About

Dr. Ellie Louson is a learning designer in the Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology and an instructor in History, Philosophy, and Sociology of Science at Lyman Briggs College, MSU.

Education

Ellie has a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from York University, Canada (2018). She attended the Institute for the History & Philosophy of Science & Technology at the University of Toronto (MA). She is a proud graduate of Bishop’s University, a small liberal-arts college in Quebec, where she earned honors degrees in Biochemistry and in Philosophy. She completed the IB program at Champlain Regional College, St. Lambert campus.

Publications

2020. You Can Teach Online! Designing effective and engaging online courses. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science Communiqué, Innovative Pedagogy section. 102(Autumn): 42-44.

[2020] Integrated Courses: Benefits, Challenges, and Successes – Roundtable. Joint Panel, Society for the History of Technology/History of Science Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans (conference postponed).

[2020] Teach with “GORP” for Better Experiential Learning in HPS. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. University of Western Ontario, Canada (conference canceled).

[2020] Design Your Experiential Courses with High-Impact Practices [co-authored with Bill Heinrich, Aalayna Green & Caroline Blommel]. Spring Conference on Teaching, Learning and Student Success, Michigan State University, USA (conference canceled).

2019. Response to Oliver Lazarus, Capitalist Pigs: Animals in the Development of NYC. Workshop for the History of Environment, Agriculture, Technology and Science. October 4-6. Michigan State University, USA. [invited]

2019. Beginning to Unsettle Study Away in Maine: Decentering Settler Narratives in HPS Context (co-authored with Isaac Record). Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science Communiqué. 100(Autumn): 23-24.

2019. “We fire all our scientists”: The Sheepfarmer Case as Engaged Learning (co-authored with Melissa Charenko). Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science Communiqué. 99(Winter): 16-18.

2018. Never Before Seen: Spectacle, staging, and story in wildlife film’s blue-chip renaissance. PhD diss, York University.

2018. Taking Spectacle Seriously: Wildlife Film and the Legacy of Natural History Display. Science in Context 31(1): 15-38. DOI: 10.1017/S0269889718000030

2019. The Future is Generous [with Kathleen Fitzpatrick]. AA7: Prospecting: Extraction, Speculation, and Liberation in the Accelerated Academy. November. 22-23. Michigan State University, USA.

2019. Engaging Students through Stakeholder Roleplay [co-authored with Melissa Charenko]. Spring Conference on Student Learning and Success. Michigan State University, USA.

2018. Performing Authenticity: The Making-Of-Documentary in Wildlife Film’s Blue-Chip Renaissance. History of Science Society Annual Meeting. Seattle, USA.

2018. Chasing Wildlife Films’ Uncertain Impacts. Canadian Society for History & Philosophy of Science. University of Regina, Canada.

2018. Patchwork Impacts: Wildlife Films and the Challenge of Measuring Experience. Chimerizations Binocular STS/HPST Graduate Conference. University of Toronto, Canada.

2017. Shark Week, Sitcoms, and Soap Commercials: How Unexamined Daily Encounters Shape Our Views of Science [co-authored with Megan Halpern]. Society for the Social Studies of Science. Boston, USA.

2017. Performing Authenticity: The Making-of-Documentary in Wildlife Film’s Blue-Chip Renaissance. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. Ryerson University, Canada.

2016. 21st-Century Wildlife Filmmaking as Natural History Expedition. History of Science Society. Atlanta, USA.

2016. Taking Spectacle Seriously: Wildlife Films and the Legacy of Natural History Display. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. University of Calgary, Canada.

2015. ‘Because they tell such an amazing story’: Documentary Filmmakers’ Collaborative Relationships with Biologists. International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology. Université de Québec à Montréal, Canada.

2015. ‘But really what I’m doing there was capturing stories’: Wildlife Filmmakers’ Stories about Nature. Stories About Science: Exploring Science Communication and Entertainment Media Symposium. University of Manchester, UK.

2015. Documentary Filmmakers’ Collaboration with Science Consultants. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. University of Ottawa, Canada.

2015. Shortcuts to Nature: Staging in 21st-Century Wildlife Films. “Faking It:” Counterfeits, Copies, and Uncertain Truths in Science, Technology, and Medicine Conference. Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society, UC Berkeley, USA.

2015. Animal Stand-Ins: Authenticity and Artifice in 21st-Century Wildlife Films. Society for Cinema & Media Studies. Montreal, Canada.

2014. ‘Why should we care about these ferrets?’: Wildlife Filmmakers on Production, Science, and Storytelling. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. Brock University, Canada.

2013. Simulated nature: wildlife films and the representation of animal behaviour. International Congress for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine. University of Manchester, UK.

2012. Visual Representation and Science: Editors’ Introduction (with Ari Gross) Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science. 6(1): 1-7. DOI: 10.4245/sponge.v6i1.18644

2012. Situating Planet Earth’s HD Cameras. Society for the Social Studies of Science, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.

2012. Acting just like a real polar bear: Wildlife films as simulations. STS Graduate Conference, York University, Canada.

2012. The sage behind the camera: Truth-to-nature and wildlife films. HAPSAT Graduate Conference, University of Toronto, Canada.

2012. Objective lenses: Planet Earth’s HD cameras as political and situated. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. University of Waterloo, Canada.

2011. Spandrels, Complexity, and the Consequences for Adaptationism. Integrating Complexity: Environment and History Workshop, International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology. University of Western Ontario, Canada.

2010. ‘Storm Centre of Military Medicine’: Theory, Class, and Disciplinary Boundaries in the Canadian Treatment of Shell Shock.” Annual Graduate History Symposium. University of Toronto, Canada.

2010. Nature, Real to Reel: Why HPS should care about wildlife films. Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science. Concordia University, Montreal.

2009 Nature, Projected: Evolutionary Theory and Wildlife Films. Origin of Species at 150: Darwin Conference. University of Toronto, Canada.

 

Blog Posts

    Projects

    At the Hub for Innovation in Learning & Technology, Ellie leads the Spartan Studios project supporting the design, planning, implementation, and analysis of co-taught interdisciplinary, experiential courses. This work includes coaching faculty, producing faculty-facing training materials, assessment research, and project management.

    She is the Faculty Mentor for the 2020-21 cohort of the Hub Graduate Fellowship.

    She co-organized the online Public Engagement with Science conference, designing its website and running its Twitter account @pewsconf.

    She served in design and research roles on several Hub projects, including the project partnering with MSU’s new Physician’s Assistant program to design integrated learning experiences.

    She was the social media coordinator and part of the communications team for Science Gallery Detroit in 2018.

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