Sea The Future: Engaging College Students in Marine Biology

How do you teach marine biology in a land-locked state?

You have to think outside of the box, just like University of Mount Union professor Dr. Amy McElhinney did. “I had to get creative in how to expose students to marine habitats,” said McElhinney.

What did she do?
Drawing on Mount Union’s robust alumni base in Florida, she partnered with the Alumni Office and the Office of University Advancement to develop an extended field trip experience where students from her class explore parts of the entire coastline of Florida.
McElhinney will take the audience on an in-depth virtual field trip experience when she presents “Sea the Future: Engaging College Students in Marine Biology,” a One Book One Community program, on Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. A 20-year scuba diver, she will also share some stories of her interactions with cephalopod molluscs.

Registration is required at rodmanlibrary.com.
The lecture is being held ahead of a visit to Alliance by author Sy Montgomery, who wrote the 2026 One Book One Community selection, “The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness.”