Featuring Dr. Aramati Casper The biological diversity of sex, gender, and reproduction is astounding, yet these topics are often problematically taught from both animal-centric and biologically erroneous cisheteronormative perspectives. Centering plants, fungi, and other organisms whose reproductive biology differs from model animals helps reveal how these unintended biases limit our understanding of life. Refocusing our concept of “normal” in biology has the potential to expand opportunities in biology research and create more equitable biology classrooms, as well as undermine the weaponization of biology to support legislation and social norms that limit life opportunities for humans of diverse sexes, genders, and sexualities. In this seminar, Dr. Casper will draw from plant and fungal biology in sharing insights from zer research about how queer students navigate content about sex, gender, and reproduction in biology courses, as well as student responses to biology courses that center sexual diversity topics. Ze will discuss how to build biologically accurate content on sex, gender, reproduction, and sexuality that embraces both biological and human diversity, drawing from zer research on how instructors have navigated this challenge. In-person location is: Life Science and Engineering Building (LSE) Room 103 If attending on Zoom, use the following: Zoom ID: 97774164883, Passcode: 476331 Co-sponsored by the Department of Biology, the Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, and the LGBTQIA+ Faculty & Staff Center. Hosted by Karen Warkentin, Biology & WGS