With the population of the United States moving steadily towards cities and surrounding areas, the benefits of urban and community trees are becoming increasingly important. Though trees are a common sight in many cities, an urban setting can be a very difficult environment for trees to survive in.

The advent of the nuclear powered submarine changed the nature of war forever. With its ability to remain submerged and undetected for weeks at a time gave the navy it represented an enormous advantage. The U.S. was the first country to develop such a weapon (U.S.S. Nautilus) and its existence and early successes started a torrent of development in other countries, especially the Soviet Union. The Cold War was largely ?fought? under seas with both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. trying to improve the capabilities of the nuclear submarine.

This course engages students in an exploration of the multi-dimensional nature of race in contemporary culture by focusing on the performance of whiteness. Involving a constant public presentation, or staging, whiteness is

The issue of immigration has always been a controversial topic in U.S. society and becomes even more of a hotbutton
issue during election years. This course will examine how the issue of immigration has become
sensationalized among politicians and the public, and how sociology can be used to understand immigration as fully

Using Blake Snyder?s screenwriting bible ?Save the Cat? as a lens and the genre of the Hollywood heist
Thriller as a model, students will study the formulas of successful screenplays.
We?ll dissect the films beat by beat, breaking them down by act and scene, to gain an understanding of the essential story points necessary to constructing satisfying genre scripts. By the end of the semester, students should be able to beat out their own original screenplay treatments containing all the elements required by the genre.

This course will explore the fascinating history of Florence, Massachusetts, a small manufacturing town with a rich past, located 10 miles west of Amherst. We will use Florence itself as a ?text,? visiting the town and examining archival and physical evidence. In the 19th century, Florence was a center for abolitionist and other reform activities, as well as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Abolitionists Sojourner Truth and David Ruggles were among the distinguished residents of its African-American community.

Positive psychology is the study of well-being and flourishing. This course will teach concepts and practices backed by scientific research that students can apply directly to their lives in college and beyond. Methods of positive psychology can be applied to enhance professional accomplishment and personal happiness. Research also shows that people learn effectively and exhibit marked creativity in situations where there is substantial autonomy and real-world relevance. Coursework activities will center on personal application of the subject through action and reflection.

Randomness and uncertainty exist in our daily lives as well as in every scientific investigation. This course helps students better understand randomness and uncertainty and gives them tools to make more informed decisions under uncertain situations.

We will discuss that our intuition is often wrong when assessing uncertain situations, leading us to make wrong decisions. We will provide real life examples where even professionals have misjudged chances and probabilities.

?Queer Lights? will cast light on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA) topics while the students in the
class literally cast light?building LGBTQA-themed electronic light displays. An engineering professor and the director of the
Student Union Craft center will teach the students how to create and program the displays, and the director of the Stonewall
Center will lead the students in discussions about LGBTQA issues in the news and in their own lives. Some of the topics to

Nanotechnology can be a double-edged sword. The same unique properties that enable the beneficial use of nanomaterials in novel applications also make their unintentional interactions difficult to anticipate. Increasing entry of engineered nanomaterials into the environment has resulted in growing environmental and health concerns as the field of nanotechnology continues to expand. Nanomaterials are not only found in our latest gadgets, they are also