Artist and academic advisor combines form and function in research project

When Katie Cooper started working as an academic advisor for Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM), the last thing she expected was to contribute her artistic abilities to units across campus — but now, it’s hard to find a person on the Plains who hasn’t come into contact with Cooper’s artwork. 

Advancing art and science 

One such partner is the Quantitative Genetic Evolutionary Ecology Lab, led by Associate Professor Matthew Wolak. The lab studies natural populations of turtles and how their environment shapes what traits constitute reproductive success. 

So, when Wolak and his team identified a need for realistic-looking model turtles, McKae Sarkowski, an undergraduate research assistant and one of Cooper’s advisees, knew just who to call. 

The lab asked Cooper to paint a pair of 3-D printed turtles that would be presented to a natural population in a mate choice experiment. 

But the research team hit a snag — existing reference materials did not capture the turtles in a natural pose, which complicated their goal of creating a model realistic enough that live turtles would interact with them.  

Luckily, the Auburn University Museum of Natural History happened to have a specimen of the exact species of turtle the lab was studying, so the group was able to take scans of the turtle in its natural form. 

After collecting the scans, they 3-D printed models of two turtles, one on the larger end of what the lab observed and one on the smaller end, in the Innovation and Research Commons’ MakerSpace. 

“We had to break new ground for this project,” she said. “I had to prime the 3D material before I could paint it, and then I had to varnish it with a special ocean-safe coating that they use on sea boats. We did a lot of research before starting this project.” 

The model turtles were deployed in a pond on campus for study. 

“Katie’s eye for detail is amazing, but beyond that, her ability to replicate the design between the two was astounding,” Wolak said. “If you look between the two, the details are consistent across both. So not only are they beautiful pieces of art, but they are also realistic and suitable for our lab’s purposes.” 

Many hats 

In addition to furthering research on campus, Cooper also creates original artwork given as mementos of gratitude to donors and faculty award honorees. 

Past gifts include a portrait of a golden eagle and a colored pencil drawing of Samford Hall. 

Furthermore, Cooper is a beloved advisor to COSAM students, as well as an unofficial advisor to students from across disciplines interested in a career in medical illustration. 

Having studied scientific illustration at the University of Georgia for some time, Cooper knows how to best prepare students to enter the field. 

“I actually interact with several students who want to go into the medical and scientific illustration field,” Cooper said. “People across campus send them my way when they know they’re interested in that, because not many people know what that field is. I love talking with students about the field, because we get the opportunity to share our work and connect over art.” 

Personal touch 

In addition to her official gifts, Cooper is also contacted by university faculty and staff for personal art projects. Her holiday ornaments and pet portraits are especially popular. 

“I’ve probably done a personal project for every single office on campus,” she said, estimating a total of 560 completed pieces. 

That includes Auburn Athletics, where she did a personal project for former men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl. 

Pearl was slated to emcee an event for a charity, and Cooper created numerous pieces of artwork to be auctioned off, including two portraits of Pearl himself. Both pieces raised several thousand dollars for the event.

In her free time, Cooper is working on writing and illustrating a children’s book chronicling the adventures of her pet dog and cat, who she says are real-life best friends. 

“My goal is to finish the children's book within the next five years, so keep an eye out for a beautifully illustrated book that I hope will bring a lot of joy to many,” she said.