MISCELLANEOUS COURSE INFORMATION

    NOTES ABOUT ALAN JOURNET

        I prefer to be called 'Alan,' but other names, titles, and designations may be used if they are appropriate, and you feel more comfortable.

Office/Lab: Rhodes 202/203
Telephone # Office 651-2366
Home 651-4182
Address: 
    Los Inocentes del Norte
    2812 Oakshire Circle
    Cape Girardeau, 
    MO 63701-2014.

Our 1999 passive solar, energy efficient home is located on a 37acre wildlife sanctuary named Los Inocentes del Norte.  Descriptions of both the home and the sanctuary are available at http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/journet/persprof/LIDNGen.htm

Name of my wife:
Dr. Kathy Conway (note different last name)
Department of Elementary, Early, and Special Education,
Southeast Missouri State University

Name of canine buddy: Registered as -  Chaco Koa WaYa Shunkmanitu Tanka
Chaco-I, Chaco II, Chaco III, Chaco IV, Chaco V.

E-mail address: ajournet@semo.edu
Web page: http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/journet (BUT YOU KNOW THAT!)

Also available through the following sequence

Southeast Missouri State University Home Page at http://www.semo.edu, from which you can obtain the e-mail addresses and telephone number of anyone on campus:

Then -  From 'Southeast A to Z Web Directory' select 'B' and choose 'Biology'
                Select 'Faculty and Staff'
                    Follow your Alphabet Nose

Web Pages for the courses that I teach, can be accessed through my Web Site, while Class Pages, Forum Discussion Boards, and Grade A Report Pages can be reached in 'Protected Files' within the course sites themselves.  To enter these, your Southeast Key and password will be necessary.

Office Hours: Check my Schedule; also by appointment. These can be scheduled in class or through e-mail.  But please feel free to ask any questions, check assignments or whatever by phone or e-mail. If you have ANY doubt about what the assignments are, or how to attack them, it is always better to check than struggle on blindly and maybe on the wrong work or in the wrong direction. If you wish to make an appointment to see me, I suggest you do it in person after class or by e-mail. If by e-mail, don't assume the appointment has been confirmed until I have replied indicating my agreement to a time, which I will do by return e-mail.  If we have an appointment, please be there or e-mail me that you wish to cancel at least first thing on the morning of the day of the appointment. If I come in to my office especially for an appointment, and you don't show up, I'll be irritated. So, here is a reward/penalty system; if you miss an agreed appointment, I will deduct 10% from your grade on either a mid-term or final exam.  If I miss an agreed appointment without communicating with you, I will award you 10% on one of these scores.

E-mail can also be used for written assignments either embedded in the e-mail, or as WORD (2007 or earlier) . This may be especially useful if you will miss class since you can submit assignments beforehand.

A Personal History

I was born just north of London, England, in the U.K., which is the United Kingdom of Great Britain (= England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland for those who aren't too sure.

I spent several years in western England, near Bristol, Gloucestershire) but grew up and attended grammar school (essentially equivalent to High School here) in Eastern London. I then obtained undergraduate degrees in Wales, from the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, in Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales, now called Cardiff University.

After graduating with a baccalaureate in science (designated a B. Sc in the U.K.) majoring in Zoology and Botany, and then an Honors B.Sc. in Zoology, I attended graduate school at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I was awarded a Ph.D. in Entomology (the study of insects) in 1974.

Following that, I spent 4 years in Australia, the first two conducting ecological research on plant/herbivore interactions (animals that eat plants) in Canberra (the nation's capital) and the second two teaching at the University of New South Wales in Sydney (on the coast of central New South Wales), during which period I lived in a flat (an apartment to you) on the beach.

I then taught for a couple of years at Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas -home of the Aggies, deserved butts of many jokes, located between Houston and Dallas). Then in 1980, I moved to the United States (pause for drum roll).

Since coming to Southeast Missouri State University in 1980 I have conducted research in science education, and ecology. Most recently I have been interested in ecological management and ecological restoration of the old growth bottomland hardwood and swamp forest of Big Oak Tree State Park in Mississippi County, in the Missouri Bootheel.  In addition, since 1990, I have been traveling to Costa Rica (in Central America, between Nicaragua and Panama), where I have been working at a field site in the Tropical Moist Forest Life Zone (El Centro de Conservación, Lodge Los Inocentes). During this period, I have spent nearly two years (adding up the visits) studying various ecological and conservation issues, looking particularly at monkeys, small mammals (rats and mice) and the regeneration of forest in abandoned pastures released from cattle grazing. You can visit the web page for this research through "What's New". Most recently, we have been working on a project wherein we are planting three species of figs in pastures. We hope the fruit of these figs will attract birds which will in turn bring with them seeds of tropical forest canopy trees. When they defecate these seeds should introduce a greater diversity of forest species into the regenerating pasture than is present in the absence of any such management intervention. During summer 1997, Kathy, Kiva, and I drove down (for our second overland trip south - the first occurring in 1993) to Costa Rica spending several weeks on the road en route there and back. We return almost annually to continue with the project - sometimes accompanied by student earning research or internship credit.

