Eric Moody
Assistant Professor of Biology
- Office
- McCardell Bicen Hall 327
- Tel
- (802) 443-2556
- ekmoody@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Spring 2025: M 10 AM - 12 PM and T 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Courses Taught
BIOL 0140
Current
Ecology and Evolution
Course Description
Ecology and Evolution
In this introduction to ecology and evolutionary biology we will cover the topics of interspecific interactions (competition, predation, mutualism), demography and life-history patterns, succession and disturbance in natural communities, species diversity, stability and complexity, causes of evolutionary change, speciation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and population genetics. The laboratory component will examine lecture topics in detail (such as measuring the evolutionary response of bacteria, adaptations of stream invertebrates to life in moving water, invasive species and their patterns of spread). We will emphasize experimental design, data collection in the field and in the laboratory, data analysis, and writing skills. This course is not open to seniors and second semester juniors in the Fall. 3 hrs. lect./disc./3 hrs. lab
Terms Taught
Requirements
BIOL 0211
Biostatistics
Course Description
Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis
Experimental design is one of the most important parts of doing science, but it is difficult to do well. How do you randomize mice? How many replicate petri plates should be inoculated? If I am measuring temperature in a forest, where do I put the thermometer? In this course students will design experiments across the sub-areas of biology. We will run student designed experiments, and then learn ways to analyze the data, and communicate the results. Students planning to do independent research are encouraged to take this course. (BIOL 0140 or BIOL 0145).
Terms Taught
Requirements
BIOL 0304
Upcoming
Aquatic Ecology
Course Description
Aquatic Ecology
In this course we will combine field-based laboratory exercises with classroom activities to examine how humans interact with aquatic ecosystems and how these systems contribute to our understanding of fundamental ecological concepts. Our field trips will focus on aquatic ecosystems and organisms in Vermont, but we will also consider aquatic ecology more broadly through several modules linking processes across ecological scales from whole ecosystems to individual organisms. Evaluation will be based on periodic quizzes, reports synthesizing the laboratory modules, exams emphasizing the concepts covered, and an independent research project. (BIOL 0140). 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.
Terms Taught
Requirements
BIOL 0371
Advanced Field Biology
Course Description
Advanced Field Biology: Place-based Global Biology Education
In this upper-level biology course, we will conduct field-based scientific observation, sample and data collection, and interpretation of biological phenomena. Students will be deeply engaged in off-campus, place-based learning linking Puerto Rico’s terrestrial landscapes to marine ecosystems, with a focus on the ecology, evolution and biogeochemistry across freshwater to marine system gradients. The course is split between time on-campus and off-campus conducting group research projects integrating field observations with data analysis. Students will collaborate and partner with local community members on intercultural projects with ethical local impact and relevance. Open to BIOL, MBBC, ESBI, BIOL-ECSC majors or waiver. (BIOL 0145 and BIOL 0140 and a 200- or 300-level BIOL class with laboratory or by waiver)
Terms Taught
Requirements
BIOL 0396
Adv Evolutionary Ecology
Course Description
Advanced Evolutionary Ecology
In 1965, the influential biologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson argued that ecological processes are like a theater in which evolutionary plays are performed. Implicit in his argument was the idea that ecological and evolutionary processes occur at distinct timescales, and can thus be easily separated. We will challenge this notion by studying phenotypic plasticity, ecological speciation, evo-eco dynamics, and other advanced topics through a hybrid of lecture, discussion, and a research experiment conducted as a class. Evaluation will be based on quizzes, discussions of the primary literature, several short written assignments, and the group research project. (BIOL 140 and 211 or waiver). 3 hrs. sem.
Terms Taught
Requirements
BIOL 0500
Current
Upcoming
Independent Study
Course Description
Independent Study
In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0500, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. This course is not open to seniors; seniors should enroll in BIOL 0700, Senior Independent Study. (BIOL 0211. Approval required) 3 hrs. disc.
Terms Taught
BIOL 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Independent Study
Course Description
Senior Independent Study
In this course students complete individual projects involving laboratory and/or field research or extensive library study on a topic chosen by the student and a faculty advisor. Prior to registering for BIOL 0700, a student must have discussed and agreed upon a project topic with a member of the Biology Department faculty. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. (BIOL 0211. Approval required; open only to seniors) 3 hrs. disc.
