Alistair's Current Teaching
FOR 450: Fire Behavior (2cr. Spring)
Understand the physical and chemical processes controlling combustion and fire behavior. Gain in-depth knowledge of commonly-used, point-scale fire behavior models and tools, including key assumptions and limitations. Critically review and discuss scientific literature, current topics, and case studies. Lab sessions include designing and undertaking small-scale fire behavior experiments, and developing simple quantitative models.
GEOL 454 / FOR 454/554: Air Quality, Pollution, and Smoke (3cr. Spring and Summer, Online)
Assessment of the controls and drivers of emission processes and impacts on air quality from fires, industry, and other natural sources. Overview of the combustion and emission process, how these emissions impact the ‘quality of air’, and what models exist to monitor the emission. Other topics to include: recent EPA and other guidelines for smoke management planning, attainment issues, atmospheric transport and deposition processes. Additional work required for graduate credit.
GEOG 100: Introduction to Planet Earth (3cr. Spring 2023)
General Education: Natural and Applied Sciences. Natural environment; nature, distribution, and relationships of climate, landforms, oceans, vegetation, hydrography, and soils. Three lectures and one 2-hour lab per week; may involve evening classes.
GEOG 301: Meteorology (3cr. Fall 2022)
Atmospheric processes that produce weather; temperature; moisture, clouds, and precipitation; synoptic-scale weather; severe storms; weather instrumentation, weather maps, and forecasting; influences of weather on humans and impacts of humans on weather.
Under Development:
World Savannas (3 cr. Summer 2023)
This course provides a broad overview of world savannas including their characteristics and the ecosystem goods and services they provide. The course focuses on the ecological and biogeochemical characteristics of savannas, how humans use these ecosystems, current problems, and strategies land management are applying to solve them.
FOR 514: Forest Biometry (3 cr. Summer 2023)
This course provides a broad overview of forest biometrics, including forestry-specific sampling approaches, development of allometric relations, and use of remote sensing datasets.
Understand the physical and chemical processes controlling combustion and fire behavior. Gain in-depth knowledge of commonly-used, point-scale fire behavior models and tools, including key assumptions and limitations. Critically review and discuss scientific literature, current topics, and case studies. Lab sessions include designing and undertaking small-scale fire behavior experiments, and developing simple quantitative models.
GEOL 454 / FOR 454/554: Air Quality, Pollution, and Smoke (3cr. Spring and Summer, Online)
Assessment of the controls and drivers of emission processes and impacts on air quality from fires, industry, and other natural sources. Overview of the combustion and emission process, how these emissions impact the ‘quality of air’, and what models exist to monitor the emission. Other topics to include: recent EPA and other guidelines for smoke management planning, attainment issues, atmospheric transport and deposition processes. Additional work required for graduate credit.
GEOG 100: Introduction to Planet Earth (3cr. Spring 2023)
General Education: Natural and Applied Sciences. Natural environment; nature, distribution, and relationships of climate, landforms, oceans, vegetation, hydrography, and soils. Three lectures and one 2-hour lab per week; may involve evening classes.
GEOG 301: Meteorology (3cr. Fall 2022)
Atmospheric processes that produce weather; temperature; moisture, clouds, and precipitation; synoptic-scale weather; severe storms; weather instrumentation, weather maps, and forecasting; influences of weather on humans and impacts of humans on weather.
Under Development:
World Savannas (3 cr. Summer 2023)
This course provides a broad overview of world savannas including their characteristics and the ecosystem goods and services they provide. The course focuses on the ecological and biogeochemical characteristics of savannas, how humans use these ecosystems, current problems, and strategies land management are applying to solve them.
FOR 514: Forest Biometry (3 cr. Summer 2023)
This course provides a broad overview of forest biometrics, including forestry-specific sampling approaches, development of allometric relations, and use of remote sensing datasets.
Engineering Capstone Teams
The Combustion Lab regularly works with undergraduates to do projects in fire science. Since 2020, we have integrated the UI College of Engineering senior capstone EXPO experience into the College of Natural Resources fire science program. The engineering students are helping use design and build teaching equipment that allows us to illustrate complex wildland fire science concepts in our fire science courses.
2021-2022 Capstone Project: The Fire Proof Wind Tunnel
The goal of this project was to create a fire proof wind tunnel. The team made a great initial attempt that will be followed through with a later team.
2020-2021 Capstone Project: The Ember Generator
The goal of this project was to create an ember generating device which mimics the output of firebrands at the wildland urban interface during wildfires. This ember generator will be used by researchers and students at the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources in fire behavior studies and testing of fire-resistant materials.
See article in Lewiston Tribune
The goal of this project was to create a fire proof wind tunnel. The team made a great initial attempt that will be followed through with a later team.
2020-2021 Capstone Project: The Ember Generator
The goal of this project was to create an ember generating device which mimics the output of firebrands at the wildland urban interface during wildfires. This ember generator will be used by researchers and students at the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources in fire behavior studies and testing of fire-resistant materials.
See article in Lewiston Tribune
Past Courses Taught and Developed:
NR 211: Research Experience for Undergraduates I (2cr., 2019)
NR 212: Research Experience for Undergraduates II (1cr., 2020)
REM 244: Introduction to Wildland Fire Management (2012)
FOR 274: Forest Measurements and Inventory (2007-2016)
FOR 275: Forest Resource Sampling (2019)
FOR 326: Fire Ecology (2021-2022)
FOR 373: Forest Sampling Methods (2011-2014)
FOR 401: Forest Inventory Practicum (various years)
FOR 435/535: Remote Sensing of Active Fire and Post-Fire Effects (2007-2010)
FOR 451: Fuels Inventory and Mapping (2007-2008)
FOR 472: Remote Sensing of the Environment (2006)
FOR 474: Forest Inventory (2007-2011)
FOR 501: Exploring Biogeosciences (2009)
FOR 501: Virtual Landscapes (2012)
INTR 501: Navigating the Post-PhD Gauntlet: Interview Skills (2019)
RNG 501: Savannah Ecology (2006)
NR 501: Graduate Studies Seminar (2016-2018)
FOR 504: Graduate Skills: Preparing for a Faculty Position (2007-2008)
FOR 526: Global Fire Ecology (2022)
FOR 570: Advanced Remote Sensing Measurement Methods (2005-2008)
NR 211: Research Experience for Undergraduates I (2cr., 2019)
NR 212: Research Experience for Undergraduates II (1cr., 2020)
REM 244: Introduction to Wildland Fire Management (2012)
FOR 274: Forest Measurements and Inventory (2007-2016)
FOR 275: Forest Resource Sampling (2019)
FOR 326: Fire Ecology (2021-2022)
FOR 373: Forest Sampling Methods (2011-2014)
FOR 401: Forest Inventory Practicum (various years)
FOR 435/535: Remote Sensing of Active Fire and Post-Fire Effects (2007-2010)
FOR 451: Fuels Inventory and Mapping (2007-2008)
FOR 472: Remote Sensing of the Environment (2006)
FOR 474: Forest Inventory (2007-2011)
FOR 501: Exploring Biogeosciences (2009)
FOR 501: Virtual Landscapes (2012)
INTR 501: Navigating the Post-PhD Gauntlet: Interview Skills (2019)
RNG 501: Savannah Ecology (2006)
NR 501: Graduate Studies Seminar (2016-2018)
FOR 504: Graduate Skills: Preparing for a Faculty Position (2007-2008)
FOR 526: Global Fire Ecology (2022)
FOR 570: Advanced Remote Sensing Measurement Methods (2005-2008)