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news
Students can visit
Catalina
By Sarah Langford
On-line Forty-Niner
Are you a biology
student interested in expanding your horizons? Would you jump
at a chance to grow not just academically but personally as
well?
This is not for
everyone. But it could be for you.
The University
of Southern California, in conjunction with the Wrigley Institute
for Environmental Studies, offers a one-semester intensive
study on Catalina Island for biology and environmental studies
majors. The program is available to all students who attend
an accredited university, including Cal State Long Beach.
"This program
is unique because students have a chance to be spontaneous
in their research," said Lorri Grubaugh, director of
communications at Wrigley Institute. "They may decide
one day to go out and study banana slugs, then do something
entirely different the next day."
The isolation of
Catalina is a critical factor in the success of the program.
Twenty miles of water separate the island from the coast of
Southern California, creating an environment different than
what is typically found on the mainland.
"In the beginning
of each semester most students go home on weekends,"
Grubaugh said. "By the end of the program though, they
are so involved in their research and the course material
that very few students want to leave on the weekends."
The facilities
on Catalina include dorms and an apartment complex, a dining
hall, and classrooms for study and research. Students enroll
through USC and choose from a variety of biology and environmental
studies courses to enhance their education.
There is still
space available for students interested in going in Spring
2002. Grubaugh recommends meeting with an adviser before applying
to the program.
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