Courses offer the theory and practice of Invasive Species Ecology and Biological Control. Efforts are made to have guest lectures with specialists with practical experience on the subjects. Using current research projects in the laboratory, we involve the students in discussions about the challenges and opportunities of using biological control. In addition, class assignments or activities are focus on benefiting directly the student's career. For example, we develop experiments or do review articles aimed for peer-reviewed journals, practice developing scientific presentations and oral communication skills, and write outreach materials related to key research projects. One of the goals is to motivate the student to dig deeper into topics that mean something to them!