Courses
I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses. At the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, I am teaching the insect component of Taxonomía Animal (theory) and participate in the two week-long field trip with the arthropod component. I also participate in the Arthropod course (theory).
At Universidad Javeriana, I used to teach the arthropod component of the Metazoan Biology course (previously Invertebrate Zoology), and once a year I taught an elective full course on Systematic Entomology. At the graduate level I taught mostly systematic related courses. Below are pictures of the students I have taught at the undergraduate level at both institutions.
Taxonomía Animal
I am in charge of the arthropod component during the field trip. This course focused on collection techniques, curation, and how to identify main groups of animals, of which I am in charge of Arthropoda.
2022-II
We went to Santa María, Boyacá. Two week long field trip. My TA was Juan Diego Herrera.
Metazoan Biology
The course was taught by Adriana Sáenz, Giovanny Fagua, and Dimitri Forero. Dimitri was in charge of the arthropod component (half of the course). This course focused on the biology, morphology, and evolution of the main groups of Metazoa (except Chordata), identifying the synapomorphies for each clade.
2022-I
It was my last semester in the field with the Universidad Javeriana. We went to the Reserva Rey Zamuro and we had a great time! This was a truly great group.
2020-2021
You know, Covid-19 came and wrecked it all. Due to restrictions we were unable to have a field component to the course up to 2021 [and yes, that is a little ball of dung...]
2019-II
Venecia (Cundinmarca).
2019-I
Reserva Rey Zamuro-Matarredonda (San Martín, Meta). [I was unable to join the field component of the course]
2018-II
Reserva Rey Zamuro-Matarredonda (San Martín, Meta). Diego Gómez guided us in the reserve.
2018-I
Reserva Rey Zamuro-Matarredonda (San Martín, Meta). Diego Gómez guided us in the reserve.
2017-II
Reserva Rey Zamuro-Matarredonda (San Martín, Meta). Diego Gómez guided us in the reserve.
2017-I
Santa Maria (Boyacá). Juliana Peña, Vania Ballesteros, and Valentina Casallas were the TAs. Felipe Rojas was our ad-honorem TA.
Surrounding mountains in Santa María.
[L-R] Felipe Rojas, Juliana Peña, D. Forero, Vania Ballesteros, Valentina Casallas.
2016-II
Santa Maria (Boyacá). Maria José Camacho and María Paula Perdomo were the TAs. [Photo by Camila Pardo, [in front].
Cañón del río Batá.
2016-I
Santa Maria (Boyacá).
2015-II
Santa Maria (Boyacá).
2015-I
The field trip was to the Reserva El Neme (Coello, Tolima). Natalia Wilches and David Santamaría were the TAs.
2014-II
Kioso Verde (Tauramena, Casanare). Daniela Moreno, Catalina Parra, Ana Botero, and Sol Yepes were the TAs.
Invertebrate Zoology
This course was offered every semester. The course was taught by Adriana Sáenz and Dimitri Forero. Dimitri was in charge of the arthropod component on the second half of the semester. He also organized and was in charge of the week-long field trip. This course reviewed the main groups of Metazoa (except Chordata), emphasizing on their evolutionary relationships and the attributes for each clade.
2016-I
Santa Maria (Boyacá). Daniel Gutiérrez was the TA. Daniella Cualla, Valentina Ocampo, and Sergio Vargas were ad-honorem TAs.
2015-II
Santa Maria (Boyacá). Juanita Rodríguez and María José Hernández were the TAs.
2015-I
Reserva El Neme (Coello, Tolima). Juanita Rodríguez and Paula Vargas were the TAs.
2014-II
Kiosko Verde (Tauramena, Casanare). Daniela Moreno, Catalina Parra, Ana Botero, and Sol Yepes were the TAs.
2014-I
Reserva el Caduceo (San Martín, Meta). Daniela Moreno, Paula Muñoz, Laura Quintero, and Juan David Guitérrez were the TAs.
2013-II
Reserva el Caduceo (San Martín, Meta). José Ramírez, Sergio Vargas, and Oscar Valdéz were the TAs in the field, Sofia and Guido Herrera the TAs in the lab.
2013-I
Centro Ecoturístico Cafam Llanos (Remolinos, Meta). Camila Amaya, Ángela Meneses and Sergio Vargas were the TAs.
