Reading and understanding research reports from the primary scientific literature is an essential skill for any scientist. Likewise, critiquing experimental proposals and freshly-minted data is one of the core components of the pursuit of science. Using the Biology Department Seminar series as a springboard, this course seeks to familiarize students with the process of understanding, appreciating, and critiquing scientific manuscripts.

This course uses the traditional approaches of moral philosophy to explore ethical challenges and obligations faced by individuals, businesses, and organizations in an increasingly complex global environment.

Reading and understanding research reports from the primary scientific literature is an essential skill for any scientist. Likewise, critiquing experimental proposals and freshly-minted data is one of the core components of the pursuit of science. Using the Biology Department Seminar series as a springboard, this course seeks to familiarize students with the process of understanding, appreciating, and critiquing scientific manuscripts.

Smallpox, a disfiguring infection called "one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity" by the World Health Organization, was eradicated from the planet through immunization. Polio paralyzed 350,000 children a year until immunization reduced infection by 99%. Why have we succeeded in immunizing against these pathogens but not HIV or the common cold? Students in this seminar will discuss primary literature in immunology, microbiology, and epidemiology to learn how vaccines outsmart pathogens.

In this course, students learn to view and understand animal behavior within an evolutionary context. The mechanistic side of behavior is investigated and students explore how behavioral traits originate and evolve over time. Students will integrate their knowledge of how organisms work with an appreciation of why they work the way they do. At the end of the course, students will understand basic concepts in behavioral biology and know many of the experiments that have facilitated our understanding of this field.

Cells are the smallest common denominator of life: the simplest organisms are single cells, while others like ourselves are composed of vast communities of cells. In this course, we will learn how cellular structure and function is orchestrated by biological molecules, most notably the genome and the proteins it encodes. Topics will include genetic inheritance, gene and protein regulation, cellular processes including transport, energy capture, and signaling, the cellular and molecular basis for disease, and modern techniques including genomics, bioinformatics, and microscopy.

Covers all aspects of walking, focusing on incorporating walking into a lifetime fitness regimen. Emphasis on cardiovascular fitness by use of heart rate monitoring and perceived exertion. Goals will be set for distance and time.

This course surveys the first century of photography, beginning with its putative birth in 1839 and following its shifts and turns until the eve of World War II. We will look at a variety of photographic types: the daguerreotype, calotype, tintype, albumen and gelatin silver prints, and more. We will assess a range of practices: studio portraiture, commercial pictures, vernacular photography, journalism, and the fine arts. And we will follow camerawork in a variety of settings: China, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Russia, and the U.S.

Covers all aspects of walking, focusing on incorporating walking into a lifetime fitness regimen. Emphasis on cardiovascular fitness by use of heart rate monitoring and perceived exertion. Goals will be set for distance and time.

This course focuses on architecture in Italy--including churches, palaces, villas, and urban planning--from the 1400s to the 1600s. In this period, architects took their cues from the classical tradition even as they carved out their own territory, developing new techniques and perfecting old ones to realize their designs. We will trace shifting architectural practice through key figures from Brunelleschi to Bernini, and through the lens of larger cultural forces.