University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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Deborah Goldberg

Deborah Goldberg

  • Elzada U. Clover Collegiate Professor and Chair
  • Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 1980

Contact information

  • University of Michigan
    2019 / 1056 Kraus Natural Science Building
    830 North University
    Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048
  • Phone: (734) 615-4912
  • Fax: (734) 763-0544
  • Email: degold@umich.edu

Teaching

I currently teach Community Ecology (EEB 497) together with Earl Werner. This course requires a previous class in ecology and explores both theoretical and empirical work in community ecology. Classes are divided into about half lectures and half student-led discussion of the primary literature. Grades are based on discussion participation and biweekly critical essays on lecture material and readings.

I also teach a 300-level course on research skills in ecology and evolutionary biology. This course is aimed at undergraduates in the EEB concentration and will seek to prepare them to conduct independent research, which is a requirement of the concentration, although others are welcome. Topics include development of hypotheses, designing observations and experiments and statistical analyses to test those hypotheses, proposal writing, and presentation skills.

I also organize a weekly Plant Ecology Discussion Group (known as PEDG or "pedagogue") for graduate and undergraduate students interested in all aspects of plant ecology. The group enjoys frequent forays into microbial ecology and theoretical community ecology as well.