This coming Fall 2024 semester the Sustainability Studies program once again will feature its unique section of SUST 330 Biodiversity that meets at the Field Museum of Natural History on Thursdays from 9am to 1pm.
Overview of SUST 330 at the Field Museum
SUST student Lindsey Sharp (BPS ’16) in the FMNH mammalogy lab, Fall 2015 (photo: J. Kerbis)
Taught by Dr. Julian Kerbis Peterhans, professor emeritus of natural science at RU and adjunct curator of mammals at the FMNH, this course is an exceptional opportunity to learn about biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability at one of the world’s foremost natural history research museums.
The Field Museum is actually a “Library of Biodiversity” as it has been documenting plant, animal and fossil species of the world for over 125 years. As Dr. Kerbis Peterhans notes, “Come join the team at the museum where you will work on these specimens: either sorting, cataloguing, photographing, drawing, data-basing, or counting. Let us know if there are a particular group of plants or animals that you are interested in and we will see if we can find you a position.”
Dr. Julian Kerbis Peterhans
SUST 330 includes weekly seminar-style class meetings where students discuss readings and hear from scientists working on biodiversity research in a variety of fields. They then work individually with a scientist in one of the many laboratories/collection departments of the museum, based on their individual interests. Several RU students have secured research internships as well as short- and long-term paid positions following their successful experiences in this course.
For additional information about SUST 330 at the Field Museum, please contact Dr. Kerbis Peterhans (jkerbis@fieldmuseum.org).
Course Registration Information
- Title/number: SUST 330 Biodiversity (section 01)
- Semester offered: Fall 2024
- Location: Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago (map here)
- Day/time: Thursday 9am-1pm
- Start date: 5 Sept 2024
- Pre-req: UWR (ENG 102), proof of Covid-19 vaccination for FMNH
SUST majors and minors may take this class to fulfill an upper-level SUST core requirement, but 330 also is open to students at large who need a general education course in natural science and/or experiential learning (EXL), or who desire elective credit. It also counts toward the Environmental Science minor for biology and other science majors.
Sustainability Studies @ Roosevelt University 