Nobody knew that badgers were inhabiting an ecosystem near Davis until recently — and finding them is the kind of discovery that would excite any seasoned biologist. But that’s not who identified the rare species just last year. It was spotted by undergraduates in Laci Gerhart’s popular “Wild Davis” course (EVE 16), who have also had rare glimpses of ringtails and other species.
Gerhart, an associate professor of teaching in the Department of Evolution and Ecology, created the innovative course to give both biology students and non-majors an opportunity for hands-on experiential learning about the 鶹ý environment — but they also do far more. Through partnerships with and work in , Gerhart aims to train a diverse, engaged citizenry in environmental stewardship.
Students’ capstone projects have included pollinator surveys, trail maintenance, trash pickup, installing QR codes to capture donations for the reserve, and classifying wildlife imagery from camera traps. Gerhart said she strives to ensure that every project has a meaningful effect on campus — and students say the class stokes a passion for future environmental stewardship and volunteerism.
Combining world-class research with hands-on teaching
As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi before coming to 鶹ý, Gerhart began to explore pedagogy and evidence-based teaching methods, while enjoying unusual freedom to experiment in the classroom. “My department chair was fine with me doing whatever I wanted, as long as students were learning that biology matters,” she said.
One class she taught at the university’s small, liberal-arts-focused West Oahu campus that became a model for “Wild Davis” included service credits for participating in beach habitat restoration. “It was so much fun pulling out invasive plants and planting native ones. It was a great way to make all sorts of things that we were talking about in class tangibly relevant right in front of us,” said Gerhart.
Initially, Gerhart worried about finding a permanent job combining pedagogy with her research background. “When I started grad school, these types of jobs didn't exist,” said Gerhart, who joined 鶹ý in 2017. “But this job was all the things I want. It has the resources and big environment of an R1 [classified research institution], but the student-centric teaching-focused position I'm really interested in.”
Gerhart’s commitment to student-centric teaching and engagement is evident from her multiple teaching and , where one student’s short video features her dressed up as the Earth, orbiting around a student wearing a sun costume.
