Fall and spring semesters.

(Offered as BIOL 251 and BCBP 281) A study of the molecular mechanisms underlying the transmission and expression of genes. DNA replication and recombination, RNA synthesis and processing, and protein synthesis and modification will be examined. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems will be analyzed, with an emphasis upon the regulation of gene expression. Application of modern molecular methods to biomedical and agricultural problems will also be considered. The laboratory component will focus upon recombinant DNA methodology.

Independent Reading Course.

Fall and spring semesters. The Department.

The same basic laws describe stars and planets. We will learn about equations of state as well as radiative and convective heat transport in order to understand the steady-state structure of stellar and planetary interiors and atmospheres. We will then see how waves propagate through these bodies, producing stellar pulsations, earthquakes, and weather.

Requisite: MATH 121 and PHYS 124 or 117. Fall semester. Professor TBA.

An introduction to the cosmos, with an emphasis on modern theories and observations. We'll discuss the nature and evolution of stars, our Milky Way Galaxy, external galaxies, black holes, and the origin and fate of the universe itself. The emphasis will be on conceptual, as contrasted with mathematical, comprehension, making this an excellent opportunity for non-science majors. Two 80-minute sessions per week.

Not open to upper-division students majoring in the physical sciences.  Fall semester.  Professor TBA.

Independent Reading Course.

Fall and spring semesters.  Members of the Department.

(Offered as HIST 492 [ME] and ALSC 459 [WA].)  This seminar explores contemporary Iran from a historical and interdisciplinary perspective. The aim of the course is both to provide an overall understanding of the history of Iran, as well as those key elements of religion, literature, legend, and politics that together shape Iran's understanding of itself. We will utilize a wide variety of sources, including Islamic and local histories, Persian literature, architecture, painting and ceramics, film, political treatises, Shiite theological writing, foreign travel accounts, and U.S.