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UWF launches second installment of Gulf Stories, free online course

Today, the University of West Florida launched the second installment of Gulf Stories, a free online course that explores a range of topics, from art and advanced manufacturing to citizen science and coastal ecology.

Gulf Stories 2 features the work of five UWF faculty researchers and takes a close look at Gulf Coast communities and how we interact with and affect our natural environment.

“As a division, we’re focused on multidisciplinary research and innovation in education, so of course it’s incredibly exciting to launch the second Gulf Stories course,” said Dr. Pamela Northrup, vice president of research and strategic innovation at UWF. “It’s a platform that seems to really engage online learners and it allows us to continue to showcase the incredible impact our researchers are having on the Gulf and beyond.”

Professors and their course modules include:

  • Bad Genes: Human Impact on Aquatic DNA taught by Dr. Alexis Janosik, assistant professor in the Department of Biology.
  • The Complex Ecology of Coastal Environments taught by Dr. Jane Caffrey, professor in the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation.
  • Art, Science and Our Experience of the Physical World taught by Thomas Asmuth, associate professor in the Department of Art.
  • The Effects of UV Radiation and Man-Made Disasters in the Gulf taught by Dr. Wade Jeffrey, distinguished University professor and director of the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation.
  • Citizen Science and the Purposeful Act of Learning taught by Dr. John Pecore, associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership.

The total time commitment for the course is roughly 10 hours. Students can work at their own pace; there is no start or end date. Gulf Stories 2 is currently non-credit but may be offered for academic credit in the future.

For more information on Gulf Stories 2 or to register for the course, visit uwf.edu/gulfstories2.