Brian Crawford, PhD
decision scientist / conservation ecologist
Teaching & outreach
Conservation lessons for general audiences
I have used various topics of my research to design and teach outreach programs with collaborators for K-12th grade students. These lessons have focused on environmental education, ecology and evolution, and wildlife conservation. Most recently, I coproduced a 3-part field/classroom lesson plan on urban watershed issues for Laurie Fowler’s course on environmental law (ECOL8710) and worked with EcoReach (student outreach group based in the Odum School of Ecology) to implement lessons for 3rd grade classes at Barrow Elementary School. In the summers of 2012-2014 while conducting research on Jekyll Island, I taught short lessons called “Totally Terrapins” for students (grades K-8) attending the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s Sea Turtle Camp focused on ecology, behavior, and conservation of the diamondback terrapin. I have also worked with Warnell graduates to co-create and teach lessons on animal adaptations and classification for 4th and 5th grade classes at Chase Street Elementary School, and I have participated in several outreach events hosted by the University of Georgia Herpetological Society throughout my time as a graduate student.
One time, I was helping with an outreach event about reptiles, and we were demonstrating how softshell turtles' necks are very long. We told the group of 3rd graders to watch carefully, and we placed a turtle on its back. When the turtle stretched out its neck and easily flipped itself right-side up, two boys in the front row yelled "Yes!" and gave each other a high five. From then on, I've worked to communicate conservation science to people of all ages to foster learning, excitement, and even behavior change that benefits nature.
I've pursued teaching/outreach opportunities in 3 areas:
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Teaching conservation lessons to elementary school students and the general public,
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Serving as a teaching assistant for university courses, and
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Mentoring undergraduates in research.
Above: Conducting "Totally terrapins" outreach program for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center's Sea Turtle Camp on Jekyll Island, GA.
Right "Amazing adaptations" outreach lesson on reptiles & amphibians at Chase St. Elementary School in Athens, GA.
Above: Students, John Maerz, and I on a hike in Queenstown, NZ as part of Dr. Maerz's Discover Abroad course in sustainability and animal behavior.
Teaching experiences for undergraduates
During my graduate studies at UGA, I developed my teaching skills through eight teaching assistant positions that contributed to earning an Interdisciplinary Certificate in University Teaching. In each course, I worked with instructors to redesign lecture, lab, and field exercises that supplemented learning and lead multiple lecture/lab lessons. Below is a list of UGA courses I have contributed to through various roles.
Teaching assistant:
Applied Population Dynamics (25 students)
Discover Abroad: New Zealand & Australia Maymester (36 students)
International Issues in Conservation (25 students)
Animal Behavior (80 students)
Wildlife Techniques (60 students)
Guest lecturer:
Society and Natural Resources (science, scientists, and advocacy)
Bayesian population analysis (mark-recapture and management effects)
Herpetology (turtle identification and field techniques)
Mentoring undergraduate students in research
I have had the privilege of mentoring several undergraduate students at UGA and serving on their thesis committees. In this role, I have worked with students to develop and execute senior thesis projects, including steps to develop research questions, collect and analyze data, think critically about their results relative to broader theories and studies, and draft manuscripts for publication. Throughout this process, students gain critical thinking skills and technical skills in field techniques, data analysis, and writing that will benefit them in any future career in science. To date, I have directed undergraduate research on the following topics: 1) diamondback terrapin nesting behavioral ecology, 2) shifts in historical viper distributions due to the effects of roads in Arizona, 3) water loss in turtles using temporary wetlands in GA, and 4) socially-acceptable conservation strategies to protect diamondback terrapins.
Below from left to right: Senior thesis student, Carmen Candal, marks a diamondback terrapin as part of a long-term mark-recapture effort on Jekyll Island, GA, undergraduates learn turtle processing techniques, and the group releases marked terrapins back to the marsh.
