Toepfer, Conrad
Ph.D., Zoology, Oklahoma State University
M.S., Zoology, Louisiana State University
B.S., Biology, Centre College
Prior experience:
Visiting Assistant Professor, The University of Tampa
Associate Professor and Chair, Brescia University
Assistant Professor, Millikin University
Teaching Postdoctorate, Truman State University
From my first semester as a teaching assistant in graduate school, I realized that I needed to be a teacher. There are far too many amazing things in biology to keep all to myself; I need to share them with somebody. My training has been as an aquatic/fish ecologist with a brief foray into small mammal sampling. I am especially interested in how human impacts like land use might alter community structure or impact physiological responses of individual species. I am also interested in working with protected species since the results often have a more immediate and visible real-world application.
I enjoyed teaching a breadth of courses prior to arriving at FAU so it is difficult for me to narrow down my teaching interests. I most enjoy courses like evolution and conservation biology that cross over many areas of biology, but I also enjoy interdisciplinary courses like the Biology and Literature of the Caribbean course that I taught in the U.S. Virgin Islands. My initial courses at FAU will be Biological Principles, Biodiversity, Genetics, and Evolution. I am particularly excited about the interdisciplinary opportunities at FAU and have several ideas I would like to explore.
Outside of classes, I appreciate both visual and performing arts and have dabbled in woodcarving and wheel throwing. I am looking forward to exploring the outdoor opportunities on this side of the state and hope to find time to volunteer in conservation efforts in the area. My wife and I also enjoy traveling and collecting brewery stickers after we sample a flight.
Email: toepferc@fau.edu
Phone: 561-799-8615