I currently teach the following courses at NC State University:
MEA 323 - Earth System Chemistry
MEA 459 - Coastal Processes
MEA 493/591 - River and Estuarine Biogeochemistry
MEA 759 - Organic Geochemistry
MEA 323 - Earth System Chemistry
- This is an "introduction to biogeochemistry" course at the sophomore/junior level, with students from several different majors: Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry, Fisheries & Wildlife, Environmental Science, and Environmental Engineering. The diversity of this class is one of its strengths. In this course, I pick up where MEA 200 left off and get in to the nitty-gritty of chemical reactions in the Earth system. Here, we focus on chemical reaction systems (acid-base, redox) as a way to understand how global biogeochemcial cycles operate via material transport (e.g., weathering, hydrologic cycle) and organic matter formation (e.g., photosynthesis) and destruction (e.g. respiration, diagenesis). This is done within the broad concept of Earth as a homeostatic system.
MEA 459 - Coastal Processes
- My part of this field course prepares students to conduct marine science at-sea. We learn about, and then develop, a cruise plan, building on what was learned in MEA 200. The course culminates in a 1-day cruise along the NC coast or Neuse River Estuary. Students are involved in all aspects of water and sediment sampling, organism sampling, and other at-sea activities. The data collected during the cruise is then worked up into a cruise report and presentation. The focus of the project is CDOM (naturally).
MEA 493/591 - River and Estuarine Biogeochemistry
- The river-estuarine continuum is a major link between terrestrial and marine environments. This course will provide an introduction to biogeochemistry with a focus on these dynamic systems in response to changing land use and climate. We will utilize data from the Neuse River Estuary and Pamlico Sound to provide a quantitative examination of biogeochemical processes in coastal rivers and estuaries. Comparisons to data from other river-estuary systems (e.g. Chesapeake Bay, Mississippi River Plume, Baltic Sea) will provide a global context for river-estuarine biogeochemistry.
MEA 759 - Organic Geochemistry
- This is a graduate course that looks at the formation, fate, preservation, and detection of organic matter in the Earth system. MEA759 reflects the students' interests and thus will change to meet those interests. We use the text "Introduction to Organic Geochemistry", 2nd ed., by S. Killops and V. Killops as a foundation for the course, but we also discuss relevant literature from a variety of disciplines.