Professor, Pratt Institute
Ecology, Environ., & the Anthropocene student work
My Ecology, Environment, & the Anthropocene course requires students to complete a Term Project through a semester-long process of scientific research, concept proposal, and creative execution.
Term Project Proposal
One of the main goals of the Term Project in this course is to translate scientific research into a creative work. Students start by researching a topic (of their own choosing) related to the course, and then develop a project proposal through a process of feedback and revision that includes both an in-class presentation and the development of a written proposal. Although different students will contextualize this assignment within their career trajectories in different ways, I see this proposal as good practice for convincing clients to “buy” a design idea, for applying for residencies, or for seeking project funding. The guidelines for this assignment can be found here. Below are some of the best student Term Project Proposals that I have received, downloadable as PDF’s:
Impacts of Invasive Species & the Preservation of Native Avifauna © Angelina Concepcion (Spring 2025)
The Use of Mycelium as a Valuable Bio-material © Soren Ekstrom (Spring 2025)
Minimizing Architectural Waste Through Modular Design © Ella Chian (Spring 2025)
Dung Beetles: Ecosystem Roles & Anthropogenic Threats © Caser Mallett (Spring 2025)
How Air Pollution Causes Lung Cancer © Isabella Mussa (Spring 2025)
The Perfect Substitute to Save Our Environment © Mia Story (Spring 2025)
The Effect of Urbanization on Migratory Birds © Winni Wang (Spring 2025)
Rising Sea Levels and Coastal Cities © Sky Seawood (Spring 2025)
Short Term Profit Maximization and Ecological Impact © Shannon Lee (Spring 2019)
Acid Precipitation Effects on Culturally-Important Marble Structures © Aditi “Jo” Savabala (Spring 2019)
The Urban Heat Island Effect in New York City © Gianna Cullen (Spring 2019)
The Effects of Overfishing © Xinyao “Krystal” Ye (Spring 2019)
Term Project & Summary
Based on their project proposal, students develop a creative work in the medium of their choosing. While the nature and scope of the creative projects vary widely, they all must incorporate ideas and concepts that emerged from research into the scientific literature. Most students stick with media that is native to their majors, but I encourage students to explore whatever medium best serves their project idea, and I get a great variety of work. The guidelines for this assignment can be found here. Below are some of the best student Term Projects & Summaries I have received, downloadable as PDF’s:
Minimizing Architectural Waste Through Modular Design © Ella Chian (Spring 2025) 
Impact of Invasive Species on New York Native Birds © Angelina Concepcion (Spring 2025)
The Greatest Amur Leopard! © Yuke Li (Spring 2025)
Dung Beetles: Ecosystem Roles & Anthropogenic Threats © Caser Mallett (Spring 2025)
Harmful Algal Blooms © Rayna Popovic (Spring 2025)
Decide Your Future © Ranxi Ren (Spring 2025)
The Effect of Urbanization on Migratory Birds © Winni Wang (Spring 2025)
Marble Rings Showing the Effects of Acid Precipitation © Aditi “Jo” Savabala (Spring 2019)
MY-GROW © Jason Chen (Spring 2019)
Below is a gallery of the creative work students have completed for this assignment:
You can click on each of the images above to see the work in more detail. The description for each image also includes a link to the Project Summary that accompanies the work. All of this work is used with permission of the students who produced it. Please respect the intellectual property rights of these students by not using their work without their permission. If you would like to contact any of the students who produced this work, contact me.