Kevin Griffin

One of my favorite professors because he makes you feel valued. Good experience for any major. It is very niche, but Kevin does a good job at making the coursework interesting. There was a student who came in with little science background and had a good time. The lectures were close to the readings, and I did not feel like the readings were a keystone to the course. THe professor just wants us to learn and have fun. I would really love to go on a field trip with the course!

This is class is a relatively unsubstantial introduction for the Sustainable Development major/concentration, and as a 1-point course, this is to be expected. I've heard some students complain that it was a waste of time, or that they didn't really learn anything, which is kind of true. BUT, in all fairness, the class does exactly what it's supposed to do: introduce you to the major and everything it entails. And that it does a very good job. Professor Griffin is great-extremely nice, approachable, and very willing to meet with you in office hours if you have any questions. The Earth Institute is also available if you need more guidance. Generally speaking, the class meets 50 minutes per week and consists of a series of quick I-Clicker questions [surveying the class opinions, not testing on information] followed by a speaker who is brought in to talk about the topic of the day [internships, study abroad, jobs in profit/non-profits after graduation, Peace Corps, professors of other req classes for the major, etc]. It is very low-key and at the end, a few people usually volunteer to ask questions or discuss their views if they want. Homework is minimal. The class is run through an online blog and homework consists of weekly assignments that take 5 minutes...usually writing a paragraph on your opinions or making 2 comments on other people's opinions. I believe it's graded on comp…

Griffin won the mentoring award at Lamont, with good reason. He is one of the best professors I have ever had because he is knowledgeable, humble, patient, and enthusiastic. His powerpoint lectures are clear and easy to follow, he is always happy to answer questions, and he is just in love with the material (which makes a huge difference of course). I wasn't very interested in plants before, but now I think that photosynthesis is one of the most incredible processes in the world! Griffin is a TERRIFIC professor and he always makes the material interesting, if not fascinating.

Prof. Griffin is another nice professional, and like the other professors, brings to the class his dedication and enthusiasm for the subject. He is also around the world working on his tree projects, and he includes some of his work in his presentations when he covers the biology of life systems. The labs are also interesting. If you have done Environmental Bio I, you should have little problem with this, but if you are new to environmental biology, you need to learn quite a bit about microscopic systems such as photosynthesis, energy cycles, and have a general idea about elements that cycle in the environment, such as carbon. Between the good text (by Raven et al.) and the hand-outs, you have everything you need to learn, and he will tell you what you need to learn, since there is a lot of detail to these systems.

The biggest area of learning for me was the practical aspects of conducting forest ecology research.

2.5 hours class 1.5 hours a week on homework, some weeks no homework. Felt very light. If you do the work, you should get an A, and he kinda says that on the first day. Very understanding with extensions too!

I-Clicker attendance [30%], Completion of blog assignments [70%?]. No midterm/test. No final. 5-20 minutes a week usually.

I learned about reading scientific journals and papers, which was tough in the beginning but is very useful. I worked on my lab report skills.

I learned how to take important measurements of forest vegetation and environmental factors and many of the aspects that determine plant communities, succession, ecosystem services, and more.

followed by a speaker who is brought in to talk about the topic of the day [internships, study abroad, jobs in profit/non-profits after graduation, Peace Corps, professors of other req classes for the major, etc]. It is very low-key and at the end, a few people usually volunteer to ask questions or discuss their views if they want. Homework is minimal. The class is run through an online blog and homework consists of weekly assignments that take 5 minutes...usually writing a paragraph on your opinions or making 2 comments on other people's opinions. I believe it's graded on completion but most people put in decent effort. The last homework is an open-ended group 2 minute video where each person talks for 20 seconds. Obviously this class is in no way stressful or strenuous. \r\n\r\nThat being said, if you're interested in Sus Dev, go ahead and take it. Even if you're not, you might learn something and it's a slight/easy GPA booster. However, also don't let this define your understanding of Sus Dev the major because this class is more about the logistics than the actual content. ", "This is class is a relatively unsubstantial introduction for the Sustainable Development major/concentration, and as a 1-point course, this is to be expected. I've heard some students complain that it was a waste of time, or that they didn't really learn anything, which is kind of true. BUT, in all fa…