The Morven Summer Institute
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The Morven Summer Institute is an innovative summer program hosted on UVa's 3,000-acre Morven Farm, an emerging landscape for interdisciplinary learning at the University, located 20 minutes from UVA Grounds. At the Morven Summer Institute, undergraduate and graduate students with interests in sustainability, design, food systems, and ecology will have the opportunity to escape traditional confines of the classroom while working on projects with real-world applications.
Students participating in the 2013 Summer Institute select one 3-credit course from either (or both) of the 10-day summer blocks (Block A: May 13-May 25 & Block B: May 28-June 8). In conjunction with time spent in the classroom at Morven, this interdisciplinary program features guest speakers, field trips, active group discussions, and hands-on projects to ignite creative collaboration among students and faculty.
The Morven Summer Institute is a collaborative effort involving faculty from the School of Architecture and the College of Arts and Sciences; the Office of the Vice President for Research; and the Office of Summer and Special Academic Programs.
Students from all years, departments, and outside Universities are welcome to join the Morven community for this unique program.
2013 Course Dates:
Morven Institute Block A: May 13 - May 25
Morven Institute Block B: May 28 - June 8
BLOCK A: May 13 – May 24
Core class times: 10am - 3:30pm
PLAP 3160: Politics of Food –
- 3 creditsPaul Freedman, Department of Politics
This course looks at the production and consumption of food in a political context. We will explore legislation, regulation, and other policies that affect the food system and examine their implications for the environment, public health and democratic politics. We will look closely at controversies over agricultural subsidies, labeling requirements, farming practices, food safety, food distribution, advertising and education.
EVSC 4559: Agro-EcoLOGY
- 3 credits
Manuel Lerdau, Departments of Environmental Science and Biology
This class will cover the fundamental principles of agro-ecology, the science of using ecological theory to improve agricultural practice. We will begin with the basics of plant-crop science and integrate the fundamental biology of crops into an ecological view of growth and production. Specific topics we will cover include, but are not limited to, mono- vs. poly-culture approaches, drought stress, and disease ecology. The class will look in some detail at the ecological consequences of traditional and modern breeding approaches. We will also examine the roles of economic and sociocultural factors in designing ecologically aware agricultural systems. Students should, but are not required to, have Introductory Biology and Introductory Chemistry. The course will be international in scope but will focus on Central Virginia for field projects.
BLOCK B: May 28 – June 8
Core class times: 10am – 3:30pm
PLAC 5500: Farmers’ Markets and Applied Food Systems Research –
- 3 creditsTanya Denckla Cobb, Department of Urban & Environmental Planning
Paul Freedman, Department of Politics
This seminar will provide an introduction to food systems research with a focus on farmers’ markets. Students will gain practical experience in applied data gathering and analysis, building a set of skills that can be applied in studying farmers’ markets throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. A roster of guest lecturers, developed in collaboration with the national Farmers Market Coalition, will include researchers, policy makers, farmers’ market managers, and farmers.
EVSC 4559: Food and Nutrition in a Changing World –
- 3 creditsManuel Lerdau, Departments of Environmental Science and Biology
This class examines human nutrition in the context of environmental and social changes that are occurring across the Earth's surface. The world today is experiencing an unprecedented combination of ecological, technological, and cultural changes that, both individually and in concert, are affecting the foods we produce and consume. These effects alter the number of people the Earth can support and the qualities of the lives people can lead. We will focus on large scale phenomena such as transportation, cultural exchange, genetic engineering, and climate change in the context of how they affect food production and quality. Questions underlying our examinations will include aspects of environmental and social sustainability and human health.
Costs per Course
Undergraduate Virginia Resident
Tuition (3 credits @ $321/credit): $963Comprehensive Fee: $338
Morven Institute Fee: $465
Total: $1,766
Graduate Virginia Resident
Tuition (3 credits @ $365/credit): $1,095Comprehensive Fee: $338
Morven Institute Fee: $465
Total: $1,898
Undergraduate Out-of-State
Tution (3 credits @ $1,119/credit): $3,357Comprehensive Fee: $397
Morven Institute Fee: $465
Total: $4,219
Graduate Out-of-State
Tuition (3 credits @ $750 credit): $2,250Comprehensive Fee: $397
Morven Institute Fee: $465
Total: $3,112
Application to the Morven Summer Institute is required.
Applications will be accepted and admission granted as space is available, on a rolling basis, until April 21, 2013..Visiting students are welcome to apply. Upon acceptance to the Institute, visiting students must also apply to the University of Virginia Summer Session and abide by the academic and non-academic policies of the University.
To apply to the Morven Summer Institute, please fill out the following form: 2013 Morven Application
For more information, visit the Morven Farm website. To speak with a member of the Morven Programs staff, contact Whitney Farmer: waf7r@virginia.edu or call 434-924-3540.
Morven Farm is conveniently located 20 minutes from UVA Grounds, just down the road from Monticello. For a detailed map and directions, see here.
Faculty:
Tanya Denckla Cobb, Associate Director, Institute for Environmental Negotiation
Paul Freedman, Associate Professor, Department of Politics
Manuel Lerdau, Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
For questions concerning the Morven Summer Institute, please call 434-924-3540.
