Honors

Home Praxis Lab Adventure, Risk, and Rescue
Health & Society 2023-2024

Adventure, Risk, and Rescue

Adventures in the wilderness take many forms—climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, whitewater rafting, backcountry skiing, scuba diving, and more. But how do we determine acceptable levels of risk when engaging in these activities? How do we mitigate those risks, and what choices do we make when faced with survival situations? Beyond safety, what motives and ethical considerations shape our approach to adventure?

This Praxis Lab explored the technical, philosophical, social, and medical dimensions of outdoor recreation and wilderness medicine. Students engaged in critical discussions, case studies, and hands-on learning to better understand the ethical complexities of risk-taking in extreme environments.

Instructors:

Margaret P. Battin, PhD

TW Jones, MD

More Praxis Labs

Infectious Disease on the Run
Health & Society

Infectious Disease on the Run

Margaret P. Battin, PhD
Wendy Hobson-Rohrer, MD

This Praxis Lab examined the history, science, and ethical implications of pandemics, from the Black Plague to COVID-19. Students analyzed how diseases spread, the social and political responses to outbreaks, and the ethical considerations of public health interventions.

More Info2021-2022
How We Die
Health & Society

How We Die

Margaret P. Battin, PhD

This Praxis Lab explored the evolving landscape of death and dying in the modern world, examining the shift from infectious disease mortality to prolonged battles with degenerative illnesses like cancer, heart failure, and dementia.

More Info2016-2017
Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment
Policy & Social Justice

Education, Incarceration & Justice: Punishment and Opportunity in an Era of Mass Imprisonment

Erin Castro
Roberto Garcia

This Praxis Lab examined the deep connections between education, incarceration, and justice in the United States, a country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Students explored the historical and systemic forces that have expanded the carceral state, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color.

More Info2016-2017