Thursday, February 26, 2009

Wicklow County trip

We spent last weekend relaxing about Wicklow County, seeing some beautiful sites and enjoying the quiet countryside. Below are links to our photoalbums from our trip. Enjoy!

Hollywood and KidZone, Wicklow County

Photobucket Album

Drive through Wicklow Gap and Sally Gap

Photobucket Album

Stone Circles and a Megalithic Tomb

Photobucket Album

Glendalough Monastic City

Photobucket Album

Powerscourt Gardens

Photobucket Album

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Teaching at UCD







As part of my Fulbright experience, I participated in a new class module called Soil Ecology (AESC40130), which was developed by my host Dr. Olaf Schmidt. This course provides an overview of soil biology, and I taught a three-week section on microbial diversity and ecology. Sixteen graduate students enrolled in the course, from M.S. programs in Applied Science and Environmental Resource Management. Here are some pictures of my students participating in a laboratory practical to measure microbial biomass in soil, and a student leading a class discussion on fungal functional diversity. My students were amazing -- very attentive and thoughtful, and I had fun learning about Irish culture from them. It was a great teaching experience!