The EEB Specialization is composed of faculty members that share interests in ecological and evolutionary processes. Research interests include: animal cognition, aquatic ecology, behavioral ecology, biodiversity, ecotoxicology, evolutionary biology, evolutionary ecology, evolutionary genetics and genomics, evolutionary physiology, parasitology, phylogenetics, physiological ecology, population and community ecology, and theoretical ecology.
Our goal is to develop broadly trained biologists that have both the conceptual tools and expertise necessary to address fundamental ecological and evolutionary research questions. To meet this goal, our graduate curriculum includes a list of suggested core courses for first year students as well as a list of additional courses. This curriculum also includes a required seminar series that focuses on research design and completed research. Seminars and discussion groups relating to more specialized research areas are frequently offered by EEB Faculty.
Required Coursework
Students are expected to register for either the EEB seminar course (BIOS 915E) or the GCMB (BIOS 915M) seminar course in each semester that that they are in residence on the UNL campus. The EEB seminar meets weekly, and presentations may include seminars by external speakers and/or EEB students, post docs, or faculty presenting proposed, in progress, or completed work. In addition, M.S. and Ph.D. defense talks may be given at the EEB seminar.
Suggested Coursework
The coursework for individual students will be tailored to their research interests and should be determined primarily by the student’s Supervisory Committee. However, the following three core courses are recommended for all EEB students, and would serve the students best if taken in their first year in the program.
- BIOS 803 – Principles of Evolution
- BIOS 804 – Principles of Behavioral Ecology
- BIOS 805 – Principles of Ecology
In addition, each student, in consultation with his/her Supervisory Committee, will determine which additional coursework is appropriate. Some regularly offered courses include:
- BIOS 829 – Phylogenetic Biology
- BIOS 854 – Ecological Interactions
- BIOS 897 – Evolutionary Genomics/Population Genetics
- BIOS 953 – Advanced Population Ecology
- BIOS 955 – Behavioral Ecology
- BIOS 959 – Advanced Community Ecology
- BIOS 960 – Biosystematics and Nomenclature
- BIOS 962 – Animal Communication
- BIOS 924 – Molecular Phylogenetics
- STAT 801 – Statistical Methods
- STAT 802 – Experimental Design
- BIOS 856 – Mathematical Models in Biology
- BIOS 877 – Bioinformatics
- BIOS 951 – Quantitative Analysis
- PSYC 941 – Fundamentals of Research Design and Data Analysis I
- PSYC 942 – Fundamentals of Research Design and Data Analysis II
- NRES 803 – Ecological Statistics
Additional Expectations
The EEB Specialization expects its graduate students to participate in all of the activities that are designed to enhance their education, training, and interactions with each other and the Specialization faculty. These activities include interacting with visiting speakers and participation in the Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) annual student symposium. Students are required to present in our EEB seminar (BIOS 915E) every year. In addition, students who receive SBS Special Funds are required to present an additional seminar or poster in the BGSA Symposium the following year.