Iowa State’s biological and pre-medical illustration program will celebrate its 30th anniversary in the coming semester.  Iowa State University has one of the longest-running undergraduate programs in BPMI in the United States.

BPMI is a major that combines science and art into one program. Fewer than a dozen undergraduate programs of this type exist in the nation. 

“It is a unique major,” said John Dorn, lecturer in integrated studio arts and adviser of the BPMI club.

The major is a shared program between the College of Liberal Arts and Science and the College of Design, making it possible for students to combine their interest in science and art.

“We are communicating science through art,” said Caitlin Swanberg, senior in biological and pre-medical illustration and vice-president of the BPMI Club. “It can be through an animation, it can be an illustration, a graphic. There are a lot of different outputs, especially with the digital side.”

The degree program aims to prepare students for careers in biological illustration or graduate education in medical illustration.

“You can do a lot with the major,” Swanberg said. “This year, of our eight graduates, six are going on to graduate school for medical illustration. That is the big next step for the major and then after there are so many different companies that can hire us. Our range is really large.”

Swanberg said many companies admire the fact that BPMI graduates can communicate science through different ways. And because of their science courses students are also knowledgeable about what they are illustrating.

“We are not just drawing something. We are figuring out what goes into it to make it accurate,” Swanberg said.

According to Biechler, there is also a biological and pre-medical illustration club on campus which lets students in the major connect through group activities. Students in the club participate in both social and academic activities as well as getting the chance to meet people in the medical illustration profession.

“We for example did a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota because they have an illustration department,” Swanberg said.

Representatives from graduate schools will present their schools and explain about their programs as part of the 30th anniversary celebration in the first week of October next semester, Dorn said.

“The feature of the celebration will be a three week exhibition of alumni art, exhibited in Gallery 181 of the College of Design, and a BPMI student exhibition during the symposium. Other activities will include a BPMI reunion and banquet, and a closing picnic,” Biechler said.

Swanberg said recognition of the program and the size of the major are both growing. For the first time ever there will be a full-time faculty in the fall 2014 semester.

“I didn’t even know about the major when I came here,” Swanberg said. Once she heard about it she said it seemed like a perfect fit for her. 

“I love science and research. But I also love art and drawing. It is the only major I have heard of that combines both in this,” Swanberg said.

Biechler said that the possibility to combine his interest in science and art is what fascinates him a lot.

“But most of all are the students who share the same interest. I love their dedication to learning, art and sharing scientific information,” Biechler said.