My journey as a genetics professor began in the rainforests of Panama. I was studying the social lives of Song Wrens. Song Wrens live in family groups and I wanted to understand their behavior better. To do that, I needed to know which males were fathering which kids. Determining paternity required genetics. Other than a medical genetics course in nursing school and a single basic undergrad genetics course, I had absolutely no background in the subject. Nevertheless, I decided to pursue genetics as a post-doc.
After I finished my PhD, I started my studies in genetics at the University of Miami under the direction of Colin Hughes (who is now at Florida Atlantic). Colin taught me how to do lab work and the basics of most of the techniques I needed. From there, I got a post-doctoral fellowship at Auburn University where I taught undergraduate genetics.
My course was taught at 7 am, three mornings a week, in the largest lecture hall on campus. I had about 200 students each term, many of whom I came to know personally. If you want to really learn a subject, teach it. I spent many hours preparing lectures and explaining principles and concepts in lectures, labs, and office appointments. Through my teaching, I acquired a real passion for the subject. I loved my work and mentoring my students. Although I am an alum, I consider myself an Auburn Tiger for life.
I moved to Oregon State University (OSU) in 2002. After I wrote Genetics for Dummies in 2005, I developed a genetics course (Biology 311) via distance education. As far as I know, my course is the only basic undergraduate genetics course offered by an accredited US university via distance education.
My course is taught via the internet and anyone, anywhere, can enroll as long as they meet the pre-requisites (one year of biology and one year of chemisty). I love distance education because of the flexibility it provides to both professor and student. I travel a lot for research in the tropics and as long as I have an internet connection, I can teach. My students come from all over the world. Recently, I have enjoyed teaching active military personnel and their spouses as well as students from all walks of live including those who are full-time employed. Many of my students are completing requirements for pre-med, pre-vet, pre-dentistry, or pre-pharmacy. I also have zoology, biology, and fisheries and wildlife students in my course.
As the author of Genetics for Dummies and a professor, I am providing this blog to help any interested person understand the subject better. I'll explain the background of recent discoveries, cover basic aspects (like Mendel), and provide hints and helps to facilitate learning. This is the sister site to my blog on Amazon where I highlight the latest genetics discoveries and provide cross references to background material in Genetics for Dummies.
If you're considering taking genetics and you want an alternative to a traditional on-campus course, I hope you'll consider taking my course. If you have questions, or would like to know more, feel free to email me at geneticsprofessor at gmail dot com.
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