Colin Kowalczyk

Background

Colin Kowalczyk is on the faculty of the Department of Environmental Science and holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Before Porter, Colin was a GIS analyst for a regional planning commission.

Colin's research focuses on aquatic ecology, with related work in sustainability science; undergraduates are involved in the lab most terms.

Areas of expertise

• Aquatic ecology
• Sustainability science
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Colin regularly teaches courses in Environmental Science, Geology, Geography. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Courses lean on current problems from the field: students read recent work, reproduce a result or method, and then extend it. Colin builds in low-stakes practice before graded work and gives written feedback on drafts.

Advising and office hours

Colin advises students in the Environmental Science programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Colin's recent activity is a mix of peer-reviewed work, conference talks, and student-involved projects in aquatic ecology and sustainability science. Representative items:

• A peer-reviewed article on aquatic ecology in a disciplinary journal.
• A conference paper on sustainability science, co-authored with an undergraduate researcher.
• An internally funded project applying aquatic ecology to a regional partner's problem.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Colin has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Colin is email (ckowalczyk@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Environmental Science department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.