Colq: T-Society/Spectacle

In a seminal 1967 book, French philosopher Guy Debord suggests that capitalism uses “spectacle”—think: Times Square, your Instagram feed, CNN—to colonize every facet of social life and human experience (and to distract us from that very fact…). In this course, we will use Debord’s ideas as a starting point for analyzing contemporary culture under the encroachment of late capitalism. What happens, for instance, when humans start to think about themselves as brands? How should we react to the commodification of social justice in advertising campaigns? What does the spectacle obscure?

Colq: T-Public Archive--Soc Media

Archives record how culture unfurls. While we become more connected through digital infrastructures, the nature of archives blurs. As members of a global society, we are asked to reexamine how we catalogue history and how we interact with/reflect on these catalogues. Students are invited to view themselves as critics and digital citizens capable of archive-making while being an Archive’s primary audience. We will explore the intersection of archival works and art projects by looking at traditional archives, exhibitions, entertainments and, ever so, The Internet.

Colq: T-Language & Gender

How we speak – the words we choose, the way we structure our sentences, the pitch of our voices, even our gender while speaking – is constantly judged by those around us. Examining the interaction of gender and language leads to questions, such as how does gender shape the way we use language, how does our gender affect others’ perceptions of our speech (both written and verbal), what variation occurs across cultures with regards to gender and language? This course uses the topic of language and gender to expand upon and improve rhetorical and writing skills. Enrollment limit of 15.

Colq: T-Language & Gender

How we speak – the words we choose, the way we structure our sentences, the pitch of our voices, even our gender while speaking – is constantly judged by those around us. Examining the interaction of gender and language leads to questions, such as how does gender shape the way we use language, how does our gender affect others’ perceptions of our speech (both written and verbal), what variation occurs across cultures with regards to gender and language? This course uses the topic of language and gender to expand upon and improve rhetorical and writing skills. Enrollment limit of 15.

Colq: T-Humor

Nietzsche called maturity the rediscovered seriousness of a child at play. What is the meaning of comedy, in light of this “seriousness of the child at play?” Why do we laugh, at what and in what way? How do we distinguish silly comedy from serious comedy? This course examines such questions on comic platforms including film, music, videos, short stories and cartoons.

Reading Contemporary Poetry

This course offers the opportunity to read contemporary poetry and meet the poets who write it. The course consists of class meetings alternating with public poetry readings by visiting poets. On five selected dates, the course also includes Q&As with the poets. Students with class, lab or required work conflicts can be excused from Q&As, but will be assigned a short additional response to the poet's work. Graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. Course may be repeated.

Sem:T-Sustainable Materials

How does an engineer know that the values they embody through their technologies are good values that will lead to a better world? This class examines the technical, social, and environmental systems that create engineered things, with a focus on engineering materials. Students will advance their understanding of the nature and mechanics of materials by exploring current materials sourcing, manufacturing, and design practices, then studying the innovations that seek to make those processes better. Enrollment limited to 12.

Sem: T-Finite Element Modeling

Computer simulations are an increasingly large part of engineering research and design, but how do we know if the results on the screen match reality?  This course is an introduction to finite element methods for the analysis of solids, fluids, and heat transfer.  Topics covered include the creation of 1D, 2D, and 3D models of engineering problems in COMSOL Multiphysics (a commercial engineering program), comparison of modeled results to laboratory measurements, and the evaluation of modeled results.  An emphasis will be not only on the cre

Sem: T-Digital Circuits

Digital circuits are everywhere, from basic thermostat controls and stop light sequencers, up to smart phones, computers and even Mars Rovers! This course, EGR 390 (replacing CSC 270), covers the basic building block for all electronics: the transistor. We then investigate basic logic circuits, combinatorial logic, flip-flops and finite state machines. The second part of the semester focuses on microprocessors, using the Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

Sem:Photovolt&Fuel C Lab

Lab section. This seminar applies fundamental principles of thermodynamics, electrochemistry and semi-conductor physics to the design, modeling and analysis of renewable energy power systems. Concepts covered in this course include extraterrestrial radiation, solar geometry, atmospheric effects, polarization curve characteristics, system components and configurations, stand-alone and hybrid system design and load interactions. This course applies these theoretical concepts in a laboratory setting involving the design and testing of fuel cell and photovoltaic systems.
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