College of Arts & Sciences Programs Collaborate on Grant Project

At least one of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center’s animal ambassadors will be able to travel anywhere it likes with the help of Shenandoah University’s environmental studies program and a variety of campus partners. 

It takes a university. . . and an alum. . . and a class. . . and a purpose

The wildlife center, based in Boyce, Virginia, awarded Shenandoah a grant to help create a comprehensive curriculum for BRWC’s Junior Wildlife Conservationist program, complete with five lessons and a virtual visit from a wood turtle ambassador, said Environmental Studies and Animal Health Associate Professor Allyson Degrassi, Ph.D.

Dr. Degrassi has served as the catalyst and project manager for the pilot program, which combines the research skills of her students with expertise from faculty and staff in Shenandoah’s film production, Spanish, and art and design departments, the Division of Advanced Technology (DAT), and the talents of one of its curriculum designers in Transformative Teaching and Learning (TTL). BWRC Executive Director Annie Bradfield ’09, Development Director Trish Carter, and Education Committee Chair Heather Shank-Givens consulted with Degrassi on ways to engage and include future generations in wildlife conservation and contribute to wildlife education.

The process began with the work of students in Degrassi’s Wildlife Ecology and Habitat class, who were assigned to produce research on different wood turtle-related topics. For example, one group would work on ecology and ecological roles and conservation, while another group would work on prey-predator interactions. As the content came together, so did decisions about how to best present the information, which needed to be written for sixth graders to understand.  

A multidisciplinary multimedia experience

Ultimately, the content became a website with downloadable material featuring five one-hour lessons, to be guided by teachers, with extra tutorials and badges for students within modules – all aligned with Virginia Standards of Learning. Along with the content researched by Degrassi and her students, the unit will also include a documentary made by Assistant Professor of Film Production and Film Production Program Coordinator Anthony Brunner, M.F.A., and his students from Shenandoah’s film production department, showcasing the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center and its process, from animal intake and veterinary care/rehabilitation to release. 

Professor of Virtual and Augmented Reality, Director of the Virtual Reality Design B.A. Program, and Co-Director of the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCiL) Nate Prestopnik, Ph.D.; Adjunct Instructor of Virtual Reality Design Lee Graff, M.Ed.; and student El Lillard ’27, as well as other students from the virtual reality design program, signed on to create a turtle’s-eye view virtual reality experience, complete with underwater and grassland footage filmed at the Shenandoah University River Campus at Cool Spring Battlefield. DAT is also creating a two-dimensional 360-degree video and a 3D-360-degree desktop version to make the content more accessible to educators and learners, she added. 

Shenandoah’s Department of Languages and Cultural Studies, including Department Chair and Professor of Hispanic Studies Adela Borrallo-Solis, Ph.D., SU staff member Denisse Suasnavas ’24 (Environmental Studies/Spanish) and student Alejandro Montano Martínez ’27, is involved in the project as well, translating the unit’s content into Spanish. And, all the modules will wrap up with indoor/outdoor projects and art activities designed by Assistant Professor of Art and Design Abigail Gómez, M.F.A. and a student.

Finally, Degrassi and Jenna Azar from TTL at Shenandoah are working together to create and develop the platform for the entire curriculum and all of its content to assure that it is succinct and works well online. Degrassi had high praise for Azar and her curriculum design. “She is amazing and this project would not be half as engaging as it is today without her hard work and experience in K-12 educational design.”

A joy to produce

Finding buy-in from so many different Shenandoah programs wasn’t difficult, Degrassi said. The response she received when she reached out to each was, “Let’s do that!” and “It sounds like a fun project!”

Degrassi said she has loved the process of creating the virtual visit, particularly getting an insight into all the component parts outside of her area of expertise. “I am lucky to work with such brilliant, talented, and kind people that genuinely care about education and hands-on experience for their students – both at SU and BRWC. I  have so much fun, going into other people’s programs and learning more about their specialities. So, selfishly, I would like to do more and I hope BRWC does too!” She’s not sure how that will happen, or in what form. But, she offers her Wildlife Ecology and Habitat Management class every other year, so perhaps there’s fertile ground for a new project in 2027.