Drew University Moodle

In Adaptation — Page to Screen, we will be examining various works of fiction and their adaptations into screenplays and, eventually, into films and television shows. We will primarily look at short works which have been adapted for the screen but will also look at excerpts from longer works (including plays, novels, and graphic novels). Since this is a creative writing course, we will not only be looking at examples but each of you will create original works of fiction that you will then adapt into short scripts and screenplays. We will investigate what goes into creating an adaptation through practice, not just theory. You will learn basic elements of storytelling and fiction writing and will also learn some basics of screenwriting and visual representation including, but not limited to, scene pacing, dialogue, and directorial comments. In addition, to your own original works, you will build your skills through a short series of informal assignments where you will adapt existing fictional works into original scripts.

Wildlife disease outbreaks are increasing in frequency and severity around the globe. Disease dynamics are governed by complex interactions between hosts, pathogens, and the environment in which they interact. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd), is one of the most devastating wildlife pathogens to date. Interestingly, while Bd devastates frog populations in some regions around the globe, it has less dramatic effects on the amphibians of the United States Midwest and east coast. Understanding why disease dynamics vary among species and populations affected by this pathogen is critical to mounting a management response to disease outbreaks. This project strives to determine if community interactions between Bd  and aquatic macroinvertebrates and zooplankton may be moderating disease dynamics in this system.