Michael Bryant

Mike Bryant (he/him) is an educator, a biologist, and a statistician. His research on behavioral and evolutionary ecology has appeared in prominent science journals such as Science, Nature, American Naturalist, Ecology, PLoS, and Animal Behaviour. His education research has appeared in the Journal of Educational Psychology and in Art Documentation.

Mike transformed his interests in functional anatomy, animal behavior, life history evolution, population dynamics, and statistics into the development of 14 science and math courses. These include courses in environmental science, conservation, genetics, evolution, nutrition, data science and visualization, and the history of mathematics. His courses are interdisciplinary in focus and delivery. As an example, his course “Sex and Death” begins with the question of what life is, how this relates to modes of reproduction, and sexual behavior across the animal kingdom. Students then examine the evolution of the family, a subject that touches on Mike’s own research on post-reproductive lifespan in tropical fish (AKA “Menopause in Guppies”). Naturally, the course ends with the biology of death. Throughout the course, students consider genetic art, gender, and reproductive rights and technologies from biological, cultural, and societal perspectives.

Consistent with the experimental and interdisciplinary nature of CalArts, Mike has contributed his mathematical modeling skills to live performance (e.g., Grisha Coleman’s Echo::System project). Mike has modeled safe classroom transitions and occupancy during COVID-19. Currently, he is modeling the changes in a STEM versus a STEAM emphasis among California public high schools.