AMANDA DEDIE
Staff Writer
Global change — the topic everyone talks about but no one can agree on. Is it real? Are we over-exaggerating? Does it really matter if, most likely, none of us will be alive to see any catastrophic effects?
It is well-known that what has happened in the past influences our present and our future. In terms of the environment, this is exactly what Dr. Courtney Wigdahl-Perry, assistant professor in biology, explores in her new class: Global Change Biology.
“The idea of this class is to look at some of the ways that organisms are changing all around the world. What is influencing those changes? The way I have the class structured is in three parts: looking at the past, the present and the future.”
“[In regard to the past]: How do we know what’s changed before? What information can we use to study past changes and get a longer time perspective on what is happening right now? The second part of the class is the present: looking at changes that we see today,” Wigdahl-Perry said.
“The last part of the class will be the future section, looking at how we model these changes. How do we actually make predictions for the future? How do we try to make decisions about conservation, or preservation? We use our ecosystems for our natural resources, and we rely a lot on organisms that live out in the environment for those resources. So how do we deal with what’s going to happen down the road?”
Despite three credit hours and being one step closer to a degree, what can students stand to gain from taking this course? Wigdahl-Perry explained the benefits and outcomes of Global Change Biology.
“With this class, I think the biggest takeaway I want my students to have is to not just understand where we are going, but how do we know where we’ve been in terms of changes that are happening? We have a lot of concern, especially about [the] global climate change issue. What does that mean in terms of our natural environment?” Wigdahl-Perry said, highlighting some of the main concepts to be explored in class.
“I want students to know, how do we know what’s normal? I really want my students to be able to dig into past records, looking at all different kinds of information that people have established in different fields, to be able to apply that knowledge, to be able to look critically for information that’s out there and be able to decide for themselves, ‘What’s the data I’m seeing, and what does that mean for how I feel about it in terms of its reliability?’
“[I want students to decide] whether it’s coming from a reputable source, and then how to take that to the next step. So we take a lot of time looking at information, looking at graphs, thinking about techniques used to collect those records.”
The concepts learned in this class, however, have more use outside of the biology realm. Wigdahl-Perry explains that a lot of the concepts used in this class are extremely marketable skills that can be used out in the “real world,” when looking for and participating in a job.
“Based upon my research expertise and my interests, I really focus a lot on this question of how lakes respond to environmental change. That’s one of the reasons I was interested in teaching this class, is because I can bring a lot to the table in terms of my research methodology. What are the types of things I’m interested in? I think that they’re very relevant in terms of broadening that out so that students can relate to that. Not just for my really specific area, but what does that mean more broadly for students going out into the world?” she asked.
“What sort of skills can help you in a job setting? Looking at data, interpreting it, thinking critically about information that is presented to you and where it’s coming from — those are all really good skills,” she continued.
Besides just lecturing, students will also engage in group projects, group debates and individual projects on relevant topics of their choice. Wigdahl-Perry also brings in guest speakers and experts who can explain more in-depth about the topics students are learning about.
“We’ve looked at things like ice cores. I had a colleague Skype in to do a video conference with my students to talk about her experiences traveling to Antarctica and the Swiss Alps. She goes out and does these collections of ice cores — they drill down through the ice sheet and they can look at almost annual resolutions in a lot of these; what’s happening throughout the years, back hundreds of thousands of years,” she said. “I’ve been trying to bring in an expert for each unit so they can talk to somebody besides me, because this is very interdisciplinary, lots of different fields that we’re trying to draw upon, so I try to get them to talk to the experts.”
The upcoming, and perhaps more relatable, subject in terms of time periods is the present.
“Now we’re going to shift gears and start talking about issues today, like where species are found, and how much those ranges vary over time. What’s happening to those ranges? Are they expanding? Are they becoming more limited? What’s causing that? We’ll talk about changes in the overall ecosystem structure and function, and how these different types of biomes are changing now,” said Wigdahl-Perry.
Global Change Biology, BIOL 450/550, is available to upperclassmen and graduate students majoring in medical technology; biology; interdisciplinary studies — environmental sciences, biochemistry, molecular genetics; and biology — adolescence education.
“The real prerequisite is ecology, so I expect students to have a basic knowledge of that class, because I don’t want to spend time talking about the principles for that level. I want to take the principles and apply them, so I’m looking at this from a more advanced perspective,” Wigdahl-Perry said. “Getting into some of the methodology, digging into literature, looking at scientific papers and interpreting that, which is great for students at all levels, but I think you need to have some more coursework under your belt to be able to enjoy and get a lot from that experience.”
What advice does Wigdahl-Perry have to anyone considering taking her new course?
“Be prepared to work hard. That’s true for so many classes here. You’re going to work really hard in the class but if you put in the effort, you’re going to get a lot out,” said Wigdahl-Perry. “Come ready to participate. It’s not the kind of course that works if students just sit there. The students who get the most out of it are the ones that are vocal and present and prepared for class. Bring your good ideas to the table. A lot of these areas are driven by student interest.”