Xavier Cortada will serve as guest lecturer for the The Miami Art Science Experiment, a 3-credit course by Dr. Keith Waddington at the University of Miami Department of Biology.

The primary purposes of this course are to: 1) investigate and use both artistic and scientific methods, 2) learn to effectively communicate and lead discussions in a seminar setting, 3) learn techniques for small group research and collaboration with classmates from different majors, and 4) use what is learned to investigate and portray life in southern Florida.

The thread running through this course will be a collaborative art and science research study of human demographics and cultures in the metro-Miami area (or some other project). Students will work in small groups to design a specific question-based research project that incorporates both science and art practice to address the problem.  Each group will ask a different question; however, students will [likely] use street detritus as the general source of information.  Students will employ scientific sampling mostly from ecology, such as transect or quadrant sampling techniques, to collect street detritus.  The students will use the information-rich detritus to qualify and quantify answers to their questions and then incorporate it into the final art/science exhibition to be held in the Cox Science lobby (University of Miami campus) during the final week of class.

Xavier Cortada serves as an adjunct faculty at the University of Miami Department of Biology.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/facultydirectory.html