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This course is an introduction to knot theory. Knot theory is currently an active area of research in low-dimensional topology, with all kinds of connections to other mathematical fields, including geometry, algebra, physics, combinatorics, and number theory.

This course is about how to write and use a modern programming language to explore and solve problems in pure and applied mathematics. We will use Python, and the first part of the course will review core language features and apply them to problems in mathematics. We will introduce specialized mathematical packages such as numpy. The remainder of the course---and its goal---is to help students develop the skills to translate mathematical problems and solution techniques into algorithms and code. Students will use code to solve and explore mathematical questions in several project areas.

This course is about how to write and use a modern programming language to explore and solve problems in pure and applied mathematics. We will use Python, and the first part of the course will review core language features and apply them to problems in mathematics. We will introduce specialized mathematical packages such as numpy. The remainder of the course---and its goal---is to help students develop the skills to translate mathematical problems and solution techniques into algorithms and code. Students will use code to solve and explore mathematical questions in several project areas.

This course examines the legal status of women in the United States, focusing specifically on the 20th and 21st centuries. How has the law used gender, sex, sexuality, and race to legally enforce inequality between women and men (and among women)? We will examine the legal arguments feminists have used to advocate for legal change and how these arguments have changed over time, paying specific attention to debates about whether to make legal arguments based on formal equality, substantive equality, liberty, or privacy.

This course is the first introductory course in the field of photonics and introduces students to the fundamental operating principles of optical components and photonic devices. Three different descriptions of optical propagation and interaction (geometrical optics, wave optics, and electromagnetic optics) with increasing complexity and accuracy are presented. Physical phenomena and photonic devices whose operation can be described within the scope of each theory are introduced and discussed.

The history of the legal response to rape has often resulted in injustice for both the victim/survivor and the alleged perpetrator. This course will examine the evolution of the U.S. legal system's treatment of rape, paying particular attention to the movement against lynching in the post-civil war era, the rise of the feminist anti-rape movement in the 1970s and the student movement against campus sexual assault. Through an analysis of court cases, legislation, and other texts we will consider the role sexual violence has played in maintaining gendered and racialized power relationships.

Digital media is a key creative tool for artists and designers. Lectures, readings, and tutorials introduce students to contemporary design practice, including: digital typography, page design and layout, vector based graphics, and design for the screen. Design projects range from purely textual, single and multi-page document design, to problems that require the successful integration of typography, image, and basic interaction. Students explore how context and form affect meaning and message through the creation of conceptual solutions.

In this course, we will look at dance as a form of political activism, focusing particularly on Black Dance culture. This will be a literary, media-based, and technical exploration, offering students the opportunity to think analytically and critically as they hone both their writing and discussion skills. Our goal is to understand and appreciate the historical, political, cultural, and social contexts that influenced the creation of Black Dance culture and how the Africanist presence has shaped American dance culture.

This course is for all who stay to the end of the credits, purchase soundtracks, and argue over who should have won the Oscar for Best Score, along with anyone else interested in the undervalued importance of music to the general effect of a motion picture. We will explore and discuss the myriad ways in which these two media interact. The course will focus on classic scores by Herrmann, Morricone, and Williams, as well as the uses of pre-existing music in films of Kubrick and Tarantino.