2012-II
Universidad Javeriana. The field trip was to the Centro Ecoturístico Cafam Llanos (Remolinos, Meta).
Biological Groups/Entomology
Biological Groups allow the students to study in detail a taxonomic group of interest. I guide students in all matters entomology. This course was previously taught as Entomology, in which I was the responsible for the whole course. This course was an in-depth view of different aspects of insects, in particular about their evolution.
2019-II
La Palmita reserve, Casanare. Maria Camila Moreno was our TA.
[L-R, back] Luis E. Castiblanco, Juliana Torres, María Camila Moreno, Valentina Mahecha, D. Forero, [front] Simón Mayorga, Valentina Casallas, Rodrigo García, Camila Salazar, Juan Diego Ariza, Sofía Sánchez, Laura Pineda, Alejandra Fajardo, Laura Gómez, Jeffrey Molano.
2018-I
Santa Cecilia, sector Amurrupá, Risaralda. Don Blas Cardenas was our guide. Maria Camila Moreno was our TA.
[L-R, back] D. Forero, Sofía Rojas, Alejandra Ariza, David Jiménez, Valentina Sánchez, Juan Camilo Pineda, Gabriela León, Christian Ramírez, Juliana Torres, Wendy Moya, [front] Laura Ángel, Natalia Cossio, Valentina Casallas, María Camila Moreno, Blás Cárdenas, Simón Mayorga.
[L-R] D. Forero, Gabriela Leon, Simon Mayorga, Maria Camila Moreno, Juliana Torres, Valentina Casallas, Christian Ramirez, Wendy Moya.
2017-I
Reserva Bosque de Yotoco (Valle del Cauca). [L-R, back] D.Forero, Leonardo Segura, Martha Piña, Alejandro Delgado, Maria Paula Nepto, Laura Girón, Sebastián Rojas, Mateo Peña, Andrea Vivas (TA), Laura Velásquez, Sol Yepes (ento lab), Daniel Gutiérrez (ento lab), [front] Laura Bonilla (ento lab), Catalina Castillo.
Lunch break nearby Laguna de Sonso.
2016-I
Granja Bengala (Filandia, Quindío). [L-R] Juan Camilo Forero, Valentina Bocanegra, María Camila Moreno, Daniela Moreno (TA). Missing nearly all the students! (they were 22)
Rio Barbas canyon.
2015-I
Reserva El Neme (Coello, Tolima). [L-R] Taín Velasco, Jessica Santander (TA), Ana Botero, Daniela Moreno, Juanita Rodríguez, Nicolás Giraldo, Ana María Pulido, Sol Yepes, Dimitri Forero, Laura Garzón.
Beautiful rocky river beds.
2014-I
Parque Natural Chicaque (arriving). [L-R] Otto Caro, Diana García, Claudia Galindo, Juan Sebastian Paez, Jessica Santander, Maria Reyes, Camila Amaya, María Fernanda Castillo, Dimitri Forero, Nathalia Duque (TA), Juan David Gutiérrez, and Laura Quintero.
Parque Natural Chicaque (leaving). [L-R] Dimitri Forero, Juan Sebastian Paez, Laura Quintero, Juan David Gutiérrez, María Fernanda Castillo, Maria Reyes, Otto Caro, Nathalia Duque (TA), Diana García, and Jessica Santander [missing Claudia Galindo, Camila Amaya].
2013-I
Parque Natural Chicaque. [L-R] Dimitri Forero, Sergio Vargas (TA), Nathalia Duque, David Figueroa.
Other Courses
I have participated as a Co-instructor in other field courses.
2013. Técnicas de campo para estudios de Biodiversidad
I taught the module of Entomology, and one on Scientific Writing with Javier Maldonado. This course was part of the project “Strengthening local capacity for prioritizing conservation research and action in the Colombian Andean-Amazon: A networked approach”, Florida International University, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and Universidad de la Amazonía. Centro de Investigación Macagual, Universidad de la Amazonia, Florencia, 5-17 July 2013.
2010. Biodiversity of True Bugs (Heteroptera)
Toby Schuh and Christiane Weirauch were the instructors, and I was a co-instructor. Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), Costa Rica. Held at La Selva and Palo Verde biological stations. August 8-22, 2010. Here are the participants and instructors of the course.