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American Lung Association Guest Lecture

Endorsement Stories

Stay up to date with the latest stories about academics! From student projects to student successes, see what's going on with our academic department. 
American Lung Association Guest Lecture

Anatomy and Physiology classes had a guest lecture from a member of the American Lung Association. The lecture was full of fascinating facts about cigarettes and the impact of pollutants on the lungs. Did you know that cigarettes are known to contain over 7,000 different toxic chemicals? While the effects of vaping have not been researched to the extent of cigarettes, there is some indication that the 2,000+ chemicals in vape pens could have similar impacts. Though the different statistics were eye-opening, the student's favorite part of the lecture was when the presenter took out two sets of pig lungs (…yes, real pig lungs…), one healthy set, and one impacted by smoking. The presenter used a pump to inflate both sets of lungs. While the healthy lungs inflated smoothly and to their full capacity, the unhealthy ones hardly changed shape. It is one thing to talk about the effect of smoking on the lungs; it's different to actually see the physical effects and how that impacts function. Beyond just looking at the impacts of smoking, the presenter spoke about the different ways that we can maintain the health of our lungs. Some things as simple as drinking plenty of water, exercising, and even singing.

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Galapagos Island Discovery Experience

The Ecuador and Galapagos Discovery trip this past summer is an excellent example of how Discovery experiences extend our students' learning into the real world. When talking about Ecology in Biology class, students learn how ecologists study ecosystems and the challenges they face in preserving our natural world. Are certain species endangered? Do they need particular conservation action? How are we impacting them? However, none of these questions can be answered until we know the types and population levels of species that exist there. This is a challenging but essential job that our students were able to participate in! 

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