Topics in Mycology

Topics in Mycology is an annually offered elective in the Mycology Certificate. Topics change from year to year, typically covering applied areas of mycology or preparation for research projects. This year, the focus is on fungal biodiversity conservation.

This course will offer students the opportunity to deepen skills in critical thinking, scientific writing, and science communication by exploring topics in fungal biodiversity conservation. Students will learn to search for and read peer-reviewed literature and evaluate popular media sources. Seminar readings and short lectures will touch on a range of topics, including patterns of fungal biodiversity, fungi-human relationships, challenges inherent to fungal biodiversity conservation, and conservation mycology methods and tools. Students will write a literature review and a popular science article on topics of their choice related to the biodiversity and conservation of fungi, guided by the text Writing Science by Josh Schimmel. This work will culminate in a final research paper and a presentation at the end of the quarter.

The course is an entirely online offering. Students will need access to reliable high-speed internet and a computer. Modalities of learning will include readings, seminar discussions, and individual library research projects. Students can expect to spend 2 hours of synchronous class time (Zoom) and 8-10 hours of asynchronous work each week, conducting library research, writing, and reading and discussing scientific papers. This offering is connected to the Mycology Certificate at Evergreen. For more information, visit: https://www.evergreen.edu/certificates/mycology