Over Spring Break this semester, a group of 15 Belmont students and faculty spent seven days exploring Iceland. The program was the culminating experience of an 8-week interdisciplinary course examining the impact of isolation on the genetics, political systems and culture of the island nation.
Throughout the trip, the group participated in a tour of the Icelandic parliament, a presentation at DeCode, one of the foremost genetic research organizations in the world, a visit to a farm which both raises the iconic Icelandic horse and uses geothermal energy to grow hot-house tomatoes even in the dark of winter and a walk through the volcanic rift valley where the North American and European continental plates are pulling apart. They were also treated to the natural wonders of Iceland, including its waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, glaciers and the northern lights.
