Story by Sophia Anderson
Photos courtesy of Sabrina Michael
Two years ago, Sabrina Michael, an assistant teaching professor, launched a General Honors College course with an ambitious goal: immerse students in the hidden worlds beneath the surface of Earth’s waters. Since then, the class has evolved through small changes and new opportunities, but its mission has stayed constant — bringing together students from a wide range of majors to explore the science, ecology and conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems. In “Blue Earth: Aquatic Science Through SCUBA,” students study everything from aquatic organisms and water quality to the environmental challenges facing oceans and rivers, all while examining how life adapts and thrives underwater.
This semester, the course offered its most immersive experience yet, the opportunity for students to earn scuba diving certification. Through hands-on labs, field experiences and introductory diving instruction, students connected classroom concepts to the realities of aquatic exploration, learning the physics behind scuba diving alongside the biology of underwater ecosystems. The certification option added a new dimension to a course already designed to make science tangible, encouraging students not only to study aquatic environments, but to experience them firsthand.
Freshman Sophie Geppert participated in the optional part of the class that allowed students to get their scuba certification. She and her classmates practiced using equipment in the Mizzou Aquatic Center, located in the MizzouRec Complex, and will take their final open water assessment on a trip to Kentucky at the end of the semester.
“I would definitely recommend the class to others,” Geppert said. “I did not really enjoy science during high school, and I’m not in a science degree path. But this class and Dr. Michael have helped make it understandable and fun, which is great.”
Geppert, an agribusiness major, is one of Michael’s students who has enjoyed learning about marine biology despite not planning to pursue it professionally.
“I’ve learned a lot that I can actually use every day,” Geppert said.
Michael has shared her love of science with numerous Honors College students throughout her time as faculty. Junior Sophie Hof took an earlier version of Michael’s class and is a teaching assistant this semester.
“Dr. Michael’s teaching style is incredibly engaging and unique,” Hof said. “I’ve heard many students refer to Dr. Michael as ‘Adventure Barbie’ or ‘real-life Ms. Frizzle,’ and I couldn’t agree more.”