Iowa State University
Assistant Professor, Graphic Design
Assistant Professor, Sustainable Environments
Research Interests
Interaction design; sound art; audio ecology; noise related issues in populated urban environments; mobile device use in public spaces;
This course is an introduction to acoustic ecology. Field studies, lectures and assignments will work to build a strong understanding of the role sound plays in the environment. Acoustic Ecology studies the relationship between living things and their surrounding soundscape. Throughout this course, students will explore a variety of tactics for exploring, documenting and analyzing the soundscape at various locations surrounding Lakeside Lab and beyond. Studying the soundscape crosses into a variety of disciplines and topics. There are issues relating to biology, audio engineering, acoustics, community development, social engagement, design, art, health and many, many more. While some portion of this course will discuss art and design as it relates to the study of acoustic ecology, no previous art or design knowledge is required to successfully complete this course
Animal Behavior
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jun 30
Instructor:
Neil Bernstein
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Dr. Bernstein arrives at Lakeside via Mount Mercy University and the University of Iowa. Neil has had an especially successful career as a scholar. Since 2000, he has received over 25 research grants to study amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals and survey public lands, which led to publishing over 18 journal articles. Neil’s current research interests include growth rates, habitation, and home range of the ornate box turtle and sand dune succession following the removal of conifer plantation.
Examination of ecological and evolutionary theories of animal behavior through field studies of animal coloniality, courtship, territoriality, predator defense, habitat selection, foraging, mating systems, and parental care.
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Aquatic Ecology
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jul 14
Instructor:
Paul Weihe
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Paul Weihe joins us at Lakeside from Central College, where he has taught since 1998. His education is in biology (ecological emphasis) with a doctorate in environmental science, working in freshwater wetlands. More recently he has investigated the interaction between plants and humans, and is actively embracing modern, student-centered active learning.
In this course, students will study the ecological principles of aquatic ecosystems at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. The course is divided into two, 2-week sections which can also be taken independently as stand-alone sections. The first half focuses on the ecology of wetlands and streams with an emphasis on faunal and floral diversity. The second half will focus on limnology: an overview of the biology, chemistry, and physics of lake ecosystems. Students will investigate how physical and chemical environments of aquatic ecosystems affect the distribution and composition of aquatic biota, and vice versa. Lectures will cover such topics as the origins of lakes and their global distribution, biogeochemical nutrient cycling, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology, and management of aquatic ecosystems, including wetland delineation and regulation.
This course will have a strong field and laboratory component, in which students will learn field techniques and laboratory analyses commonly used by aquatic ecologists. For example, students will learn to sample and identify common plants and animals of streams and wetlands including use as indicators of environmental conditions, the relationship of hydrologic and soil conditions to flora & fauna, methods to measure underwater light climate and mixing regimes of lakes; nitrogen and phosphorus analytical techniques; phytoplankton, zooplankton, and macroinvertebrate identification and enumeration techniques; and measures of community metabolism in aquatic ecosystems. Students will also learn statistical analyses, interpretation of ecological data, and writing of scientific manuscripts through independent group research projects.
Design Ecologies
Dates:
Jun 26 to Jul 7
This field based course is intended as an introduction to design ecology principles for students of all levels interested in design, art, architecture and making. No prior experience is required, and students from all disciplines are encouraged. In this special Lakeside Lab course, we will: Survey both scientific and creative field research methods that engage with the physical and invisible ecologies of Northwest Iowa’s Great Lakes region. Conduct material studies on local low-carbon, earthen/plant-based and repurposed materials. Be introduced to design tools and concepts like LCA material analysis, cradle to cradle thinking, and multi-species design. Collectively research, design and build an interactive pavilion that enhances the public’s perception of water, soil, geology, flora and fauna on Lakeside’s campus.
