To prepare students to compose a compelling piece of science fiction, Tai devised a scaffolded unit that modeled what informed, nuanced writing about ethical issues in science and technology looks like. Students first selected a book to read among options like Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and also watched the film Gattaca plus an episode of Black Mirror. Analyzing these sources, students paid particular attention to the intended benefits of the science or technology on display, as well as the unintended consequences of it. They gradually built up to writing their own stories, gaining understanding through group presentations on the fictional essay form and a storyboarding assignment that included peer review. Students’ final essays were collected in a 100-page volume titled Unintended Consequences.

Beyond the ambitious, inventive nature of this writing project, Tai’s cross-disciplinary collaboration helped earn her this distinction. While designing the assignment, she consulted with Cathy Wagner, a Professor of English who teaches in Miami’s MFA program. She also invited Justin Chandler, a PhD candidate in the English, creative writing instructor, and Miami MFA graduate, to give a guest lecture on writing fiction. Tai’s example shows all the good that can come from faculty working together to foster dynamic student learning.