(Drawing) gives you a chance to sit and wonder … about how it came to look like this. —Laci Liter
Dr. Adam Ryburn, professor and chair of biology, assigns scientific illustrations in his General Botany class to help students become better acquainted with specimens.
Laci Liter, cell and molecular biology junior, drew the nymphaea leaf above. “Memorizing cell types can feel so dry until you spend a couple of hours doodling them,” she said. “It gives you a chance to sit and wonder … about the morphology of it, how it came to look like this, and how amazingly complicated life forms are.” ӰAV’s biology program is small but not lacking, she said. Although this was just one assignment, she saw the scientific illustration as emblematic of an ӰAV education, where professors know their students as individuals and inspire a deeper level of learning.
“Creative ӰAV” highlights one branch of the university’s mission—to create—by showcasing creative student work, providing a glimpse into the unique studies and projects undertaken at ӰAV.