Earth and Environmental Science Education
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jun 30
Instructor:
Kata McCarville
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Dr. McCarville (Kata) has roots in the midwest but grew up in California. She studied geology at UCLA as an undergraduate, and worked as a uranium miner in Wyoming after graduation. She took a masters degree in geology Colorado School of Mines, working on uranium deposits in the Red Desert basin of Wyoming, and then worked for a number of years in computing and networking technologies at universities and for engineering consulting firms. As a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, she did her doctoral work in avian paleontology of Fossil Lake, Oregon, at the South Dakota School of Mines. Her work resulted in revision of the interpretation for the locality.
Kata is Professor of Geosciences at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, where she coordinates the Environmental Science degree program, which is strongly field-based. She teaches a wide variety of courses in geosciences and geography, including soil genesis, geomorphology, and hydrogeology, most of which have an outdoor component. Her interests span the earth and environmental sciences and often cross disciplinary boundaries. Her current research centers on the role of disturbance in prairie ecosystems, and the origins of the Iowan Erosion Surface.
She enjoys mentoring students, and has supervised student projects in trumpeter swan restoration, wildland fire education, fish species in Grand Canyon, squirrel nest-tree selection preference, assessment of a local shooting range for lead contamination, water quality studies, and GIS-based studies of the distribution of algific talus slopes that serve as refugia for Pleistocene species, among many others. An advocate for diversity in STEM, Kata serves as UIU Campus Director for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM disciplines, and as Co-Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project called STEM-Pros: Growing More STEM Professionals in the Heartland.
How to introduce, explore, and understand Earth systems, processes, and environment; use of experiential, immersive, and place-based approaches to build confidence with subject matter and deepen understanding of landforms, landscapes, climate, geology, and geologic time; for in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, and informal educators
Earth, Air, Sky
Dates:
Jul 10 to Jul 21
Instructor:
Kata McCarville
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Dr. McCarville (Kata) has roots in the midwest but grew up in California. She studied geology at UCLA as an undergraduate, and worked as a uranium miner in Wyoming after graduation. She took a masters degree in geology Colorado School of Mines, working on uranium deposits in the Red Desert basin of Wyoming, and then worked for a number of years in computing and networking technologies at universities and for engineering consulting firms. As a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow, she did her doctoral work in avian paleontology of Fossil Lake, Oregon, at the South Dakota School of Mines. Her work resulted in revision of the interpretation for the locality.
Kata is Professor of Geosciences at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, where she coordinates the Environmental Science degree program, which is strongly field-based. She teaches a wide variety of courses in geosciences and geography, including soil genesis, geomorphology, and hydrogeology, most of which have an outdoor component. Her interests span the earth and environmental sciences and often cross disciplinary boundaries. Her current research centers on the role of disturbance in prairie ecosystems, and the origins of the Iowan Erosion Surface.
She enjoys mentoring students, and has supervised student projects in trumpeter swan restoration, wildland fire education, fish species in Grand Canyon, squirrel nest-tree selection preference, assessment of a local shooting range for lead contamination, water quality studies, and GIS-based studies of the distribution of algific talus slopes that serve as refugia for Pleistocene species, among many others. An advocate for diversity in STEM, Kata serves as UIU Campus Director for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM disciplines, and as Co-Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project called STEM-Pros: Growing More STEM Professionals in the Heartland.
Essentials of earth science, including astronomy, meteorology, geology, and paleontology; includes laboratory and fieldwork. The 2023 course has a focus on drones and AUV data collection methods.
This course is offered at the undergraduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Ecology
Dates:
May 22 to Jun 16
8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F
Introduction to the principles of ecology at the population, community, ecosystem levels; field studies of local lakes, wetlands, and prairies used to examine factors that control distributions, interactions, and roles of plants and animals in native ecosystems.
An introduction to the principles of ecology at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. The course integrates lectures and field studies to examine factors controlling the distribution and abundance of plants and animals in native ecosystems. General topics include climate, microclimates, soil, aquatic environments, responses of organisms to environment, life history, population growth and regulation, demography, species interactions, community composition and structure, landscape ecology, trophic structure and productivity, and biogeochemical cycles. There is a strong emphasis on field ecology (what do ecologists do?), meaning that students will conduct many field research projects. These require collection, analysis, and the interpretation of data in short reports.
