“Atoms in Art & Culture” course offers a new way to look at scientific innovation

Dr. Charity Lovitt and Dr. Gavin Doyle teach “Atoms in Arts & Culture.”

As part of UW Bothell’s Discovery Core Experience, instructors from two schools on campus have collaborated on a course that mixes art and science.

Dr. Charity Lovitt, associate teaching professor in the Department of Physical Sciences, and Dr. Gavin Doyle, lecturer in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, created “Atoms in Art & Culture,” a course that invites students to consider the cultural, artistic and historical context around scientific innovations in materials science.

Students also develop art projects that share scientific information, giving them an unconventional opportunity to engage with the material.

“We wanted students to see that chemistry isn’t just formulas and reactions — it’s a cultural force,” Doyle said. “Art isn’t just expression — it’s shaped by the materials and technologies available at a given moment.”

Learn more about the “Atoms in Art & Culture” course in the UW Bothell story, “Connections between matter — and what matters.”