Course Description
The course covers the principles of risk analysis, including risk assessment, perception,
communication, and management. Content emphasizes human toxicology, ecotoxicology,
dose-response relationships, exposure analysis, environmental fate and deterministic
and probabilistic risk assessment. Case studies include examples from natural resource
management, pesticides, biotechnology, resource extraction, food safety and invasive
species. Course activities include discussion, literature readings, written assignments,
risk assessment exercises, and a term project.
Meeting Place and Times
Participants login to the course at a time of day that best fits their schedule. It
is necessary to connect at least 4 - 6 times per week and spend 8 - 10 hours per week
while the course is in session, either online or offline working on course related
assignments, to stay current and successfully complete this 3 credit graduate course.
Instructor(s)
Bob Peterson, PhD. is Professor of Entomology at Montana State University, where he
leads the research, teaching, and outreach program in Agricultural and Biological Risk Assessment.
More specifically, the program is centered on comparative risk assessment and includes biotechnology risk, invasive species risk, infectious disease risk, and pesticide risk. Additional areas
of research emphasis include plant-stress ecophysiology and integrated pest management. Bob teaches undergraduate and graduate courses, including environmental risk assessment, insect ecology, various
special-topics graduate courses, and principles of living systems.
1987. B.S. Entomology and Pest Management. Iowa State University
1991. M.S. Entomology. Universityof Nebraska
1995. Ph.D. Entomology, minor in Plant Physiology. University of Nebraska
1995-2001. Research Biologist. Dow AgroSciences
2002-present. Montana State University
Prerequisites
A Bachelors degree, courses in General Biology, General Ecology, General Chemistry,
General Statistics.
Target Audience
Federal agency employees, environmental consulting firm employees, environmental law
professionals, non-governmental organization employees, high school science teachers,
and others interested in environmental science.
Time Commitment:
8-10 hours per week. If you are unfamiliar with this field of study and/or method
of delivery, you may require more time.
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