Cryptology is the study of secret communication between different groups of people. From ancient Egypt when secret hieroglyphs were used to communicate to today when credit card numbers are encrypted to be transmitted over the internet, cryptology has been a necessary part of human life. In this class we will read and write about some of the famous examples of cryptosystems. We study the mathematics needed for these systems and how these concepts connect to what you studied in high school.

In this hands-on course intended for advanced film/media students, we will explore contemporary documentary forms through readings, screenings, discussions, and practice. The course will cover the span of documentary storytelling as students develop production skills in research and writing, interviewing, camera and sound recording, and editing. We will also model the professional strategies documentarians use to fund and distribute their work, putting together film proposals and pitch decks. Students will practice pitching their film ideas to the class.

This class takes a ~look~ at the components of racial representation in audio-visual media: How can ideas and theories be conveyed or communicated through a visual mode? What ethical concerns emerge when representing others in different media? Drawing from written texts, documentaries, graphic novels, and artwork, we will explore the myriad ways media creatives construct racial representations, and question the perceived boundary between research and art.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are ubiquitous, ranging from digital personal assistants to healthcare management. While the benefits of AI are touted widely, how does AI negatively impact society? How do AI systems mirror and strengthen biases already embedded in the data used to train them and in our social structures? Via what mechanisms might AI stigmatize and further marginalize vulnerable populations?

Are crows self-aware? How do bees vote during collective decision-making? Do dolphins know each other's names? We will engage our collective curiosity as we explore animal cognition and social behaviors. Using peer-reviewed scientific literature as the foundation for our investigations, we will draw inspiration from videos, blogs, and observations of local wild and domestic animals to develop individual and collective projects based on our interests.

Queerness is all over the natural world. This class will highlight the diversity of sexual strategies in nature, and help dispel the notion that biology describes sex as binary or only heterosexual. In reality, biologists are well aware of the queerness of nature, but have struggled with how to study this sexual diversity and have often settled for convenient categories.

This course examines films and topics central to the study of global cinema since 1960. We will begin with the New Waves of France, Italy, England, and Japan, and Direct Cinema of the '60s and '70s in the U.S. We will explore films of Third Cinema in Latin America, Asia and Africa in the late '60s and '70s, and examine films of New Zealand and Australia from the '70s to the current moment, with an emphasis on stories that center indigenous peoples. We also will focus on significant film movements of the last three decades, such as New Queer Cinema in the U.S.

With ever more dire news about our planetary future hitting the headlines regularly, what better time to look at how human beings past and present have envisioned the demise of the earth or our species? In this course we will study representations of apocalyptic futures from illuminated manuscripts, from illustrated poetry, and from science fiction films that waver between hope for escape and doomsday scenarios.

This course explores the recent history of Latinx media production and representation in the United States, linking the varying meanings of Latinidad to critical shifts in US and Latin American media landscapes. The course highlights vital exchanges across national and linguistic markets which inform the production of media by and about Latinxs.

This course explores the various ways that visual storytelling and creative research can be used to develop strategies for problem solving in all our academic pursuits. Art-making will be explored through a range of approaches from traditional drawing and painting, to site-specificity, lens and time-based media, as well as collaborative, community engaged actions. Assignments will focus on visual journaling, autobiographical prompts, and integrating diverse influences into expansive visual languages.