View special topics course descriptions from previous semesters here.
View special topics course descriptions from previous semesters here.
This course addresses the functional, ethical, rhetorical and pedagogical elements of artificial intelligence tools. Students consider the cultural context of the emergence, implementation, and impacts of AI. Classes will address themes including: the emergence of AI within natural language processing; AI hallucinations; the environmental impacts of AI; privacy and plagiarism in the use and misuse of AI tools; and future impacts of AI on the economy. Using sources from anthropology, science and technology studies, and accessible materials from linguistics and computer science, students will develop a foundational AI literacy for their future use of AI tools.
Images of the body have held a vital place in the formation of identity in the United States. Rooted in concurrent scientific theories, these representations often have visualized race, gender, class, and sexuality in terms of “natural” body types, serving to reinforce and justify national power relations and cultural stereotypes. This art history seminar will explore constructions of identity, difference, connection, and empowerment by examining images of the body at the intersection of art and science produced since 1800. The course will be structured thematically around topics such as “the female invalid,” “figuring race,” and “art as therapy and cure.” Emphasis will be given to nineteenth-century painting and sculpture, but regular connections will be made to art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and to a wide range of visual culture, from scientific diagrams and photographs to popular advertisements and prints.
How do drugs shape not only cells, but also culture? This course introduces the principles of evidence-based medicine, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and the actions of drugs on major organ systems—while situating these scientific foundations in a broader liberal arts context. Case studies of recreating drugs, cognitive enhancers, and therapeutic agents highlight ethical debates, historical trajectories, and social implications.
From murder ballads to modern true crime podcasts, this course unearths the stories that make death irresistible. Step into the minds of poets, detectives, and confessors to see how crime becomes culture. What does the crime reveal about power, gender, and guilt? We’ll dissect murder and madness, confession and complicity – through novels, poems, paintings, and films – tracing how writers and filmmakers have turned transgression into art.
In this course we will study different properties of plasma physics such as temperature, density, and electric fields. We will also see a brief introduction of experimental plasma diagnostics. Finally, we will study how nanoparticles can form and suspend in the middle of a plasma which is relevant to semiconductor processing and planetary formation.
How can understanding the human mind contribute to protecting the planet? Open to students of all majors, this interdisciplinary course explores how psychological principles can be applied to global environmental challenges. Explore the intersection of human behavior and ecological principles of interconnectedness, the impact of minor actions, circular life systems, growth limits, and how diversity fuels resilience. Learn how psychological innovations and action research approaches can promote environmental justice. Through a hopeful lens, this course encourages a shift from despair to actionable solutions, equipping students with tools to foster a sustainable future for all.
Drugs impact our brain and behavior in myriad ways. This course will explore pharmacological, biological, psychological and sociocultural factors contributing to drug use in medical and recreational contexts. No prior knowledge or experience in psychology and/or neuroscience is required; content is designed for students who do not plan to pursue degrees in psychology and/or neuroscience.
An introduction to empirical psychology, designed for students who do not plan to major in psychology and/or neuroscience. Key areas, approaches, and theories in psychology are illustrated. The process of scientific inquiry, including experience with a variety of research approaches and methodological issues, is integrated into the course.
In this seminar, we will cover some theoretical issues related to human attention, such as the problem of ‘limited attentional resources’, attention metaphors and models, or a variety of inattentional blindness phenomena and their possible mechanisms. But our major focus will be on applied issues, such as attention and multitasking, attention and meditation, attention and driving, attention and video games, attention and aging, and attention under various clinical conditions, including ADHD, ASD, and brain lesions. In our discussions, we will use behavioral data (overall performance and response times), eye-tracking data, and also neuroimaging and brain stimulation data in healthy and clinical populations.
An introductory exploration of the ways media, art, and entertainment both contribute to and challenge stereotypes of religion.
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of interreligious dialogue, offering students the foundational concepts and perspectives needed to navigate a religiously diverse world. We will investigate the historical, cultural, and social dynamics that shape how different religious traditions and groups encounter one another, examining how identity, power, and history impact the lives of people and society. The course discusses why interreligious and cross-boundary engagement is both essential and challenging. Through engaging readings, case studies, and structured discussions, students will analyze examples to identify obstacles and explore approaches to further interreligious dialogue.
A seminar on applied methods that places the history of the University of the South within the larger cultural history of the Bible. The Bible examined as an anthology of ancient texts, a material artifact, a transmedia storyworld, and cultural capital. The interpretation of the Bible explored as a collective process of meaning-making through rhetoric and ritual. Particular attention paid to the visual and material culture of the University’s campus (place names, inscriptions, memorials, monuments, art work, family bibles), institutional discourses (the motto, commemorative ceremonies, hymns, sermons, speeches, college policies), and popular culture (film festivals, sports teams, local biographies, folk art).