Aaron Dollar, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Computer Science, Fall 2020

Courses in Ecology

I mainly audited three courses on the topic of Ecology and Ecosystems, none of which I had any formal background in. Through these courses (one in EEB and two in YSE), I was able to learn some of the basics of the concepts as well as deepen my understanding of some concepts that I already had a beginning understanding of.

One of the reasons that I am very busy is that I am heavily involved laying out some visions for Yale for the Planetary Solutions Project, and these courses have served to give me the background and energy that I need to passionately propose and pursue meaningful changes at Yale and beyond that will help to make a small dent in the enormous challenge that is human’s role in protecting our planet and countering the ways that people are heavily straining it.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that the TRL program provided me. It is challenging to find the time to “retrain” when you are at the peak of your career, and relief from teaching provided that opportunity and at just the right time.