learn about your research...When you came into my conservation biology class in 2016, I never imagined I would be able to work with you in Sri Lanka. This was an an incredible and unforgettable experience. I greatly appreciate all you have done for us this trip and thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom...Thank you for all the laughs along the way too!...Thank you so much again." -M. "I want to start by saying thank you so much. You and Philip put so much work into this trip and it showed...You taught all of us so much, not just about elephants, but about the people and culture, and everything that surrounds them. You're truly an inspiration. As a woman interested in biology and field research myself, it was great to spend 2 weeks with someone who knows the complexity and difficulties of being a woman in the field. Thank you again for everything you've done for us and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors." -K. "Thank you so much for this wonderful experience, I will never forget it. I really appreciate your willingness to answer all of my questions, not just about elephants about many aspects of life in Sri Lanka. I found myself gravitating towards you to get tidbits...whenever I wanted a little more information at almost every site we visited...Thanks again." -M. "Thank you so much for being such an incredible role model for us and sharing your passions with our quirky group. Thank you for taking the time to engage with each of us and bring us so much laughter, joy and knowledge. It is amazing to see someone so smart and passionate and giving." -I. |
University of California, San Diego (Spring 2017):
BIEB 176, Conservation and the Human Predicament (Sole instructor, self-designed course; regular)
BIEB 176, Conservation and the Human Predicament (Sole instructor, self-designed course; regular)
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Course Description
Discussion of the human predicament, biodiversity crisis, and importance of biological conservation. Examines issues from biological perspectives emphasizing new approaches and new techniques for safeguarding the future of humans and other biosphere inhabitants. This was a non-traditional lecture course which included in-class discussion, partner activities, games, field trips, videos and group projects. Students were also required to participate through online entries. Evaluations were based on homework assignments, quizzes and group projects but not midterms or finals. My emphasis was on learning through thinking and doing, making the experience as rich as possible while challenging norms and preconceptions. Although students found the course challenging, the majority were able to achieve a B or higher. |
Sample Student Feedback (anonymous)
The connections that she makes between economics and ecosystems and ethics and everything that we covered was presented in a way that was perfect for someone who did not have background in these topics such as myself. Each week was like another layer being unwrapped and just when you thought you were finally thinking you understood everything another topic is introduced and your mind goes crazy with all the ways the topics are interconnected. I really like how she made us do things that we were uncomfortable with like mapping data on google earth. That was something new I learned and it is very useful. I also learned how to write a brief! That is applicable to many things besides the course. THANK YOU!!! This class provided meaningful insight to my already formed ideas of what it means to be an environmental activist and conservationist. I think the fact that Professor de Silva has had actual experience allowed for a very new perspective to often very abstract concept for students. In other words, at least I had a very straightforward mentality of looking at conservation and activism around it, yet this class introduced very valuable points which observed issues from a more holistic approach. It’s easy to forget that the environment is an economic, social, and political issue that affects all of us differently due to our intersectional realities. I think that for the last week in class it was a very good strategy to start analyzing practical ways to improve our communities and consider new forms of changing our non-sustainable ways of living. This week, I learned that I’m particularly passionate about food insecurity and the different layers this particular issue has, from food production, food distribution, to food consumption and food waste. This class allowed me to see environmental issues as cyclical issues rather than linear problems that eventually reach a resolution. In other words, these issues are ever evolving and acquiring nuances therefore, approaches must also be dynamic. |
"I liked your enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge in the subject and that you included guest lecturers and different activities to engage with students in the classroom. You were very funny and gave great critiques of the issues that were presented to us in class in your professional and personal opinion. I liked when you drew on your personal life in regards to being more sustainable which made the discussion more realistic and approachable." "This week was definitely an interesting change of pace. I definitely missed the professor's lectures--not as a reflection of the quality of the student's work but more in that I wanted more time to learn about these concepts of ecological economics and perhaps learn how we can translate what we've learned in this class into something accessible for folks. There was such a wide variety of topics that were covered in discussion and class, and it was super cool to see how groups have applied these topics that we've learned in class and used that to shape their case studies and presentations. I felt that we were able to cover a wide range of topics from sustainable conservation for both species and local economies, measuring ecological health and industrial growth, local involvement in conservation efforts, and sustainable energy and economics. It seemed like a great way to end the quarter by demonstrating what lessons we've learned. This class has definitely improved my passion to engage others in discussions about the environment. I feel like before I would see these discussions happening and I would KNOW that climate change and our means of production and consumption were issues, but I didn’t have the vocabulary or understanding to articulate it. Now, I feel considerably more prepared to talk about how humans are shaping our biosphere through a wide variety of topics AND I now know where to look to find supporting evidence and to conduct my own research for my positions." "I'm sorry to see this class ending but I'm so glad I took it. This was my last course here at UCSD and it has been a truly memorable one! I feel like this course provided me with insight into the myriad of complexities of conservation. And, this course taught me the importance of doing your research. I feel like as conservationists we tend to have a strong understanding of our side of an issue however we fail to take into account the other perspectives. This is probably true of people in general only being able to understand their own perspective, but its very important to keep in mind in this field especially. We face serious issues that cannot be resolved if we are unable to see other viewpoints and understand where opposing perspectives come from. I hope that I can take the knowledge from this class and go on to contribute positively to the world of conservation with an open mind and a compassionate understanding!" Download syllabus:
View sample lecture slideshow:
I conducted an informal pre- and post-survey to measure changes as a result of the course. View the intriguing results:
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Teaching Assistantships
- Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology: OEB 57, Animal Behavior (TA; 1 semester)
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biology:
- BIOL 219, Introduction to Brain and Behavior (TA; 1 semester)
- BIOL 231, Animal Behavior (TA, 3 semesters)
- BIOL 121, Molecular Biology of Life, laboratory (TA; 1 semester)