What does it mean to be an adolescent? Popular culture has a lot to say about this life stage, not all of it rooted in evidence. In this course, we will examine the range of adolescent experiences in the United States and critically question common assumptions. We will consider how social context and relationships influence youth as they navigate school, college and career expectations, extracurricular activities, and social media. Our interdisciplinary approach will draw on readings from psychology, sociology, history, education as well as media resources.

As an evolving field, Latina/o Studies has begun to critically and comparatively question the terms of Indigeneity in relation to Native communities in the U.S. land mass. This course seeks to understand the emergence of critical Latinx/Indigenous perspectives as it relates to Latinas/os/xes in the United States, and their uneven connections to various transnational forms of Indigeneity rooted in ancestral land-based ties in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

As an evolving field, Latina/o Studies has begun to critically and comparatively question the terms of Indigeneity in relation to Native communities in the U.S. land mass. This course seeks to understand the emergence of critical Latinx/Indigenous perspectives as it relates to Latinas/os/xes in the United States, and their uneven connections to various transnational forms of Indigeneity rooted in ancestral land-based ties in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America.

This course is an introduction to computation and computing from a mathematical perspective, covering topics such as numerical algorithms for differentiation, integration, root finding, curve fitting, and error analysis. These tools are very powerful when one finds a mathematical or an applied problem that cannot be solved using the types of analytical functions one learns in calculus. This course is for students with little or no programming knowledge and an interest in learning skills for mathematical computations.

This creative writing course provides an introduction to the field of young adult (YA) fiction writing. Students will study and practice writing in a workshop atmosphere and will read a wide range of novels and short stories, including works by writers such as Laurie Halse Anderson, Coe Booth, Agnes Borinsky, Adam Rapp, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Mary H. K. Choi. We will discuss the fundamentals of fiction writing (characterization, plot, setting, structure, point of view) with an emphasis on the elements that distinguish YA writing from writing intended for adults.

Philosophers through the ages have asked about the nature of happiness and its contribution to the 'good life.' Happiness is something we all want, but what is it? And why do we all want it so much? What makes us happy and why? Is a 'good life' also a happy one? This course will examine happiness from several different perspectives. We will look at what ancient and contemporary philosophers have said about the nature and importance of happiness in our lives and read recent work from the field of positive psychology.

What is the relationship between truth and politics? Does democracy require truth or pervert it? Can truth thrive in any type of government? What's really at stake here? In this course, we will explore a variety of classic texts, ranging from such authors as Plato to Karl Marx to Hannah Arendt to Martin Luther King, Jr. to contemporary feminist theorists. We will focus on developing the ability to reflect on your own beliefs, analyze authors' arguments, and to articulate and defend your own perspective.

Have you ever wondered why Siri or Alexa doesn't understand things you say? Or wondered if actual robots can understand language as well as the ones we see in movies? In this seminar we will learn about social robots and what it takes for robots to converse with humans. We will read research conducted by computer scientists, linguists, and psychologists, as well as investigate representations of social robots in popular media and literature.

This course explores the intersection of inequality and politics in the United States. We begin the course with an examination of racial, gender, and class inequalities in the U.S. The next section of the class considers the ways in which these inequalities both reflect and influence political divisions in the U.S. today. We end the course with an analysis of populism. While focusing primarily on the Trump campaign and presidency, we will also examine populist movements throughout the globe.

An introduction to basic computer science concepts. Lectures will cover topics such as the origins of computing, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, and robotics. There will be some programming exercises.