Our latest Spotlight is authored by Matt Peters and focuses on the World of Viruses/Biology of Human website and its educational comics and graphic novels.
Tags: bacteria, COVID-19, foot and mouth disease, fungi, human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, infectious diseases, influenza, measles, microbes, viruses
About the Work
The World of Viruses/Biology of Human website compiles the work from three science education grants that were awarded to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) between 2007 and 2020. Two of the grants, which came from the National Institutes of Health, funded efforts to stimulate public interest in science and youth engagement in science-focused learning. The latter goal was intended to prepare youth to become future health professionals.
With those two grants, project directors collaborated with writers and artists to produce a collection of comics and graphic novels that provide an accessible, story-based way to learn about human health and the many pathogens that threaten it. One example, “The Frozen Horror” tells the story of a pathologist who visits a remote Alaskan village to study a 1918 influenza plague that killed numerous villagers. Other works teach about the human papillomavirus (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), foot and mouth disease (FMD), measles, and various bacteria and fungi.
A third grant, which came from the National Science Foundation, was awarded during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the creation of additional comics that could inform youth about the biology of the COVID-19 virus and the impact its spread was having on communities. The comics, along with a collection of related essays, were compiled in an anthology titled C’RONA Pandemic Comics.
Many of the works from the three grants were published in paperback, and the website includes information about where to purchase them when applicable. In most cases digital editions are available to read in their entirety on the website free of charge. Along with the comics and graphic novels, the website hosts audio stories and microbe images as additional learning aids.
About the Creators
The three grant-funded projects were led by Dr. Judy Diamond, now an emeritus professor at UNL, and two or more co-investigators or co-directors for each grant. To ensure scientific accuracy and effective engagement of younger readers, Dr. Diamond and her colleagues worked with a diverse team of advisors and collaborators with expertise in areas such as virology, K-12 education, and library science. Numerous writers and artists were involved in the final production of the comics and graphic novels, among them being Bob Hall (writer and artist), Martin Powell (writer), Peter Angeletti (writer), Anisa Angeletti (writer), and Henry Payer (artist).
Relevant Links
World of Viruses/Biology of Human Website: https://worldofviruses.unl.edu/
C’RONA Comix Panel Discussion (Recording): https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/mcgoogan_lectures/2/
Articles on Dr. Judy Diamond in the UNL News Archive: https://news.unl.edu/tag/judy-diamond
Carnival of Contagion Review: https://www.graphicmedicine.org/comic-reviews/carnival-of-contagion/
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