Terms Taught
BIOL 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Thesis
Course Description
Senior Thesis
Seniors majoring in Biology who have completed one or more semesters of BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700 and who plan to complete a thesis should register for BIOL 0701. In this course students will produce a written thesis, deliver a public presentation of the research on which it is based, and present an oral defense of the thesis before a committee of at least three faculty members. Additional requirements include attendance at all Biology Department seminars and participation in any scheduled meetings with disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. Open to Biology and joint Biology majors. (BIOL 0211 and BIOL 0500 or BIOL 0700 or waiver; instructor approval required for all students) 3 hrs. disc
Terms Taught
ENVS 0700
Upcoming
Senior Independent Study
Course Description
Senior Independent Study
In this course, seniors complete an independent research or creative project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. During the term prior to enrolling in ENVS 0700, a student must discuss and agree upon a project topic with a faculty advisor who is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program and submit a brief project proposal to the Director of Environmental Studies for Approval. The expectations and any associated final products will be defined in consultation with the faculty advisor. Students may enroll in ENVS 0700 as a one-term independent study OR up to twice as part of a multi-term project, including as a lead-up to ENVS 0701 (ES Senior Thesis) or ENVS 0703 (ES Senior Integrated Thesis). (Senior standing; Approval only)
Terms Taught
ENVS 0703
Senior Integrated Thesis
Course Description
Senior Integrated Thesis
This course is the culminating term of a multi-term independent project, resulting in a senior thesis on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment and that meaningfully integrates perspectives, methodologies, and/or approaches from multiple academic divisions (e.g., humanities/arts, natural sciences, social sciences). Approval to enroll is contingent on successful completion of at least one term (and up to two) of ENVS 0700 and approval of the Environmental Studies Program. The project, carried out under the co-supervision of two faculty advisors from different academic divisions of whom at least one is appointed in or affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program, will result in a substantial piece of scholarly work that will be presented to other ENVS faculty and students in a public forum and defended before the thesis committee. (Open to Senior ENVS majors) (Approval Only)
Terms Taught
FYSE 1082
Urban Nature
Course Description
Urban Nature: The Ecology of Cities
Over half of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and this proportion is only expected to grow in the coming decades. Cities are incredibly heterogeneous both within and among urban centers due to variation in both historical and contemporary policies. In this course we will explore how the historical and ongoing structures of urban areas affect the human and non-human occupants of cities through the lens of urban ecology, a growing discipline which explicitly links the physical and social sciences. To develop our understanding of this topic, we will use a combination of field trips, discussions with practitioners whose work touches on aspects of urban ecology, and discussion of primary scientific literature and media materials.
Terms Taught
Requirements
Areas of Interest
In a world of extremes, I believe we can learn and draw inspiration from the amazing organisms that survive in the face of what we would consider extreme physiological challenges. In the Evolutionary Ecosystem Ecology (E3) lab, we study how aquatic organisms adapt physiologically to extreme environments and what impacts this trait variation has on ecosystem function.
Current research foci in the lab include:
1) Environmental drivers of selection on functional and stoichiometric traits of aquatic invertebrates
2) Ecology and functional diversity of urban streams
3) Adaptation of fish to persistent organic pollutants in coastal salt marshes and its implications for salt marsh nutrient cycling
4) Conservation and natural history of threatened and endangered desert fishes
Visit the lab website to learn more about our research or to join the team!
Publications
Butts T.J., E.K. Moody, & G.M. Wilkinson. 2022. Seasonal dynamics of zooplankton nutrient recycling in a hypereutrophic reservoir. Journal of Plankton Research 44: 839-853.
Xie J.Y., K.S. Kim, D. Powell, H. Espinosa-Pérez, E.K. Moody, & K.J. Roe. 2022. Population genetic structure of the endemic fish Gambusia marshi from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin and its outflow in Coahuila, Mexico. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 32: 1263-1276.
Armstrong M.E.*, D. Minkoff, A.H. Dittman, D. May, E.K. Moody, T.P. Quinn, J. Atema, & W.R. Ardren. 2022. Evidence of an olfactory imprinting window in embryonic Atlantic salmon. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 31: 270-279.
Moody E.K., T.J. Butts, R. Fleck, P.D. Jeyasingh, & G.M. Wilkinson. 2022. Eutrophication-driven eco-evolutionary dynamics indicated by differences in stoichiometric traits among populations of Daphnia pulicaria. Freshwater Biology 67: 353-364.
Moody E.K., K.L. Sterup*, & M.L. Lozano-Vilano. 2021. Morphological evidence of maladaptation to introduced predators in Gambusia senilis from its extant range in the Conchos basin (Chihuahua, Mexico). Western North American Naturalist 81: 372-384.
Hopfensperger K., E. Larson, S. Washko, & E. Moody. 2021. Elevate your work through incorporation of public engagement. Freshwater Science 40: 221-227.