Integrated General Education Covers Women in Medicine

Southern Utah University's integrated general education program aims to be innovative and contribute to student success and retention by incorporating multiple knowledge areas and faculty to create courses that engage students. These courses are developed as part of a Curriculum Innovation Grant from SUU's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).

SUU's newest general education course focuses on Women in Medicine and includes a syllabus that covers many topics from the United State’s founding mothers to the brave suffragettes and everything in between. There will also be opportunities for trips outside of class to participate in other activities related to the materials and topics.

Dr. Laura June Davis, assistant professor of history at SUU, will lead the historical perspective of the course. Her teaching and research focus on American history through the 19th century, with an emphasis on gender, identity, community, and the military.

“Women in Medicine will focus on the historical influences of women in medical developments and professionalization,” said Dr. Davis. “From the Life Sciences perspective, we will be discussing biological basics and a variety of scientific topics related to women's health. From the Humanities perspective, we will divert from typical history chronologies to explore the roles that enslaved & indigenous women played in gynecological developments, the poisoning of the ‘radium girls’, and the medico-scientific discoveries by women. We will also explore women's representation in medical pop culture ('Call the Midwife', 'Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman', 'Grey's Anatomy, etc.).”

Dr. Carrie Bucklin, assistant professor of biology at SUU, will showcase the biological perspective of the course. She is a discipline-based education researcher, focusing on understanding how to best help students learn biology.

“This class will provide a unique opportunity to investigate the roles women played in scientific discoveries, as well as their influence on our understanding of women's health topics,” said Dr. Bucklin.

Both Dr. Davis and Dr. Bucklin are available for an interview.