Pre-requisites: Two semesters of introductory biology or consent of the instructor
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Ecology and Systematics of Algae -- Online
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jun 30
Instructor:
Kalina Manoylov
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
This course is offered on-line with synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
Ecology, morphological structure, phylogeny, and taxonomy of freshwater algae based on field material collected; emphasis on genus-level identifications, biodiversity, ecology; habitat visits to lakes, fens, streams, rivers; algal ecology.
Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms
Dates:
May 22 to Jun 16
Instructor:
Mark Edlund
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Adjunct Faculty Appointments
Biology Faculty, National University of Mongolia
Water Resources Science, University of Minnesota
Assistant Professor (Visiting)
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms
Dr. Edlund's research interests have developed around aquatic biology and algae, especially the diatoms. Diatoms are microscopic algae characterized by their ornate cell walls made of opaline silica, or biologically produced glass.
Edlund uses diatoms to pursue these research and teaching areas:
-Historical environmental change-paleolimnology
-Ecological change in large lakes
-Biodiversity and ecological change in ancient lakes and landscapes
-Life history strategies
-TEACHING: Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms
This course is an intensive, field-oriented class appropriate for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and post graduate workers in ecology, geology, environmental sciences, and diatom taxonomy. We will immerse ourselves in the diverse aquatic habitats and fossil deposits of the Upper Midwest to observe freshwater diatoms. Students will learn techniques in diatom collection, preparation, and identification. Lectures will cover taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of most freshwater genera. Students will complete individual voucher collections using modern database techniques and produce a written species treatment using guidelines for electronic publication. Students are encouraged to bring research materials. The use of diatoms in ecological and paleoecological research will be discussed.
Instructors: Mark Edlund, St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of Minnesota.
Sylvia Lee, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Scholarships: Available through Iowa Lakeside Lab including The Charlie Reimer Scholarship, which is awarded to one student annually based on scholastic merit. For more information see the scholarship section of the Lakeside Lab web site (www.iowalakesidelab.org).
The John C. Kingston Diatom Fellowship was established in 2004 by colleagues, friends and family to honor John's memory and to recognize the contributions he made to the study of diatoms at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. Each summer, an award is made to one advanced student or researcher to serve as teaching assistant for the Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms course and to engage in a research project. The fellowship includes a stipend and room and board at Lakeside and is available to domestic and international students, at the graduate level or advanced undergraduate level. See the Iowa Lakeside Lab webpage (www.iowalakesidelab.org) to apply. The JC Kingston Fellowship is administered by the Friends of Lakeside Lab.
Pre-requisites: none
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Environmental Nonfiction
Dates:
Jun 26 to Jul 14
Instructor:
Lisa Dill
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F
Learn the ways scientists can better communicate discoveries and ideas. Learn the importance of identifying your audience and how you can adapt your writing based upon your understanding of those varying audiences.
Field Archeology
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jul 14
Instructor:
John Doershuk
State Archaeologist
Person type:
Faculty
A face familiar to the Office of the State Archeologist staff and to many throughout Iowa, Doershuk took over as State Archaeologist and OSA Director on July 1, 2007. John Doershuk will serve as the 6th State Archaeologist following such directors as Bill Green, Duane Anderson, and Marshall McKusick. He is replacing Steve Lensink who ably served as Interim Director since November 2005.
Summer 2023 - This course is available for 1, 2 or 4 credit hours.
1 credit hour course meets June 26 - June 30, 2023
2 credit hours meets June 26 - July 7, 2023
4 credit hours meets June 19 - July 14, 2023
8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F
Nature of cultural and environmental evidence in archaeology, how such evidence is used to model past human behavior and land use; emphasis on Iowa prehistory; basic reconnaissance surveying, excavation techniques.