Courses Taught:

At Southeast, I teach or have taught:

BS105, Environmental Biology, another university studies course which deals with environmental issues,

BS107, Laboratory Investigations in Biology, a university studies laboratory course emphasizing the process of science,

BI225, Research Methods in Biology, another university studies course but primarily for biology majors, which introduces to students basic science skills in experimental design and literature researching,

BI332, General Ecology a Biology majors course introducing the basic principles and issues in ecology,

BI432/632, Advanced Ecology, a Biology majors and graduate course dealing with some advanced issues in ecology.

BI435/635, Conservation Biology, an upper division Biology majors and graduate course dealing with principles and issues in the conservation of global biological diversity.

BI551/2/3 Biology Field Studies, a Biology ecological field course that focuses on field research techniques and projects and has bee conducted in the Chihuauhua Desert of Southwestern Texas (Big Bend National Park), the Great Basin Desert, Utah (Canyonlands N.P.), and the Tropical Moist Forest of Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

BI689-690 Graduate Seminar, a course for graduate students during which they gain practice at organizing and presenting seminars, and discuss issues relevant to professional careers in biology.

EV201-401 Environmental Science Seminar, a required course in the Environmental Science program taken by sophomores (EV201) and Seniors (EV401).

EV483 Environmental Science Internship, one of the experiential courses available in the Environmental Science program

What Happened to Kiva?

From 1989 until 2003 Kiva Shunkamanitu Tanka, our faithful German Shepherd came to the office on a daily basis and was visited (and loved) by many a student. By 2003 he was 14 years old (over 100 in human equivalent years), and became very arthritic and wobbly.  We finally decided that he was being kept alive more for our pleasure than his own quality of life, so we let him depart with dignity in late 2003 (November).

Who is Chaco?

If you see me around town, you will most assuredly meet Chaco, my canine buddy. Born on November 10^th 2003.  He used to spend most of his days resting in my office/lab and waiting to say 'Hello' to folks who come by to visit.  But since the Summer 2009 imposition of the 'Dobbins Animal Control Policy' animals are now banned from university buildings so he no longer is allowed on campus.

Why 'Chaco'?

The Southwestern U.S. Pueblo Indians, who now live in New Mexico and environs, include amongst their ancestors the Anasazi Indians (a Navaho word meaning 'Ancient Ones') who are well known from their pueblo ruins at Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, Canyon de Chelly, and the four corners area. Evidence indicates their presence in the area from around 1 to 1300 A.D. One of the areas where the Anasazi settled in the 800- 1000 A.D. period was Chaco Canyon where many standing villages within sight of one another testify to a high density of Anasazi inhabitants. This area was an important cultural center and crossroads for travelers of the period.

It is from this area that our trusty German Shepherd earned his name. It has no special significance other than at the time we sought a name for him, it seemed a good idea. Also, the last time we visited the area snow was falling, and his white back toes remind us of the dusting of snow in the area that day.

Origin Myths and Biology Courses?

Like the Anasazi, most peoples throughout the world have their own stories about how human beings arrived here. The origin myth of the Haida Indians of the Pacific Northwest involves the black bird, Raven, frequently seen on their totem poles, and now, of course, on T-Shirts. Raven cracked open an oyster shell, and out popped 'The People,' as the name Haida is translated.

As you'll notice, like the Anasazi story, this fails to explain how the previous ancestors came to be, or in this case, how the 'people' entered the shell. Other stories deal with these issues. It is quite clear, however, that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different stories about human origins. Each group, naturally, thinks its story is the 'right' one.

A course in comparative religions would be an appropriate place to discuss such an array of origin beliefs. However, in biology courses we do not generally discuss, or attempt to evaluate these conflicting beliefs. If you are interested in exploring such issues, you will need to find a more appropriate course than those that I teach.

Public Radio

Since 1981 I have been broadcasting on the Southeast Missouri State University educational radio station (KRCU, 90.9 FM, Southeast Public Radio). The program, entitled 'A Musical Meander,' is aired on Thursdays at 8:00 P.M.

Personal Views

A Final Personal Note

While the following should not, I hope, have any impact on the conduct of the current course and semester, it might be helpful for you to know since it may serve to explain somewhat my interests and concerns.

In Spring 1995 I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a form of bone marrow cancer that undermines the immune system by causing inadequate functional white blood cell production. I underwent several rounds of chemotherapy during 1995, terminating with a serious dose of TBI (Total Body Irradiation) and a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, I have been in complete remission since mid 1995, and am happy to report a very positive and encouraging prognosis. By mid 2000, the magic period of 5 years from remission arrived, and I was informed by the oncologist that I am declared 'cured.'  The very low level of recurrence of disease after this period makes it indistinguishable from repeat contractions of the disease.  However, I remain under medical supervision, and am required to undergo annual checks. This medical condition does not influence my regular activities, and, as you will note from the above, does not prevent my taking air or even road trips down to Costa Rica through the wilds of Mexico and Central America. All being well, therefore, this will have no impact on me or our interactions during the coming semester.

May 31^st 2010 will be my last day on the payroll of Southeast Missouri State University.  At the end of this, my 30th year, I will be retiring.

© 2000 Office of Instructional Technology
Southeast Missouri State University