Building on decades of environmental education at Grinnell, the College will launch a new major in Environmental Studies (ENV), bringing together perspectives from across the curriculum and responding to strong student interest in the existing Environmental Studies concentration. At the same time, Grinnell will introduce Semester@CERA, an immersive program centered at the College’s 365-acre Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA).
Nathaniel Cremascoli ’28 wanted to know how RNA viruses interact with soil ecosystems — so he built and led his own research project to find out.
During her summer Mentored Advanced Project (MAP), biology major Millie Leonard ’27 sampled and compared microbial life and antibiotic resistance in soils neighboring streams at two local sites.
Carolyn Bosse, technical assistant in the biology department, has navigated everything from microscopes to molecular techniques and runaway insects over her 35-year career at Grinnell.
Assistant Professor of Biology Caroline Dong shares information her life, work, and time at Grinnell.
Maria Pinto was recently a guest of the English department’s Writers@Grinnell program and Grinnell’s first environmental writer-in-residence at CERA. She was also the first visitor to stay in the newly renovated CERA residence.
Senior Lecturer in Biology Liz Queathem led a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) to develop a virtual map of campus trees. She worked with several students who remapped every tree on campus.
For Josh Emrys Payong, a Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with Associate Professor of Biology Idelle Cooper ’01 was the perfect way to satisfy his urge to conduct more field research.
This summer, Associate Professor of Biology Idelle Cooper ’01 took four students and her 11-month-old son, Wendell, to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for a four-week field research experience to study jewelwing damselflies.
Alex Reich ’11 works to raise awareness and educate people about the linked issues of climate change and the global food system.
Where the sciences are headed with research is exactly what’s embedded into classes at Grinnell. It starts from the very beginning with Intro to Biology, and continues as two or three authentic research projects for every class after that.
The best work that we can do for the environment, for nature and wildlife, and for each other, is get involved with the local communities because that is where the impact of our work can be seen.
It’s a physician’s role to look beyond the analytics and think ‘What does this feel like to the patient and family? What does a longer wait time mean for future care?’
If you have taken a class with Professor Lafontant, you may have picked up on a sense of what he calls wonderment. Wonderment is a word that reflects his belief that the whole world of science is fascinating.
My work allows me to better see the connection between the research realm and the more human part of the world. In my current position, I am able to work towards making science more relevant for policy and decision making, and I find those goals to be a lot more tangible.
The experience of learning how to think scientifically can help develop a person's critical thinking skills. Scientific inquiry helps people differentiate between things that are real and things that are not real.
I really appreciate that I went to school in a time when I learned to relate to the patient, professionally, socially, and personally.
You never know where your life is going to take you. So be open to possibilities that might open up.
Conservation work needs individuals who can foster a mindset of interconnectedness.
What is One Health? It’s “recognizing the interconnected relationships between human, animal, and environmental health and working together across those disciplines and sectors," says Griffith.
Our social environment affects how we study other organisms. We often use the animal world as justification or examples for how humans should be, which is dangerous.
To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.