There is extreme controversy surrounding the subject of climate change. The topic is presented in the media as either a 'hoax' or as the most important issue humanity will face in the coming years. This course will explore aspects of past, present, and future climate change across a range of timescales. First, we will discuss Earth's climate as an interconnected system. We will examine how the climate has responded to natural variability in the past and delve into some of the most extreme climate fluctuations in Earth's history.

Have you ever wondered how the universe came into being, what kind of stuff is it made of, where did that stuff come from, and how does it change over time? In this course, we will explore these and many other profound and mind-expanding questions by examining cosmology as a science and exploring topics such as the Big Bang, the expansion of the Universe, Dark Matter, and Dark Energy.

Wildfire is a hot topic that has gained a lot of negative press, but did you know that fire is a vital component in many of Earth's ecosystems? In this seminar we will explore the fundamentals of fire ecology as well as people's perception of and influence on wildfire. As a class we will discuss the past, present, and future of fire on Earth. Students will debate topics related to wildfire and will be encouraged to sharpen their critical thinking skills by investigating an area of wildfire research that they find most interesting.

The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has said. Negative stereotypes can have a huge impact on how people learn, think and approach new challenges. We will explore how negative stereotypes have been shown to affect brain function, as well as ways that researchers are attempting to counter these effects.

Population ecology, the dynamic study of how and when species populations grow and shrink, informs our interpretation of our social and ecological world. In this discussion-based seminar, we will explore classic, quirky, and current examples of population ecology and the stories behind them. Can we eat invasive species to control them? Have Texan panthers helped Florida's panthers? Why exactly did the mammoth go extinct? Will human populations continue to skyrocket? Observation, analysis, inference, and curiosity are all central to scientific inquiry.

Public health is an incredibly broad and diverse field - one that is constantly evolving to address the health issues that face humans across the globe. Finding your "niche" in public health requires some exploration, taking advantage of opportunities, and planning for the future. Using the Common Read book, "Make Your Home Among Strangers," by Jennine Capo Crucet as a guide, we will explore different areas of public health, such as nutrition, physical activity, community health, and health policy.

This workshop addresses the dynamics of racism in specific institutional and global contexts.

This course centers on exploring the theatrical costume design process, with emphasis on deep creative discovery and development. Students will work through script information; gather extensive visual, historical and artistic research; and then synthesize that research into a focused costume design, gaining awareness of the varied components available in a designer's toolkit suited to the needs of characters in translation from page to stage.

Not available at this time