Suzanne Loui
Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Growing up in a theater family and packing into the family car on camping trips meant growing up for Suzanne Loui was a constant scene change. The backdrops were cities, forests, mountains, springs, and museums – all places that served to give her a humanistic perspective on the natural world she now gives back to the students she lectures.
“I got this rich education from visiting national parks, that really stayed with me. You know, every play has its own set and something happens in that set. I got really interested in the stories that happened in these sets – especially when I was working for the Park Service later in my life. That’s when I decided to go back to graduate school and read more about these stories.”
She’s been taking her environmental humanities class out to Tyson a few Saturdays each fall to meet different scientists. For some, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a lab, let alone step in one, so it’s a valuable way to demystify the scientific process. Suzanne herself found she had a knack for chemistry back in high school, but discouraging influences pushed her away from the discipline, delaying her first step into a real lab until she started teaching her class.
“Being in a lab for the first time was an incredible, eye opening experience for me. I feel lucky that I get to be around all these scientists all the time that let me peer over their shoulder and ask questions. I have an enormous respect for science. If I can put together that undeniable human relationship with the natural world, the stories of human connections, with what we know about the natural world from science, I think that helps students get somewhere with climate change. That’s what I try to do in all my classes.”