This seminar focuses on people’s motivations to participate in political activism, especially activism around social issues. Readings include theoretical and empirical work from psychology, sociology and political science. We consider accounts of some large-scale liberal and conservative social movements in the United States and abroad. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Topics course.: This seminar explores the history of general anesthesia, current anesthetic practices and primarily focus on the molecular mechanisms of anesthetic actions in the mammalian brain. Prerequisite: either BIO 202, 200, 300 or 310. Enrollment limited to 12.

An introduction to the concepts of abstract algebra, including groups, quotient groups and, if time allows, rings and fields. Prerequisites: MTH 153 and MTH 211, or permission of the instructor.

Debates over the meaning, interpretation and management of unique, artistic, historic and/or culturally significant places take center stage in this course. Students consider how and why some landscapes and buildings get preserved and protected while others are redesigned, ignored, neglected or demolished. Major themes in the course include continuity and change in the built environment, notions of cultural heritage and the concept of authenticity. Readings include theoretical and historical perspectives on the topic supplemented by case studies and field investigations.

Designed to support beginning Italian students and to help them improve their conversational skills. This course offers intensive practice in pronunciation, vocabulary, oral comprehension and conversation. It includes class participation, role-playing and short oral presentations. Prerequisite: one semester of ITL 110 or placement exam to ensure correct language level. Enrollment limit of 12 students per section.

One-semester course designed for students with a background in other foreign languages or students deciding in their sophomore year to apply for the semester program in Florence (Italy). It covers the material of the yearlong ITL 110Y in one semester. Three class meetings per week, plus required weekly multimedia work and a discussion session. Students should enroll in ITL 220 the following semester.

An introduction to major developments and interactions among people in Europe and Asia before modernity. The Silk Roads, long distance networks that allowed people, goods, technology, religious beliefs and other ideas to travel between China, India and Rome/Mediterranean, and the many points in between, developed against the backdrop of the rise and fall of steppe nomadic empires in Inner Asia. We examine these as interrelated phenomena that shaped Eurasian encounters to the rise of the world-conquering Mongols and the journey of Marco Polo.

This course examines the most important issues facing the U.S./Mexico border: NAFTA, industrialization and the emergence of the maquiladoras (twin plants); labor migration and immigration; the environment; drug trafficking; the militarization of the border; and border culture and identity. The course begins with a comparison of contending perspectives on globalization before proceeding to a short overview of the historical literature on the creation of the U.S./Mexico border.

This course introduces students to the diversity of political and economic challenges and opportunities facing the Muslim world in a globalizing context. We cover a range of contemporary topics from the legacies of colonialism, evolving human security issues, and the emergence of Islamist politics to the popularity of Islamic banking and commerce, as well as changing gender roles. Enrollment limited to 20.

This course introduces students to comparative political analysis and provides a foundation to better understand major political, economic and social forces in a diverse set of countries. We first focus on key methods and concepts such as state and nation, asking where states come from and how are nations built. The course then addresses questions including: Why are some countries democratic and others authoritarian? How do states promote or stymie economic development? What role do civil society and social groups play in political and economic transition?