A detailed examination of the chemistry of the elements, with a particular emphasis on structure and bonding, structure-property relationships, and reaction energetics. Course topics include organometallics and catalysis, aquatic chemistry of the metals, solid-state chemistry, and the role of metals in biology. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, four hours.
An introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours.
An introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three and one-half hours.
The fourth in a series of experiences designed to strengthen scientific communication skills. Students will observe and engage with a variety of presenters, such as invited speakers, faculty, and peers. Throughout the course, participants will learn skills to assist in the preparation and delivery of a scientific presentation to an audience. Senior majors will deliver a scientific presentation on a topic agreed upon with a faculty mentor.
An exploration of contemporary issues in biochemistry based largely on primary literature. Topics such as the biosynthesis and mode of action of antibiotics, protein engineering, signal transduction, chemical carcinogenesis, and isotope effects in enzyme kinetics will be addressed in detail. Lecture, three hours.
Chinese
An intensive introduction to the fundamentals of the language and culture with emphasis on developing conversational skills such as pronunciation.
Emphasis on developing reading and writing skills in addition to conversational practice. Students will read and discuss materials from Chinese newspapers, magazines, and modern literature. Students will write short essays in simplified Chinese characters.
Classical Studies
Survey of Latin literature in English translation treating Roman comedy, epic, history, and satire. Special emphasis in the first semester is on Vergil's Aeneid.
Though its content will vary from semester to semester, this class always focuses on a special topic in classical literature or culture not fully covered in existing courses. Examples might include courses on a single author, a literary movement or tradition, a genre, or a theme. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic differs.
Community Engaged Learning
A course examining the impact of the built and natural environments on human health. Topics include food systems and security, toxicology, infectious and zoonotic disease, waste and wastewater, air pollution, climate change and environmental justice. Through community engagement projects, students will learn about tools and approaches to address challenges to public health and promote community wellbeing. Not open to students who have received credit for BIOL 232.
Singing from the Sacred Harp hymnal represents an old but still rewarding Southern musical practice, suitable for all amateurs willing to sing loudly. In twice-a-week practices, we cover the fundamentals of shape-note singing and learn to sing in parts. Approximately once a month we travel to Alabama to participate in one of the traditional Sacred Harp singings.
An examination of the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and children, with a primary emphasis on theoretical issues and scientific methodology. Development is presented as a process of progressive interaction between the active, growing individual and his or her constantly changing and multifaceted environment. Organized chronologically with an approximately equal emphasis on the prenatal through middle childhood periods of development. Includes a laboratory that focuses on designing and conducting studies (including data analyses) to answer empirical questions on human development.
Computer Science
An introduction to creative modeling of both natural and virtual worlds, in which students gain understanding of human interaction with computing devices as well as the expertise needed for further course work in computer science. Lab experiences using the explicit notation of a programming language reinforce the application of abstractions while affording practice in algorithmic problem solving and relevant theory.
An introduction to creative modeling of both natural and virtual worlds, in which students gain understanding of human interaction with computing devices as well as the expertise needed for further course work in computer science. Lab experiences using the explicit notation of a programming language reinforce the application of abstractions while affording practice in algorithmic problem solving and relevant theory.
This course provides students with a working knowledge of the power and potential of modern networked databases as well as of common uses and abuses. Students receive hands-on experience with open source development tools, which are widely used for building and placing databases on the web. Database development is explored, from conceptual elaboration through design and implementation, and interview techniques for effective database design are considered. Programming techniques are introduced for building, maintaining, accessing, interacting, and protecting the information in large data depositories. Discussions include consideration of concerns driving policy decisions for amassing and managing sensitive, and sometimes dangerous, information collections.
The design, implementation, and application of data structures and their algorithms, including stacks, queues, linked structures, trees and graphs. Other topics include elementary searching and sorting algorithms, pattern matching, and runtime performance analysis.
This course focuses on the emerging field of human-robot interaction, bringing together research and application of methodology from robotics, human factors, human-computer interaction, interaction design, cognitive psychology, education, and other fields to enable robots to have more natural and more rewarding interactions with humans throughout their spheres of functioning. This course is a combination of state-of-art reading and discussions, focused exercises and problem-solving sessions in human-robot interaction, and a group project that includes the design, development, and evaluation of a human-robot interaction system.
Knowledge representation, expert systems, natural language processing, computer vision, machine learning, game playing, cognition.
Creative Writing
Discussions will center on students' fiction. Selected readings are assigned to focus on technical problems of craftsmanship and style.
Discussions will center on students' fiction. Selected readings are assigned to focus on technical problems of craftsmanship and style.