There are two great topics courses being offered this Spring, taught by one of our favorite professors, Gaj Sivandran!

CENV 190: Student’s Guide to Responsible Use of AI  – General Elective for Marine Bio majors

Q SCI 497  ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS – Counts toward the Q SCI Minor

Hi all,

Hope you’re hanging in there.

I’m writing because I’m teaching a brand-new course this spring — CENV 190: Student’s Guide to Responsible Use of AI — the first time we’ve offered anything like this. I’ll be co-teaching with Kat Huybers and Kristi Straus, and between us we cover the AI user spectrum from enthusiastic AI user to polite skepticism.

This topic is… not uncontroversial. People have strong opinions about AI, especially in universities and classrooms. Some are excited, some are worried, some want it banned entirely, and some are quietly using it already and pretending they’re not. Which is exactly why this feels like a conversation that belongs in a classroom, not just on Twitter or in policy memos.

This is not a coding class. It is not about chasing the newest AI tool. And yes — I promise there is no math.

Instead, it’s a discussion-heavy, thinking-first course about how AI actually fits into learning, science, and decision-making: where it helps, where it breaks, where it’s unfair, and where we should probably slow down. We’ll talk bias, environmental impacts, ethics, and how to work with AI without handing over your voice or judgment.

Because this is the first run, you won’t just be taking the course — you’ll be helping shape how we think about AI use in environmental classes going forward. Think of it as a low-stakes, high-thought pilot with opinions encouraged and skepticism welcome.

If arguing (politely and inclusively), thinking deeply, and being part of a slightly experimental conversation about AI sounds appealing, I’d love to have you involved. Happy to answer questions, flyer attached if you want details.

Best,
Gaj

Q SCI 497  ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS

Interested in data science, but not sure what your next move is?

Finding the Signal will provide a survey of a wide variety of data analysis approaches used in biology and the environmental sciences, so you can find what’s most exciting to you.

3‑credit, project-based class. No exams.

4 instructors will lead discussions on techniques they use

Details:

• Mondays 4:00 to 5:50 p.m., MGH 044
• Instructor: Gaj Sivandran
• Course counts towards QSci Minor elective requirements