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Global Climate

Climate is perhaps the single most important and pervasive factor controlling global ecosystems and human well-being. This interdisciplinary course examines global climate from a historical perspective, beginning with the formation of the solar system and continuing through geologic time to the present.

Modern Physics

This course is the second of a two-semester sequence providing a systematic study of the ideas and discoveries that transformed physics in the twentieth century. Topics in this course include the quantum mechanical model of hydrogen, statistical mechanics, and applications such as solid-state physics, nuclear structure and reactions, and elementary particles. There is one laboratory per week in addition to classwork. Prerequisites: MATH 205 and a grade of 2.0 or higher in PHYS 221. Offered Spring semester only.

Chinese Politics

An introductory survey of China from four perspectives: China as China, China as a Communist party state, China as a developing country, and China as a rising power. Through these lenses, the course examines the historical factors that have shaped contemporary Chinese institutions and the Chinese Communist Party. It also examines China’s influence and security concerns within the international community.

Microbial Ecology

Microorganisms represent the largest uncharacterized portion of life on Earth.  Bacteria, protists, algae and fungi are often difficult to see in the environment, but comprise the majority of biodiversity.  The unique metabolic capabilities of the bacteria and archaea greatly impact the composition of our soil, air, water and rocks and play key roles in biogeochemical and nutrient cycles.  This course will focus on current understanding of the diversity of microbes and their roles in the environment.

Drugs and the Brain

This course will focus on how psychoactive drugs modify nervous system function and human behavior. The neurochemical and behavioral techniques used to study drug action will be addressed. Students will learn how drugs are metabolized by the body (pharmacokinetics), act (pharmacodynamics) and affect behavior (psychopharmacology), gaining comprehensive understanding of the neurotransmitter systems of the brain and how different drugs affect these systems. The laboratory component will utilize the nematode C.

Social Movements

Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." This course examines contemporary social movements which organize and mobilize people to effect change, and which therefore challenge existing institutions, cultures, and social orders. We will consider issues related to participation, leadership, organization, strategy, scale, technology, and media representation, among others.

Applied Statistics

An introduction to statistics with emphasis on applications. Topics include the description of data with numerical summaries and graphs, the production of data through sampling and experimental design, techniques of making inferences from data such as confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests for both categorical and quantitative data. The course includes an introduction to computer analysis of data with a statistical computing package.

Magic in Medieval Thought

This course explores the role of magic in medieval thought, society, history, and literature.  We will examine the relationship of magical beliefs to philosophy, religion, science, medicine, and politics in medieval Europe.  The course includes extensive primary source readings from medieval authors and research assignments on related topics. This course fulfills the FYS and HU general education requirements.

Personality

Personality theories provide a framework with which to understand a person’s development, motivation, and behavior. This course examines traditional and contemporary theories of personality, focusing on representative theorists from the psychoanalytic, trait, behavioral, cognitive, and phenomenological approaches. Evaluation of theories on logical and empirical grounds is discussed. Prerequisite: PSYC 101WL or 101NL.

Energy

This course covers the nature of energy, its application in modern society and a variety of issues associated with that use. We will study the physical principles of mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical and nuclear energy in order to better understand the role of energy in society, focusing on fossil fuels, electric power plants, automobiles, global warming, the ozone layer and energy conservation, as well as nuclear, solar and other power sources. This course makes extensive use of elementary algebra and scientific notation. Major credit restricted.. Also offered as ENVS 105.