This course will cover intermediate topics that pertain to the production of visual imagery with the tools of three-dimensional computer graphics (CG). Lectures, readings, and homework assignments will explore subjects including organic shape modeling, character articulation, character animation, extensions to the basic shading and lighting models, and procedural animation. Students will be expected to complete individual projects and participate in group exercises that explore CG as both a standalone medium and as an integral part of modern film/video production.

This course will introduce students to the research methodology called Mixed-Methods. This methodology combines qualitative research approaches with quantitative research approaches, seeking the best of both research paradigms. This course will involve a combination of discussion, case studies, and individual and team design projects.

We will explore major texts in moral philosophy in the Western tradition from the fifth century B.C.E. through the nineteenth century. Topics discussed will include: moral reasoning, knowledge, and justification; conceptions of virtue, moral motivation, and the role of the emotions in morality; and issues of justice, rights, and equality. We will also examine several contemporary moral controversies from alternative philosophical perspectives (including the moral status of non-human animals, abortion, and euthanasia, among others).

Do new media change the world? How can we forecast new media? Nearly every modern medium of communications has been heralded for its utopian potential, from the nineteenth century telegraph through 4G cell phones. But seeing what's coming is harder than you think.

Words are the basic linguistics units of a language and the ability to recognize a word is a fundamental component of reading. For many years most of the research in reading was conducted in English, and it was assumed that what was true for reading English words would also be true for words in other languages. However, many languages differ in striking ways from English and studying these languages can be useful in illustrating the different ways that people approach reading.

Experts in literature seek to provide an interpretation of a given discourse. Experts in linguistics seek to provide a theory that explains how that interpretation comes about. For example, a literature expert may ask of a given discourse: who is being addressed, from what point of view and why? On the other hand, a linguist would ask: how is it that we understand that particular individual(s) are being addressed in a certain way?

The goal is to develop the nuts and bolts for a theory of meaning. The techniques to be learned are ones that are in wide use today within the tradition of generative grammar; the goal is to acquire a basic level of competence in applying these techniques. Active group work and class presentations will be key forms of evaluation.

How can the mind and the body interact, as they are two entirely different sorts of things? Or are they two entirely different sorts of things? This course explores some of the history and the logic of the mind-body problem, and focuses on solutions from Descartes to the present, including the instructor's own solution, to be presented in a book published by the MIT Press in 2015-16. A large part of the course will be the reading and discussion of the author's manuscript for the Press.

In this introductory course, students will explore the history, practices, career options, and problems of environmental education - educational efforts promoting an understanding of nature, environmentally responsible behavior, and protection of natural resources. Shifts in environmental education research foci, relationships to current and past environmental challenges (e.g., air pollution, species loss, climate change), and differences between U.S. and international efforts will be discussed.

The field of Statistics aims to interpret large data sets that contain random variation. Baseball is a simple game that contains a high degree of randomness, and because professional baseball has been played since the 19th century, a large amount of data has been collected about players' performance. In this class we examine key concepts in Statistics and Data Science using baseball as a motivating example.