Our research strives to improve STEM curriculum by producing science comics for use in K-12 education, college education, and adult learning. A major difficulties in STEM education is the difficulty that students have in becoming engaged with the concepts and developing deeper comprehension. Our solution is the integration of comics into the curriculum as supportive teaching tools.
Most comics here were written by STEM educators, with art commissioned from either professional or student artists. Some comics were produced by students as part of course projects, with their permission given to share the content. Copyright on all comics is retained by the creators; comics may be used directly in classrooms with permission.
Science comics have been grouped based on their general background and courses that they may be best utilized with – a high-resolution file is accessible through each of the links below. If you are interested in contributing to the assessment of the comics and their implementation, please let us know!
General Science and Engineering:
“Uncertainty” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Amanda Kahl
“Data Analysis” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Beth Sparks
“Assumptions” – written by Chris Cogswell and Lucas Landherr, drawn by Carey Pietsch
Biology:
“Gene Therapy” – written by Zoe Simonson, drawn by Monica Keszler, edited by Lucas Landherr
Chemical Engineering
Mass and Energy Balances:
“Recycle and Purge Streams” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Matt Lubchansky
Thermodynamics:
“Refrigeration Cycles” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler
“Fugacity” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Joan Cooke
Transport:
“Heat Exchangers” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Matt Lubchansky
Process Controls:
“PID Controls” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Mary J. Lai
Student-Produced Work
The following comics were produced by students as projects for a curriculum construction assignment.
Heat Transfer:
“Composite Materials” – written and drawn by Sara Canzano
“Thermal Resistance” – written and drawn by Sophia Little
“Fins” – written and compiled by Emily Cady and Lauren Tips
“Convection” – written and drawn by Abdulrahman Al Mashaan
“Heat Exchangers” – written and drawn by Amy Sevigny and Rachel Vozikis
“Boiling” – written and drawn by Alexandra Deeck and Lexi Laundry
Education and Pedagogy
The following comics are produced quarterly for the peer-reviewed journal Chemical Engineering Education as the series Drawn To Engineering.
“Problem Solvers” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Matt Lubchansky (CEE, 51, 2, 2017, 62-63)
“Humor In Exams” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 51, 3, 2017, 151-152)
“Presenting Audiences” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 51, 4, 2017, 163-164)
“The Question Question” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Matt Lubchansky (CEE, 52, 1, 2018, 31-32)
“Diversity Statement” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 52, 2, 2018, 115-116)
“Skeleton Notes” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 52, 3, 2018, 221-222)
“Exams Are Alive With The Sound Of Music” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 52, 4, 2018, 294-295)
“Idea Theft” – written by Lucas Landherr, drawn by Monica Keszler (CEE, 53, 1, 2019)