This course, taught by zoological medicine veterinarian Dr. Lucy Spelman examines how we interact with animals-both domestic and wild-and how, in turn, these interactions affect us. Each week we focus on a different species, working our way up the taxonomic tree from corals to gorillas. We study the animal's basic biology, including its anatomy, natural history, and ecology. We consider the role it plays in human society, including as companions, as food, and, as sources of medicine and spiritual inspiration. We study how human activity is affecting its health and the ripple effect on our own health. We explore how agriculture, climate change, emerging diseases, habitat loss, hunting, and trade are driving many species to extinction. In the process, we discover that while many human-animal interactions are positive, many more are problematic, and that although we have solutions for most of these negative interactions, we often fail to implement them. Examples include excessive antibiotic use in cows, the continued loss of wetlands threatening frogs, and, the increasing number of coyotes favored by urban landscapes. We explore some of the underlying reasons for this inaction. In their final project, students identify a problematic human-animal interaction and explore solutions. This course is designed to encourage you to explore the range of biological complexity in the animal world, the many ways we interact with animals, both domestic and wild, and, the scientific basis of the interconnectedness of health. You will also have the opportunity to explore solutions for problematic human-animal interactions; it is possible to live in balance with animals if we make informed decisions. The material presented will challenge you to learn more about animal classification, zoology, ecology, food animal science, veterinary medicine, public health, and conservation biology. For your final project, you will research a problematic human-animal interaction, explore potential solutions, and create a work of art or design that inspires others to take action.

Open to Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.

Elective

This immersive interdisciplinary Wintersession course offered by RISD Global is for art and design students interested in exploring past and current efforts to conserve biodiversity in Southern Africa while also developing their communication and documentation skills.
 
On location for two weeks in South Africa and one in Namibia, this course is co-taught by longtime RISD faculty members, artist Susan Doyle (Professor, Illustration), and scientist Dr. Lucy Spelman (Senior Lecturer/HPSS.) Students will study the local biodiversity, how local people and visitors interact with nature, and how art, science, and traditional ecological knowledge influence and inform conservation decisions. Once back on campus, students spend two weeks on a final art/design project that explores the concept of conservation based on their African experience. In addition to a completed work of art or design, the final project will include

• an artist statement that describes the student’s artistic aim/inspiration/process
• an annotated essay/summary of the scientific references and literary influences that informed their art

Registration is not available in Workday. Students must complete an application through RISD Global. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required and permission of instructor. Failure to remain in good academic standing can lead to removal from the course, either before or during the course. Most courses are open to first year students with approval from the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies.

This course examines the form and function of the vertebrate body using a comparative approach. We will study the following anatomical structures and how they work by comparing them across vertebrate animals: eye/vision, ear/hearing, nose/smell, throat/taste, teeth and jaws/chewing, heart/circulation, lung/oxygen exchange, intestinal tract/digestion, kidneys/protein and electrolyte balance, musculoskeletal system/locomotion, lymph tissue/immune system, reproductive tract/reproduction, and the brain and spinal cord/nervous system. Reference animals will include those for which anatomy is best-known, including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cows, chickens, bullfrogs, and salmon. Each session will begin with an examination of the structure of an anatomical region followed by an exploration of its function, including movements and processes in example species. For their final project, students will be encouraged to explore a highly developed or specialized form and its function, such how kangaroos jump, how octopuses see, and how giant pandas digest bamboo. Through this course, we will demystify and develop an appreciation for the wondrous complexity of the vertebrate body and its role in art and design. This is a lecture-style course that includes in-class discussion, research and activities. Course work includes weekly readings and written responses, a series of completed anatomical sketches, and a final project.

Elective

How do the soil, bedrock and water create habitat for living things? What are the roles that diverse living (and dead) organisms play in an ecosystem? We will explore the myriad of ways in which the natural sciences of geology, ecology, botany and zoology can inform our awareness of the world around us, including the problems we create in the environment. This course aims to show -- in lecture, lab and field -- how understanding basic natural sciences, and the connections they illuminate, can open our eyes to the natural diversity around us. Through careful observation, both during class and on their own, students will create ways to communicate the intricacy of these networks.  

Elective

This immersive interdisciplinary Summer Studies course offered by RISD Global is for art and design students interested in exploring the extraordinary biodiversity of Guyana while also considering the role of ecotourism as a conservation strategy. 
 
On location for three weeks in Guyana, this course will be taught by longtime RISD faculty member, scientist Dr. Lucy Spelman (Senior Lecturer/HPSS) and a fine arts graduate student TA - to be determined. 
 
The class travels by road and stays at a variety of eco-lodges in different ecoregions. Students will explore the local culture and study the local ecology, flora, fauna, geology, and night sky. They will learn from local guides and researchers; visit Amerindian villages and local shops; and document the experience by keeping both a written and visual journal, annotated with relevant scientific references. Once back in the capital city of Georgetown, the class will organize a pop-up exhibition in collaboration with a community arts group, Moving Circle, that asks: what is “eco” about ecotourism? The curriculum emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural learning, connecting ideas, information, and methodologies across the arts and biological sciences. Teaching modalities include lectures, walks in nature, drawing in nature, independent study time for reading, writing, and making and group discussion.