The Commonwealth Honors College thesis or project is intended to provide students with the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to define and carry out in-depth research or creative endeavors. It provides excellent preparation for students who intend to continue their education through graduate study or begin their professional careers. The student works closely with their 499Y Honors Research sponsor to pursue research on a topic or question of special interest to them in preparation for writing a 499T Honors Thesis or completing a 499P Honors Project.

Using Dugatkin's 4 th edition of Principles of Animal Behavior (not required to purchase), this class will cover the principles of animal behavior science. Students should be prepared to take on the role of an animal behavior researcher and as such, we will focus on the principles, evolution, and function of animal behavior, and the methods and application of what we learn. Guest lecturers may include researchers focused on dog domestication and/or great apes in the wild.

Following Robinson and Weiss' Nonhuman Primate Welfare: From History, Science, and Ethics to Practice (not required to purchase), this class will review the study of animal well-being through focusing on nonhuman primates. We will discuss the history of primates in captivity, current uses of primates in captivity and the arguments for and against their use, primate behaviors related to well-being, and indicators of positive and negative well-being. We will discuss animal well-being as a science and area of philosophy and law.

ChatGPT, Replika, and the rapid growth and innovation in the tech industry make one clear thing: Artificial Intelligence is not just the stuff of sci-fi anymore, it?s quite real. However, current events also demonstrate that this space is woefully under-regulated. As we think through what shape AI laws may take, it is important to ponder the ethical implications for- and obligations of- society. In this course, we will examine the historical foundations of ethics, pertinent concepts and terms, the role of bias, social impacts, current events, laws and regulations, as they relate to AI.

Not available at this time