What does it mean to think like an artist and like a scientist?
My name is Sierra Dunn and I am a senior biology major with minors in neuroscience and chemistry, and I grew up in Asheville and Marion, North Carolina.
MERGING THE ARTS AND SCIENCES
This past semester, I was able to take a course in the College of Arts and Sciences with professors Bob Goldstein and Beth Grabowski called “Art and Science: Merging Printmaking and Biology.” As a pre-medicine student, I rarely have the opportunity to take a science course that allows me to be artistic. I also knew this would be challenging because instinctively I am not a particularly artistic person. After taking this course, I realized that being a biologist doesn’t mean that you can’t be creative or artistic. Tapping into these perspectives in work and life allows for a deeper appreciation and understanding of science. This is something I hope to carry with me as I continue on my path of becoming a neuroscientist.
For my final project, I created a quilt complete with cyanotype images on muslin as an artistic representation of parental drug abuse on childhood — a topic very personal to me. The quilt features a faded effect which speaks to the fading of relationships and childhood, and is sized the same as a hospital receiving blanket. I created this piece to allow for conversations among others who had a similar childhood to mine, but also for those who didn’t have this same experience to help them understand the impact this has on a person and to keep an open mind to those around them.
THE IMPACT OF GIVING
I share my experience in this course because it had such a meaningful impact on my Carolina journey — and thanks to the Arts and Sciences Fund, learning opportunities like mine are made possible for so many students each year. Your support of the Arts and Sciences Fund enhances the experience of more than 17,000 undergraduates and 2,300 graduate students on Carolina’s campus. Please make a gift today to help ensure all students within the College of Arts and Sciences are afforded the life-enriching opportunities they need to lead meaningful lives and create a positive impact on the world.