Dave
Miller
Program Director Emeritus; Chair of Biology at Goshen College
Contact info
Office:
Merry Lea and Science Center 210
Phone: (260) 799-5869 or (574) 535-7740
E-mail: davejm@goshen.edu
Education
B.A. Eastern Mennonite College, 1964
M.S., University of Delaware, 1972
Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1977
How I became an entomologist
I was always interested in spiritual things, even as a child. I was also interested
in the natural world. Only as I began to study natural history as an adult did
I realize that these two passions are interconnected. During college, I majored
in Bible and philosophy, but I also took a zoology course and became fascinated
by the incredible diversity of the insect world. Later I decided to pursue entomology.
Ideas that matter to me
I believe that all creatures and all ecosystems have inherent value, independent
of their utility to the human race—even mosquitoes. Because they are created
by God, loved by God and are part of a good system, they are good. The more we
learn to love God, the more we love what God loves.
The classes I teach and how I teach them
I teach Ornithology and Entomology on alternating years. I also teach a week-long
graduate course designed for elementary educators: Ecology for Teachers. More
than anything else, I hope that my students will recognize that the natural world
is an integral part of their lives and it is all one piece, not a fragment.
I view teaching as a cooperative effort between the students and the teacher.
I see my students as peers—not necessarily in knowledge, but as curious
adults who are serious about learning what I have to share. If I can’t
answer a question a student asks, I admit it and then go find the answer to the
questions. My favorite part of teaching is being with students in the field or
in the laboratory, looking at specimens. I also love sharing the occasional “Ain’t
it neat!”
parts of the natural world with them.
I have my students write their own exams. After each session, I have them submit
three test questions. A week before the exam, I give the class a list of all
the questions they submitted and perhaps several of my own to fill in the gaps.
I then choose the exam from these questions. This takes some of the stress out
of learning.
What
students say
"This is the type of course teachers should love because it was so experiential."
"I appreciated that we spent so much time outdoors observing."
“Loved the class and I learned a ton. I came out with a whole new respect
for insects.”
My
role in Merry Lea’s new graduate program in Environmental
Education
I’ve been involved with planning this exciting new venture
from the very beginning, and am the keeper of a long, color-coded
scroll outlining the year’s work. More specifically, I’ve
done detail work on the research/investigations students will be
involved in and the portfolios they will produce. I teach a natural
history course with a heavy emphasis on ecology. Students learn to
identify numerous organisms by sight and understand their ecology.
Research Interests
Cataloging the biodiversity found in Merry Lea’s 1,150 acres
is an important part of my work. Since 2000, we have maintained an
ongoing project to collect and identify Merry Lea’s insects.
Our current focus is butterflies and on the odonata order, which
includes dragonflies and damselflies. A significant number of spiders
have also been collected.
Since 2002, Merry Lea has participated in the Monitoring Avian Productivity
and Survivorship Program (MAPS). This nationwide program, created
by The Institute for Bird Populations, assesses population dynamics
in order to provide vital conservation and management information
on land birds. Each spring and summer, I head up a team of staff
and student bird banders who catch birds with mist nets, examine
them, band them and share their data. This banding data will be useful
for tracking Merry Lea populations of breeding birds over the long
term.
Presentation topics
I am available to speak to groups about topics in natural history,
ornithology, entomology, earth care or the intersection of science
and religion.
Selected
Publications
“Love God, Love the Earth: Spirituality and Environmental Care,” The
Mennonite, October 7, 2003, pp. 14-16.
Did
you know?
Dragonflies are able to fly backwards, forwards and sideways. These
agile predators can make a right-angle turn at 20 mph. within the
length of their bodies: about two and a half inches.
Some species of birds are what is known as determinate egg layers. This means they will always lay a fixed number of eggs. If you remove an egg before they begin to incubate, they will continue laying until they achieve this number. Mallard ducks have been known to lay 100 eggs in the attempt to complete their clutch. Flickers will lay as many as 70 eggs.