In this course, we will examine the role of molecular genetic analysis in the study of phenomena such as human disease (e.g., cancer), animal development, and gene regulation. We will also discuss new techniques for genomic analysis, including the science as well as the health, legal, ethical and moral issues involved. There will be group discussions of original research articles and review articles.

Sex evolved multiple times in nature and is the most common way to reproduce in eukaryotes. This class will explore the diversity of sexual strategies that have resulted in over 500 million years of evolutionary history, diving deeply into mechanisms of sexual differentiation, and the resulting phenotypes. The second half of the class will focus on an exploration of sexual systems that rely primarily on two mating types: female and male.

The first human gene therapy clinical research in the United States took place in 1990. Since then, there have been significant advances in gene therapy development, but there have also been problems, setbacks and even tragedies. Students in this seminar will read, present, discuss, and write about the primary literature covering both the history and the most recent advances in human gene therapy.

Pregnancy is a stunning feat of physiology. It is a conversation between two bodies -- parental and fetal -- whose collective action blurs the very boundaries of the individual. In this course we will explore such questions as: what is pregnancy, and how does the ephemeral, essential organ known as the placenta call pregnancy into being? How is pregnancy sustained? How does it end? We will consider the anatomy of reproductive systems and the hormonal language of reproduction.

In this student-centered, discussion-based seminar, we will explore current hypotheses about the evolution of human variation, trace the history of how biology has been used in the construction of racial ideologies, and delve into the impacts of racial categorization on human health. We will investigate these themes through readings, videos, class discussions, student expert panels, and research papers.

How does your life intersect with plants? In this seminar we will engage this question using essays, popular media, and our own observations to illuminate historical and contemporary connections between plants and humans. Inside the classroom and in the outdoors, we will carefully examine our own plant awareness, develop our critical thinking, and challenge our perceptions of the impacts and roles of plants throughout human history.

Architecture may have originated as a response to basic human needs, but it very quickly took on complex meanings that transcend practicality. This course focuses on architecture from prehistory to the present, including buildings, cities, and urban planning; infrastructure and engineering; the unbuilt (and unbuildable) as well as the built world. Case studies cover design and theory as well as history.

This global survey of premodern art and architecture introduces students to a wide array of cultures across time and geographies. Each class will center on one monument of world heritage and include a discussion of its context and associated artifacts. Over the semester, students will gain a broad perspective of how humans invested their time and resources into monumental art and architecture.