The Senior Reflection
When art meets science
In 2010, the Biology Department at Stanford launched the Senior Reflection (TSR), a capstone program for seniors directed by Andrew Todhunter and Susan McConnell. Capstones define some of the most memorable and rewarding academic events of an undergraduate career.
In this three-quarter course series, seniors in Biology and other life science programs at Stanford are invited to undertake an exciting, in-depth creative project that joins a compelling scientific subject with a passion for the arts. TSR builds on the knowledge and skills acquired within a major. It enables students to pursue an issue of personal interest in depth, challenges them to expand their creativity, and engages the wider community in the creation and exhibition of an artistic project. Past student works have included documentary film, sculpture, painting, spoken word, poetry, jazz, dance, digital art, fiction and photography addressing topics ranging from conservation and the environment to mental illness and chronic disease to the neurochemistry of emotion. See the Exhibition page for works from previous years.
Interested? Check out our FAQ page for information to see whether TSR is right for you! On the Reflections page you can find essays from seniors about the evolution of their projects and the impact of TSR on their lives.
