SUMMER in Costa Rica: Conservation Medicine-Conservation Biology

Conservation medicine is an emerging field that is concerned with the interface between human health, animal health (both wild and domestic) and ecosystem health. It is a synthesis of the fields of veterinary medicine, public health, ecology, forestry and natural resources and the principles of conservation biology, biogeography, population genetics, economics, sociology, anthropology, philosophy and other disciplines to understand and maintain biological diversity throughout the world. Duration: 4 weeks (31 days); Course Credit Hours: 6 credit hours.

FALL Wildlife Disease Ecology: Investigation and Management (WILD 8980)
(soon to be WILD 8500) 3 credit hours

Now more than ever, wildlife disease investigation and management are skills required of wildlife veterinarians, biologists, population ecologists and many other disciplines. This course aims to integrate traditional wildlife disease investigation with wildlife disease ecology, as it specifically applies to investigation, and management of empirical examples. Students of this course should have some basic foundational knowledge on specific host-pathogen relationships and a working knowledge of common wildlife diseases, but this is not required, as students can learn these details on their own. We will discuss the investigation of wildlife disease at a national and international level, the management of disease and how disease ecology is informing the field of wildlife disease investigation.

SPRING International Issues in Conservation (FANR 2200) 3 credit hours

Interested in the global issues that affect conservation? Poverty? Water wars? Energy crises? Ecotourism? Endangered species and ecosystem management? Human population growth? Explore new places, become a global citizen! This course is a mixture of didactic lecture and discussion which will explore conservation issues challenging a global community.

EXTERNSHIPS (POPH 5410)