<p>
	<img align="right" alt="" border="2" src="{filedir_5}Megan-Stitzel.jpg" style="padding: 5px; margin-left: 5px;" />It&rsquo;s a good reminder to have every once in a while: you don&rsquo;t have to be a biology major to be a part of Au Sable. Over the years Au Sable has had students majoring in pre-law, business, and anthropology, among others. These students bring a unique perspective and remind us that every discipline engages with science and the environment in one way or another.</p>
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	This summer, we&rsquo;ve been reminded of the ways that the arts intersect the environment.&nbsp; Megan Stitzel, a biological illustration major, has joined us from Geneva College (class of 2012).</p>
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	Megan began her college career as many Au Sable students do, as a biology major.&nbsp; However, two years into her studies she decided she wanted a different career path. After sitting down with her advisor, Megan found out about medical illustration. Medical illustration allows Megan to combine her passion for art with her passion for science. Geneva&rsquo;s relationship with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh connected these two worlds and made her program feasible.</p>
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	Like all Au Sable courses, field experience at Au Sable gave Megan new contexts to refine her craft.&nbsp; During the summer, Megan focused her time on four specific projects. One was a split anatomy illustration of a red squirrel, where different parts of the squirrel reveal different layers of its anatomy. Her second piece was intended to improve her method with graphite using the detailed subject of a hog-nosed snake. Her third project was drawing turtles from live specimens.&nbsp; And her final illustration had her getting up close and personal with aquatic macro-invertebrates through a dissecting microscope.</p>
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	Megan found the Au Sable environment to be a perfect context for an illustration internship: a plethora of available subjects, ample time and space to focus on her work, and access to the knowledge and expertise of students and professors. She hopes to pass along her experience to other art students (from Geneva and other schools) and encourage them to spend time at Au Sable in the future.</p>
