| Teaching Interests
I genuinely enjoy sharing my knowledge
with my students, challenging them to think critically and apply their
knowledge to novel situations, and teaching them how to locate and
critically evaluate biological information on their own. I am also
committed to enhancing all of my students’ understanding and
appreciation of the natural world. Each of my class sessions is rich
with interactive Q&A, demonstrations, examples, case studies,
photographs and video snippets. Labs in my upper division courses
include field and lab work, observational and experimental
investigations that allow students to apply and test their knowledge
from lecture, and independent research projects. In Tropical
Rainforest Biology we spend three weeks in Costa Rica during January
with a focus on students conducting independent research projects in
lowland tropical rainforest.
During my career I have been honored with several teaching awards,
including the Oregon Academy of Science Outstanding University Teacher
Award (1996) and the Pacific University S.S. Johnson Foundation Award
for Excellence in Teaching (2005). I was also nominated for the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching U.S. Professors of
the Year Program by Pacific University in 1996 and 2001. |
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Areas of Research & Specialization
My primary research interest is the
behavioral ecology of amphibians. My recent research focuses on
amphibians in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), but I have worked
extensively with tropical amphibians (and reptiles) in Puerto Rico,
Brazil and Costa Rica. I have also conducted research on the
ecological development of mitigated wetlands in the PNW, with my primary
focus on vertebrate and aquatic macro invertebrate communities. My
students and I are currently immersed in two research projects:
- Long-term ecological monitoring of amphibian populations in
three forest units at the Mt. Richmond Forest (cover object array
transects and time- and area-constrained surveys), Yamhill County,
Oregon.
- Meadow use by Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County, Oregon.
Topics that my research students and I have
investigated during the past 10 years are shown below. Some of these
projects were conducted as independent research (Biol 495, indicated
with an *) by my students.
- Kin recognition in Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles.
- Effects of kinship composition and density on the
development, growth, survivorship and aggregation behavior of
Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles.
- Ecological monitoring of the Fernhill Regional Wetlands Mitigation Bank.
- Skeletochronological analysis of age and mating success in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
- *Bromeliad microcosms in Costa Rica: a test of island biogeography theory.
- *Home range size and habitat preference in the Columbian white-tailed deer.
- Mating success and female sex pheromones in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
- Ecological monitoring of Bronson Creek Wetland.
- Diet, mating success, and female sex pheromones in the roughskin newt, Taricha granulosa.
- *Clutch placement and reproductive success in the Northern Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora aurora): A comparison between two wetlands of different ages.
- Tualatin River Basin biotic survey.
- *Antipredatory behavior and memory in green frog tadpoles (Rana clamitans).
- *Effects of UV radiation, water pH and temperature, and
light:dark cycle on egg and larvae development in the Pacific
treefrog, Pseudacris regilla.
- *Behavioral endocrinology of rhesus monkeys: the effect of leptin on food intake.
- *Habitat partitioning by birds in temperate versus tropical forests.
- *Egg placement and reproductive success in the red-legged frog, Rana aurora.
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Published Works and Technical Reports
- Alkaslassy, E. and P.T. Lopez. 2011. Vegetation Analysis of
Mitigated Elk Meadows at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County,
Oregon: Spring 2011. Submitted to The Bureau of
Reclamation and Washington County Parks and Recreation.
- Alkaslassy, E. and P.T. Lopez. 2010. Use of Mitigated Meadows by Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti)
at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County, Oregon, Year #4: October
2009-February 2010: Final Report. Submitted to Washington
County Parks and Recreation, and The Bureau of
Reclamation.
- Alkaslassy, E. and P.T. Lopez. 2009. Use of Mitigated Meadows by Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti)
at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County, Oregon, Year #3: October
2008-February 2009: Final Report. Submitted to Washington
County Parks and Recreation, and The Bureau of
Reclamation.
- Alkaslassy, E. and P.T. Lopez. 2008. Use of Mitigated Meadows by Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti)
at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County, Oregon, November
2007-February 2008: Final Report. Submitted to Washington County
Parks and Recreation, and The Bureau of Reclamation.
- Alkaslassy, E. and P.T. Lopez. 2007. Use of Mitigated Meadows by Roosevelt Elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti)
at Henry Hagg Lake, Washington County, Oregon, November
2006-February 2007: Final Report. Submitted to Washington County
Parks and Recreation, and The Bureau of Reclamation.
- Stockhouse, R.E , P.T. Lopez, S. Love*, B. Smith* and A.
Buccat*. 2005. 2004 Fernhill Wetlands Regional Mitigation Bank
Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted to Clean Water Services,
Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2004. 2003 Fernhill Wetlands
Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted
to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2003. 2002 Fernhill Wetlands
Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted
to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, C.T. Burtch*, L.M. Nelson* and
A. Heinberger*. 2002. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 2002
Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met Westside Lightrail
Project, Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E and P.T. Lopez. 2002. 2001 Fernhill Wetlands
Regional Mitigation Bank Phase One Monitoring Report. Submitted
to Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez. 2001. Bronson Creek Wetland
Mitigation Site: 2001 Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met
Westside Lightrail Project, Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, H.A. Collis*, R.D. Nelson* and
M.P. Seidel*. 2000. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation Site: 2000
Final Report. submitted to the Tri-Met Westside Lightrail Project,
Portland, Oregon.
- Stockhouse, R.E., P.T. Lopez, B. Duff*, C. Green*, C.
Hartley* and J. Greenberg*. 1998. Bronson Creek Wetland Mitigation
Site: 1998 Final Report. Tri-Met.
- Lopez, P.T. 1996. Mate Selection in the Puerto Rican Frog Eleutherodactylus coqui. In West Indian Herpetofauna, (R. Powell and R.W. Henderson, eds.)
- Lopez, P.T. and P.M. Narins. 1991. Mate choice in the neotropical frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Animal Behaviour. 41: 757-772.
- Howland, J.M., L. J. Vitt and P.T. Lopez. 1990. Life on the
edge: the ecology and life history of the tropidurine iguanid
lizard Uranoscodon supercilliosum. Can. J. Zool. 68: 1366-1373.
- Caldwell, J.P. and P.T. Lopez. 1989. Foam-generating behavior in tadpoles of Leptodactylus mystaceus. Copeia 1989: 498-502.
- Lopez, P.T., P.M. Narins, E.R. Lewis, and S.W. Moore. 1988.
Acoustically-induced call modification in the white-lipped frog, Leptodactylus albilabris. Animal Behavior. 36:1295-1308.
* indicated student author |
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Course Information
At Pacific University, all faculty teach a variety of different courses. Typically, we do not use graduate teaching assistants, which means that your classes will be taught by professors and that you will have plenty of opportunites to get to know the faculty in your discipline.
Below I have listed some of the courses that I teach. We are always developing and trying out new classes, so the list may change now and then. You can use the links to the left to read descriptions of the courses listed below.
BIOL 202 General Biology I
BIOL 304 Research Methods
BIOL 420 Vertebrate Zoology
BIOL 340 Animal Behavior
BIOL 450 Tropical Rainforest Biology
BIOL 385 Junior Seminar
BIOL 490 Senior Capstone Experience
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