Having received a Ph.D. from a department of Organismic
and Evolutionary Biology, I continue to study and teach
broadly in that area. I currently teach courses in Evolutionary
Ecology, Conservation Biology, Animal Behavior,
Field Biology, and Tropical Ecology and have
researched and written in all these fields. My particular
focus has been on the evolution of ant behavior and creating
new method for setting priorities in the practice of conservation
biology.
I am deeply interested in developing new and effective
methods for teaching about ecology, conservation biology,
and the environment. Working with my mentor and colleague
E.O. Wilson of Harvard, a team of my former students and
I created an interactive electronic textbook that has been
used throughout the U.S. and in many other nations for teaching
about conservation biology and environmental issues more
broadly (Conserving Earth's Biodiversity CD-ROM,
2000, Island Press). I have recently been building on that
experience in creating EcoLibrary,
an online facility that allows teachers, students, and non-profit
organizations to download top-quality images and text that
are intended to help improve public understanding of the
world in which we live. I am in the process of expanding
EcoLibrary, adding materials such as maps, lesson plans,
and interactive exercises.
My recent work also focuses on helping ecologists and conservation
biologists work with land use planning and design professionals
to improve land use — both for humans and natural ecosystems.
I have furthered this work through workshops and lectures
for professionals and publications such as Practical
Ecology for Planners, Developers, and Citizens (2005,
Island Press).
As part of my teaching at Brandeis, I have developed a
number of innovative course assignments and exercises. In
my courses I attempt to help students become expert on a
given topic that helps them integrate the material of the
course, while requiring them to learn skills that will be
relevant throughout their lives. For example, in my Evolutionary
Ecology course, each student researches one organism
in depth throughout the semester, reading articles in the
scientific literature and writing reviews of the studies
that the class reads and discusses, while in Field Biology
students research specific groups of organisms and create
electronic field guides to these groups (see www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio
for examples). Similarly, in Conservation Biology each
student researches a single ecological region, preparing
three reports on the ecoregion's biodiversity, threats to
that biodiversity, and responses to those threats — and
after receiving extensive feedback on each report, the student
creates a very effective 50-page conservation document on
the ecoregion.
Teaching Awards:
Louis Dembitz Brandeis Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
Brandeis University. Awarded to one faculty member annually,
2006.
Student Union Teaching Award, Brandeis University. Awarded
to one faculty member each year based on a vote by the student
body; 2004 & 2005.
Phi Beta Kappa Prize for Excellence in Teaching, Harvard
University. The Phi Beta Kappa Prize was awarded to four
faculty members in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 1996.
Selected Publications:
Perlman D.L. (2007) "Views of a Conservation Biologist"
in Lasting Landscapes: Reflections on the Role of Conservation
Science in Land Use Planning, eds. Kihslinger, R.L.
and Wilkinson J. Environmental Law Institute, Washington
D.C.
Perlman D. L. and Milder J. C. (2005) Practical Ecology
for Planners, Developers, and Citizens. Island Press,
Washington, D.C. This book covers ecology and conservation
biology for land use professionals and engaged citizens
in order to help them make better informed land use decisions
and plans.
Wilson E.O. and Perlman D.L. (2000) Conserving Earth's
Biodiversity. Island Press, Washington, D.C. Interactive
CD-ROM on conservation biology and biodiversity used in
undergraduate environmental science and conservation biology
courses, high school biology classes, and by major conservation
groups such as The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund,
and Conservation International. I was the program's Project
Director, Principal Photographer, and Co-Author.
Perlman D.L. and Adelson G. (1997) Biodiversity: Exploring
Values and Priorities in Conservation. Blackwell Science,
Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts. This text focuses on the
role that human values play in the setting of conservation
priorities. It is used in conservation biology and environmental
law courses.
Perlman D.L. and Paskowitz D. (1997) "Conservation and
Biodiversity of Insects," in The Science of Entomology,
4th edition, eds. Romoser W.S. and Stoffolano J.G. William
C. Brown Publishers, Dubuque, IA.
Cooper D.S. and Perlman D.L. (1997) "Habitat Conservation
on Military Installations," Fremontia. 25, 3-8.
Choe J.C. and Perlman D.L. (1997) "Social Conflict and
Cooperation among Founding Queens in Ants," in The Evolution
of Social Behavior in Insects and Arachnids, eds. Choe
J.C. and Crespi B.J. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
U.K.
Last update: May 3, 2007. E-mail comments
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