Hiram College Biomes

www.hiram.edu/biomes

“

Global warming is not just about the melting ice caps or the rising sea levels.

We were studying environmental changes, but I found that the most profound changes I discovered on this trip occurred within me. I found there is so much more about the world – and so much more about me, and that I could contribute – than my ‘narrow pre-med’ focus before the trip had allowed me to see.

”

- Leah Schaffer, Hiram College Biomes of the World 2008 participant

For more information, or to apply, contact:

Kimberly Mick Director of Study Away and Exchange Programs, Hiram College mickks@hiram.edu • 330.569.5160

4

CONTINENTS

Biomes

8

COUNTRIES

80 DAYS

OF THE WORLD A study abroad expedition

Define adventure while reinventing learning and experiencing the world on the Biomes of the World study abroad expedition.

Hiram College is proud to offer its third Biomes of the World study abroad program across the globe in spring 2016 (January through April). Students who embark on this program will study the impact of climate change on people and the environment by experiencing the world’s vast landscapes and terrains – from polar to tropical, eastern to western, high altitudes to sea level and terrestrial to aquatic.

Students will visit four continents and eight countries over an approximately 80-day period. Broadly, the academic content of the program examines climate change, water and human influence upon the earth. Students of every major or academic discipline will relate the experience back to their own interests as they discover the change they want to make in the world.

The study abroad program is open to undergraduates at all U.S. colleges and universities.

This is a study abroad program unlike any other.

Biomes of the World Spring 2016 • Registration deadline: Aug. 15, 2015 • Cost: $13,000* for all travel expenses, accommodations and meals.

All participants must also pay Hiram College tuition for the Spring 2016 semester ($15,115 for incoming students). Non-Hiram participants can expect to pay an additional ~$1,000 for three weeks of room and board upon returning from the trip.

• Non-refundable deposit (upon acceptance): $2,000 • Depart/Return: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport • Program director: Denny Taylor, Ph.D., Hiram College professor of biology *Personal expenses, passport fees and independent travel are not covered.

Academic Courses Through four courses, participants will gain new insight and reflect upon their experiences: • Biology 380: Biomes of the World: Examine what makes each biome distinct, and discover global warming’s effects on humans, animals, vegetation, water supply and building climate change resiliency.

• Interdisciplinary: Fictions of Science: Study Western reactions to the natural world through the contributions and writings about 19th century expeditions and the discoveries of German scientists.

• Writing 310: Travel Writing: Learn the major trends in travel writing, with a focus on the environment, and through journal keeping, discover how journal writing corresponds to the craft of creative writing.

• A 3-Week course at Hiram College selected individually: Return from your travels to Hiram College, and reflect on your experience by integrating what you have learned into a course that fits your needs.

Destinations Because of varying fuel and plane ticket costs, an exact itinerary will not be determined until after the registration deadline. Though travel to specific destinations cannot be guaranteed, students will visit a wide range of diverse biomes across the world. Possible destinations include the following: • Alaska, U.S.A.: tundra and boreal forests • Hawaii or Guam, U.S.A.: coastal environments, coral reef and mangrove • Thailand: tropical rainforests and continental shelf • India: temperate grasslands and tropical dry forests, desert • Tanzania: savannah • Turkey: Mediterranean woodland and scrub • Germany: temperate broadleaf deciduous forests • Norway: arctic seas and the polar ice cap • Dominican Republic: coastal communities