1.6: Apply knowledge of biology to one or more contemporary issues in society

This outcome was one of the easier ones for me to master. I had not had much experience with it until early in my college career but I was interested to see how what I was learning in class related to real-world topics. In Bio 364, I did a risk assessment assignment on a site in Lynchburg that was affected by nine contaminants in the soil and water. I assessed the hazards impact on human health, the normal dosage for each one, and the surrounding population to determine the risk.

While doing the vaccine assignment for Bio 305, I was able to learn more about what vaccines do and I learned more about the anti-vaccine movement. This project involved watching a documentary on the arguments for both sides so I knew how weigh them both. The impact of vaccines will specifically be useful to me later on because I want to go into healthcare administration. I will continue to use my knowledge of the impact of biological concepts on issues specifically in the healthcare industry long after my college career.