Professor Allison Welch teaches Biology of Sex and Gender; Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation Biology; and Herpetology here at the College of Charleston. She is originally from the Midwest but later decided to move down south. She got her B.S. from Truman University, her Ph.D. from University of Missouri, and her Post-doc from University of North Carolina. After school at North Carolina, she continued to live there for about 20 years.

At a first glance, I thought I would be asking questions about culture, music, or food. Professor Welch has a unique part in sustainability with respect to the South. She engages her students into her classes and they learn to appreciate what the South has to offer, naturally. Since she teaches these higher level biology courses, she has labs and projects for her students to truly connect with the material. She believes her class is like a “plug into the real world.” One specific example from her class happened over the summer. She described it as, “Two students did lab research this summer, they began collecting data on increase solidity levels on toad tadpoles.” She explained that these animals are affected by flooding and rising sea water levels. Welch sees her doing her part through this and explains it as, “I

think the preservation of our environment is a key part of preserving our culture as well.” She also mentioned she usually has field trips throughout the school year but because of the pandemic, all of those trips got cancelled. Another project she is involved in is an alternative for the field trip. Professor Welch explains this project involves research on amphibians and reptiles of South Carolina. She describes the overall goal like this, “This is a cooperative effort with the South Carolina Natural Resource Center to help their efforts.” Her students work with a department of the state to help maintain the natural environment in whatever area they are working on during that project. Overall, Professor Welch does a lot for the sustainability of the South and I think she enjoys it too.