I only just found out about Dr. Alcock's passing, but I wanted to express that he was a great help to me as a young biologist & teacher: I remember clearly that his & Dr. Rutowski's Animal Behavior class was one of only a handful I had at the Undergraduate level that I felt was taught with real planning and passion, such that my understanding of the scientific process was really solidified through their tutelage. After I graduated with my degree in Animal Physiology & Behavior, I quickly enrolled in an accelerated graduate program to get a Master's degree in Secondary Education and a teaching certification. As I did this, I met with Dr. Alcock on two separate occasions (alongside some email correspondence) to ask for advice and guidance in giving my future students the best possible science education they could get. He talked with me in his office and generously gave me one of the books off of his shelf, "Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science" (published by the National Academy of Sciences) as a parting gift. I still have that book, and I now teach a popular Zoology/Botany course at Corona del Sol High School in Tempe. The course's curriculum – written by myself over multiple years – uses evidence-based teaching practices to give students hands-on experiences that allow them to do science and truly understand the nature of life on Earth. I can say with confidence that Dr. Alcock was one of a number of key influences that led to the genesis of this curriculum, and for that I am thankful. Rest in peace.
