My teaching emphasizes the integration of fieldwork, data analysis, and theory to help students see how fossil and living organisms fit into broader ecological and evolutionary frameworks. I encourage students to ask questions that bridge disciplines, from paleontology and ecology to climate science and conservation, so they can connect classroom learning with real-world issues. My goal is to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific literacy in students at all levels.

Teaching Philosophy

Courses taught

Environmental Geology
Environmental Geology
Biology of the Insects
Biology of the Insects

Biogeography

Insect Biology

Environmental

Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham

Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Geology

I place a strong emphasis on mentorship, both in the field and the lab, as central to my teaching practice. In the field, I involve students directly in fossil discovery and data collection, giving them hands-on experience with excavation techniques, ichnological surveys, and ecological sampling. In the lab, I guide students through specimen preparation, imaging, trait coding, and quantitative analysis, ensuring they gain technical skills while also developing the ability to ask and test their own research questions. My approach is to treat students as collaborators, helping them build confidence, independence, and ownership of their projects, whether in local outcrops, international field sites, or museum collections.

Mentorship and Fieldwork

Contact me

rjknecht@umich.edu