Dr. Christopher Ritzi, who is the Department Chair and Professor of Biology at Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas has taught here at Sul Ross State University for 15 years. He received his masters degree from Sul Ross in biology studying bats and ectoparasites. He later went on to pursue his undergraduate degree at Texas A&M University in biology and went to Indiana state university for five years to pursue his PhD, where he continued his study of bats and ectoparasites. Here at Sul Ross he teaches multiple classes, including anatomy and physiology classes, mammalogy, animal behavior, and the general biology classes. Dr. Ritzi will be the leader for the upcoming China trip in June through the Office of International Studies.
Interviewer: What part of China will you and the group be traveling to?
Dr. Ritzi: In June, the students and I will be traveling to Quizhou, China, which is a tropical part of the country just north of Vietnam.
Interviewer: Does any of the Sul Ross students have to take any classes in order to go on the trip?
Dr. Ritzi: The students that will be going on the trip have been participating in a comparative bio-geography class, and have been working with the students from China for two to three weeks.
Interviewer: What areas in Alpine have the Chinese students visited?
Dr. Ritzi: The students where able to visit the Big Bend National Park, and the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute to give them the exposure to what’s out here and what the landscape looks like.
Interviewer: What is the main reason for going on this trip?
Dr. Ritzi: The whole idea of the trip is to compare what they see in China to what they saw in alpine. Part of the trip will be a cultural experience. It will be a natural experience as well.
Interviewed by MaKayla Horace