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Osnes-Stoedefalke, Beth

Professor

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Research

research overview

  • The research of Beth Osnes focuses on the use of applied performance and creative climate communication to co-author an equitable, survivable, and thrive-able future for life and the ecosystems upon which life depends. Current work includes using performance as a tool for young female-identifying and gender diverse youth to engage in art-science activities to support their feeling of belonging within STEM and as a part of the natural world. and 2) performance-based methods for supporting youth in climate engagement. As co-founder of Inside the Greenhouse on the CU campus for creative climate communication, this year she continued an art/science project, Side by Side, with EBIO professor Rebecca Safran and Environmental Design professor Shawhin Roudbari for which they were awarded a nearly $2,000,000 grant through the National Science Foundation Advancing Informal STEM Learning. In past summers they worked with area high school aged youth to create an art/science procession at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and award-winning films that have been shown in film festivals around the world. She continues to tour an experiential performance The Butterfly Affect, that invites audience members to costume themselves as various butterfly species to undergo metamorphosis. This performance has toured locally and internationally and was featured in 2024 on Colorado Matters of Colorado Public Radio and the Jesse Waters Show on Fox News for over 2.5 million viewers. She also continues to advance climate comedy with ENSV professor Max Boykoff with major support from the Argosy Foundation.

keywords

  • use of performance-based methods to support youth in authoring climate solutions at the local level, vocal empowerment for women in all aspects of sustainable development, theatre for development, creative climate communication, community engagement in resilience planning at the city level, young women's vocal empowerment, good natured climate comedy, environmental education

Publications

selected publications

Teaching

courses taught

  • ATLS 3173 - Creative Climate Communication
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
    We generate multimodal compositions on the subject of climate change and engage with various dimensions of issues associated with sustainability. We work to deepen our understanding of how issues associated with climate change are or can be communicated, by analyzing previously created expressions from a variety of media (interactive theatre, film, fine art, television programming, blogs, performance art, for example) and then be creating our own work. Recommended prerequisite: ENVS 1000. Same as ENVS 3173 and THTR 4173.
  • DNCE 5048 - Performance and Community Engagement
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023
    Engages students in the power of performance for effecting positive social change. Students research collaboratively to create performances and workshop experiences to intentionally author the future they want. Readings provide theoretical foundations that serve as the basis for creative work. Students engage in creative explorations. Open to all forms of performance.
  • ENVS 3173 - Creative Climate Communication
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Spring 2021 / Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
    We generate multimodal compositions on the subject of climate change and engage with various dimensions of issues associated with sustainability. We work to deepen our understanding of how issues associated with climate change are or can be communicated, by analyzing previously created expressions from a variety of media (interactive theatre, film, fine art, television programming, blogs, performance art, for example) and then be creating our own work. Recommended prerequisite: ENVS 1000. Same as ATLS 3173 and THTR 4173.
  • ENVS 4850 - ENVS Honors Thesis Research
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2024
    To be taken in final academic year prior to graduation. Consists of honors research and thesis preparation under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Department enforced restriction: Requires a minimum 3.3 GPA and a declared ENVS major and approval by departmental honors committee. If a student wishes to use ENVS 4850 to complete the ENVS Capstone degree requirement, at least 3 credit hours of ENVS 4850 are required (by graduation).
  • ENVS 5930 - Internship
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2020
    Provides academically supervised opportunities for environmental studies majors to work in public and private organizations on projects related to the students' research and career goals, and to relate classroom theory to practice.
  • ... more

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