Faculty Directory
Interview with Gerardo Chin-Leo
Recent Teaching History
MES; 2000-2001; 1999-2000
Marine Life: Marine Organisms and Their Environments; Winter/Spring 1999
Biodiversity and Global Change; Fall 1998
Natural Resources: Science and Policy in the Pacific Northwest; Winter 1998
Geology and Ecology of Land Ocean Margins; Fall 1997
Maritime Field Work; Summer 1994, Summer 1995, Summer 1997
Marine Environments; Winter/Spring 1997
Introduction to Environmental Studies: Water; Fall 1996
Water; 1995-96
Marine Environments; Winter/Spring 1995
Introduction to Environmental Sciences; F 1994
Marine Environments; Winter/Spring 1994
Introduction to Environmental Studies; Fall 1993
Recent and Current Areas of Interest
My major long term interest is in aquatic (both marine and freshwater) microbiology, the study of bacteria and phytoplankton. I am particularly interested in their role in trophic dynamics, who eats what, and in a more quantitative way their role in carbon flows within the carbon cycle. I am interested in questions about the abundance, speciation, and growth of aquatic micro organisms as they vary with habitat, seasonal patterns, and other factors.
The linkage to the carbon cycle is directly connected to another major interest which is the evolution of the atmosphere. I am interested in this question in both geologic and evolutionary time scales and more immediately as we think about human effects on natural atmospheric changes, eg. global warming, development of "green house gasses," ozone holes, and temperature fluctuations.
Finally, at the local level, I am interested in phytoplankton ecology and its relationship to issues of human health and water quality. I have worked with both the Department of Health and the Department of Ecology on how phytoplankton water quality and the quality of shellfish.
Are there particular authors/artists/thinkers whose work you interested and which you often ask students to examine?
Well, I am not so concerned with particular thinkers, but in the sciences I believe it is very important for students to become familiar with the primary literature that supports particular lines of research. Thus students who work with me tend to read pretty extensively in the area of marine research. I consider it crucial for students to know how to use the primary research literature. They need to know how knowledge is generated, not simply what the "facts" are.
Are there specific areas of interest or issues you want to work with students on in the current year?
I am really interested in having students do research in the local estuaries on phytoplankton biology and ecology. I want them to work at studying such topics as taxonomy, distribution, abundance, and growth, and also start to think about the policy implications of their findings.
Specific Skills, Competence, Techniques:What are key qualities you look for in student work?
The first thing is quantitative skills. In particular I think it is important for students to learn, and for me to support, learning in statistics, algebra, and the scientific use of computers. I see the use of quantitative ideas and data as a significant part of doing good scientific work and try to support students in developing the skills necessary to do that work.
Second, I explicitly want to support students developing strong critical thinking skills in the sciences. I teach students how to look into how an assertion is derived and how it is supported through the use of numerical data, logical argument, and scientific references.
The first two skills support a broader process of doing good research. I support this work in a number of ways. First I am interested in teaching good scientific library research skills so that students will be able to really see the roots of the issues they are investigating. Second I work on research design. I want students to develop a systematic approach, to develop a reasonable time line, and a plan for examining their results. I am particularly interested in helping students with field research, where accounting for and finding ways to minimize the number of extraneous variables is crucial. Finally, I are very concerned to support technical scientific writing. I am emphasize clarity and documentation.
What are key qualities you look for and techniques do you use to assess and help students assess their work?
The crucial issue for me is how well do the students understand the material. I tend to do a careful reading looking for logical expression, the effective and accurate use of language, especially technical language, and overall organization. I find that students sometimes don't pay much attention to the "truth" or logicalness of an assertion which is important to them. I try to push students through careful editing or sitting down and talking with them to really work on making their statements logical and then finding effective ways to bring in supporting evidence.
Teaching Style:How would you characterize yourself as a teacher?
I am well organized in terms of my goals, and expectations of students. I work hard to make sure that the activities I have students engage in work well together and integrate. I work hard on my own presentations, especially lectures to make sure they are clear. I try to simplify technical information by using analogy and humor. And as there always is a broad range of background and abilities in the classes, I try to be sensitive to feedback and adjust my presentation to the particular set of students I am working with.
Yet, I see myself a quite demanding and I am really interested in seeing students do their best work. I find that as I have more experience, I am less and less tolerant of sloppy work. I see myself as a hard working person. I like the subjects I teach and I tend to get enthusiastic about them. I find I appreciate hard work and enthusiasm in my students.
I see myself as approachable and am happy to talk with and offer support to students.
What types of students tend to do well with you?
I don't necessarily expect expertise in the field, although when I do more advanced work I try to be explicit about prerequisites and expectations so a student can self select early before he is committed to work that is over his head. I like motivated, hard working students. I like students to ask questions, to clarify their understandings, and to engage with both me and the material. I am willing to support learning around "deficiencies" eg. mathematics, for students who are having a hard time with particular issues.
What types of students have a hard time with you?
Well, the opposite. I don't really care how prepared or bright a student is if they are not interested in the subject and willing to work hard, attend regularly, and participate fully, they don't do well with me. In part because I tend to incorporate a lot of my own, not just textbook, information into whatever I do and when students miss class they miss much of what I teach.
What do your student evaluations say about the way you come across to students?
They like my sense of humor, the clarity of my presentations. Students say I am fair in my expectations and evaluations of their work. They often say that I am knowledgeable in my field and that I can communicate clearly about that expertise. Sometimes I get criticized for trying to do too much too fast. Some students end up feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Expectations about Contracts, Internships, and Evaluations
What qualities do you look for in a student who comes to you for work in a contract?
I see contracts as an opportunity to do advanced work, to apply the information which students have been learning in previous quarters. Thus the first thing I look for is a specific question they want to address and how it fits into their overall academic plan. I look for a plan for how the student will work on the question, the kind of time line they have set up, the kind of credit they hope to acquire, and what they want from me. Sometimes I ask a student to imagine the evaluation they hope I will be able to write at the end of the quarter as a way to help them think about their contract. With internships I have less control, but what I look for most critically is that they student knows what they want academically from the internship. I want the internship to occur in the context of academic goals. I find that if students don't have clear academic goals for the internship they can easily get used to grunt work by sponsors. I really don't like half-baked ideas that are proposed simply because the student hasn't really figured out what they want.
What information do you want to see when a person comes to look for a contract?
A student should bring a written proposal that includes goals, questions, timeline. They need to bring evidence of previous course work they have done and the names of faculty who I can contact about their work.
When writing evaluations what are the key qualities or attributes of student work you access?
My major considerations for credit are attendance, participation and completion of work. These are the foundation. Beyond that I look for strengths and weaknesses with respect to the student's understanding of the material. I usually distinguish between a student's qualitative understanding of ideas and their quantitative capacity to use the concepts and materials. The real test of a student's work is their ability to apply the ideas they have learned to particular projects and problems.