As this is primarily a field course, excavation and mapping notes as well as recording of general observations while digging will be required. Lab processing forms will also be completed by field school participants. No formal tests or writing assignments are required beyond the field notebooks (which will include building an annotated bibliography from pertinent source materials provided by the instructor).
Participants will be introduced to the essential methods of field archaeology including artifact identification, site mapping, excavation techniques, artifact processing, and beginning analytical methods. The field school will include lectures on Iowa archaeology and the culture history sequence of western Iowa as well as day trips to the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa and the Dixon Oneota site, and possibly the Blood Run National Historic Landmark, Jeffers Petroglyphs, and Pipestone National Monument.
This course is offered at the undergraduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Lichen Diversity
Dates:
Jun 19 to Jun 30
Instructor:
Jim Colbert
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
8:00am - 5:00pm, M-F
Lichens are a diverse, abundant, and readily accessible group of organisms that are routinely overlooked. This course will focus on allowing students to appreciate the beauty and diversity of local lichen species, while learning to identify these organisms.
Course Objectives: By the end of the course, students will be able to: 1) recognize and describe the biology and morphology of lichens; 2) use taxonomic keys to identify lichens; and 3) recognize local lichen species in the field.
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Making Kin With(in) Place: Literature and Multispecies Kinship
Dates:
May 22 to Jun 9
8:00a - 5:00p, M-F
In this class, we will explore what it means to build kin with a place, while in a place—specifically, Lake Okoboji and the grounds of the Lakeside Laboratory.
The class will begin by thinking about and the human impact on our planet and the inherent demand issued by climate change to abandon anthropocentrism and fundamentally alter human relationships with our environments, places, and the species therein. After discussing the cultural and human dimensions of climate change, we will consider multispecies kinship systems and how to build meaningful relationships with place. Our goal? To fully understand, and attempt to inhabit, interconnectivity and reciprocity.
Although a Literature class, this course is based in the Environmental Humanities and American Indian Studies, and thus inherently interdisciplinary; readings will include texts by ecologists, botanists, climatologists, indigenous writers and theorists, fiction writers and poets, playwrights, and even a few podcasters. While studying and reading, we will embark on a number of projects designed to build familiarity and relationships with Lake Okoboji and the grounds of the Lakeside Lab, pawing through their archives, maps, and collections of fossils, species, scientific studies, working to build connections, narratives, and new understandings of how to relate to, and live intermeshed within, place.
Ornithology
Dates:
May 22 to Jun 16
Instructor:
Neil Bernstein
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Dr. Bernstein arrives at Lakeside via Mount Mercy University and the University of Iowa. Neil has had an especially successful career as a scholar. Since 2000, he has received over 25 research grants to study amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals and survey public lands, which led to publishing over 18 journal articles. Neil’s current research interests include growth rates, habitation, and home range of the ornate box turtle and sand dune succession following the removal of conifer plantation.
Biology, ecology, and behavior of birds; emphasis on field studies of local avifauna; group projects with focus on techniques of population analysis and methodology for population studies.
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.
Plant Taxonomy
Dates:
May 22 to Jun 16
Principles of classification and evolution of vascular plants; taxonomic tools and collection techniques; use of keys; emphasis on field and laboratory studies to identify local flowering plants; recognition of major plant families.
Prairie Ecology I and II
Dates:
Jun 5 to Jul 21
Instructor:
Rebecca Kauten
Instructor
Person type:
Faculty
Surface water quality, watershed management, low-impact development, public policy and public involvement in natural resource management.
Basic patterns, underlying physical and biotic causes of regional and local distributions of North American prairie plants and animals; field and laboratory analysis and projects.
Prairie Ecology is divided into two separate courses:
Prairie Ecology 1 (2 credits) runs from June 3 through June 14, 2024.
Prairie Ecology 2 (2 credits) runs from July 15 through July 26, 2024.
Taken together they cover the material traditionally covered in Prairie Ecology (4 credit hours).
This course is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic credit is awarded through the University of Iowa.