Teaching
SIO 3: Life in the Ocean (Winter 2015, 2019, 2020)
Instructor: Professor Octavio Aburto-Oropeza (SIO, UCSD), Teaching Assistants: Marlene Brito-Millan (2015) and B. Jack Pan (2015, 2019, 2020)
Course Description: This course will introduce you to a wide variety of organisms that live in the oceans, the habitats they occupy, and how species interact with each other and their environment. Included will be examinations of adaptations, behavior, ecology, and a discussion of local and global resource management and conservation issues. Lectures and assigned readings will be supported by discussion sections to review course information and/or participate in activities outside the classroom.
Course Structure: Three lectures per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2:00- 2:50; weekly discussion sessions are hosted on Friday between 3:00 and 4:00.
SIO 134: Introduction to Biological Oceanography (Winter 2016)
Instructor: Professor Michael Landry (SIO, UCSD), Teaching Assistants: Catherine Nickels, B. Jack Pan, and Kathryn Furby
Course Description: The course presents the basics for understanding the ecology of marine communities in a dynamic and changing ocean environment. In the first part of the course, we take a process approach, focusing on major functional groups of marine organisms, how they interact in ocean food webs, and how the resulting communities respond to their environment. In the second half, we use this foundation as a basis for considering contemporary issues in ocean ecology, including human and climate influences.
Course Structure: Two lectures per week on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00-9:20; weekly discussion sessions are hosted.
University Study 7: Environmental Crisis Studies
Instructor: B. Jack Pan
Course Description: Our environmental crisis involves complicated issues that no one academic discipline can resolve alone. Utilizing multidisciplinary research to address environmental challenges has become increasingly common in academia. This course will help students to gain a better understanding of the different disciplines involved in environmental issues and how these disciplines interact with one another. We will discuss current environmental topics from the perspective of these different disciplines. Eventually students will utilize what they have learned to investigate various environmental issues.
Some students might have an undeclared major but would like to study in an environmental field. This seminar will help those students to find their fields of interest and help them to choose their majors. I hope it will be a useful learning experience for you.
Some topics we cover in class: regional/local environmental issues with a focus on developing countries, global warming, climate change, understanding climate science, the relationship between anthropogenic forcing and environmental degradation, energy and power generation, renewable energy resources, and geoengineering.
Class website: https://eee.uci.edu/13s/87642 (UCINet ID is required)
UCI COSMOS Program, Cluster 4: Life on the Edge -- Biodiversity and Ecosystems of Coastal California Instructors: Dr. Peter J. Bryant (UCI Developmental & Cell Biology) and Dr. Peter Fuhrer (UCI Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences); Teaching Assistant: B. Jack Pan
Due to its varied topography, long coastline and mild climate, California is home to an astonishing variety of plants, animals and ecosystems. It has been identified as one of the earth’s biodiversity hotspots, and provides outstanding opportunities for the study of terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecology. During a visit to Crystal Cove State Park, students will explore the fascinating biodiversity of rocky intertidal communities, and study how animals and plants adapt to the continually changing conditions at the frontier between land and sea. Observations in Upper Newport Bay will illustrate another environment subjected to changing conditions with tides and storms as well as enormous impacts from human activities upstream in the watershed. Field trips to freshwater marsh, wetlands and riparian areas as well as hikes in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodland and pine forest will be included in a comprehensive study of the rich ecology of coastal Southern California. Lectures will be focused on how animals and plants adapt to their environments, and on the successes and failures in our efforts to protect species and ecosystems in a heavily urbanized environment. Students will conduct original research projects at the Back Bay Science Center and acquire hands-on experience in experimental design, data collection and analysis, and the presentation of scientific findings.
Earth System Science 138: Remote Sensing (Spring Quarter, 2013)
Professor: Dr. Eric Rignot (UCI Earth System Science & Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Laboratory Session Co-Managed by Dr. Bernd Scheuchl (UCI Earth System Science), and B. Jack Pan
Remote sensing is a powerful tool to obtain planetary observational data with global coverage on a long time scale. ESS 138 aims to help students to better understand various remote sensing techniques and their implications. During the laboratory session, students utilize ENVI software and databases that were available to them to develop research projects focusing on ocean and terrestrial processes, while demonstrating their abilities to critically use remote sensing tools.