New names for an LAS department and program
Author: Paula Van Brocklin
Iowa’s state Board of Regents has approved name changes for a department and a program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) at Iowa State University.
On July 1, the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences (GEAT) became the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate. The Biological and Pre-Medical Illustration (BPMI) program will become Scientific Illustration and Visualization beginning fall 2025 (the program’s website already features the new name for recruiting purposes). LAS is the administrative home of BPMI and it is shared by LAS and the College of Design.
Department name change is a sign of the times
In a proposal to the state Board of Regents submitted last year, GEAT’s department leadership said incorporating Earth, atmosphere, and climate in its name more accurately reflects the department’s academic focus and aligns with national trends in the Earth sciences.
“Most important, this change better reflects the curricular opportunities that exist in the department and contains keywords that are more familiar to today’s students,” said Kristie Franz, professor and chair of the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate. “Many prospective students studied Earth science in high school, and they are also familiar with the word ‘atmosphere’ and the complexities and importance of understanding our dynamic climate.”
New program name better reflects curriculum
BPMI leadership also told the state Board of Regents in a recent proposal that their program’s name no longer accurately reflects the full breadth of its curriculum.
“While we’ll always be ‘BPMI’ at heart and our name has enjoyed a long and successful legacy of 40 years, an updated name and some rebranding will make it easier for prospective students to find us, increase our visibility, and reflect areas of our curriculum that have long-been instated and continue to evolve,” said Kimberly Moss, associate professor and director of BPMI.
Students currently enrolled in BPMI will graduate with the current degree name. Students who declare or switch to the major in fall 2025 or later will graduate as a Scientific Illustration and Visualization major.
Aside from the name changes, no additional modifications to the curriculum or faculty are expected in either the Department of the Earth, Atmosphere, and Climate or in the Scientific Illustration and Visualization program.