SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES FOR SPRING 2018
AN291-IL Exploring Cultural and Environmental Health in Peru
This team-taught EYH-ILC explores rural health in the Middle Moche Valley of Peru. On-campus course meetings will provide students with introductory information about basic anthropological concepts including perspectives on health, foodways, inequality, and Peruvian culture. During spring break students will travel to Trujillo, Peru to work in several communities that partner with MOCHE Inc, a NGO with long term commitment to middle valley communities. As part of exploring the impacts of environmental pollutants on rural health in the Middle Moche Valley the students will carry out basic water quality, ambient and indoor air quality testing in select households. Since various particulate matters are linked to adverse health effects the students will engage in real time sampling of respirable particulate matters in indoor air during active cooking period. Upon return, students will process their samples. This work will lead to a contextualized awareness about pollutants as well as promoting culturally sensitive remedial measures aimed to improve quality of life in the communities.
AN 291-HL (Honors ILC) An Anthropology of Capitalism: Europeans and the Peoples Without
This honors course will examine the rise of western capitalism and the origins of American democracy in relation to the African, Asian, and American continents. Europeans colonized these other spaces as explorers, merchants, spies, evangelists, and pirates. Imaginative literature from the 16th through early 19th centuries reflected a tense dialogue among colonizers and colonized as some attempted to justify slavery and conquest and others attempted to resist and find freedom. This course combines anthropological study of this foundational moment in world history and literary study of some of the classics of early American authors such as Phillis Wheatley and Benjamin Franklin as well as notorious pirates. As Puff, Biggie, and Lil’ Kim once rapped, it’s all about the Benjamins.
BI 291 - sect. EY - Special Topics: Florida Ecosystems
This course includes a Winter Break Expanding Your Horizons trip, January 5-11, 2018. Florida contains habitats not seen in other parts of the United States, such as mangrove islands and the unique Everglades ecosystem. The diversity of wildlife is high throughout the year, and students will gain exposure to a wide variety of organisms and habitat types. Post-trip class meetings will use examples from the trip to illustrate basic principles of ecology and conservation biology. This course is designed for non-science majors and has no pre-requisites. Majors in biology and other sciences are also encouraged to enroll, as are minors in environmental studies.
BI-291 (Special Topics) Bioinformatics.
One unit. Three hours of lecture and two hours of lab, weekly. Bioinformatics was born of the need to organize, visualize, retrieve and analyze prodigious biological datasets. While relatively young, informatics as a discipline has quickly become an invaluable resource to virtually all contemporary research environments. This upper-level elective begins with dissection of genomic, proteomic, population and evolutionary data mining techniques before students create unique repositories based on established integrated databases. Those who complete this course will interpret biological information while employing standard practice algorithms and custom solutions to solve novel challenges (this in the form of a final project). Methods include but are not limited to sequence alignment, protein motif examination and molecule interaction modeling. No background in computational biology is required, though access to a personal computer and internet connectivity are mandatory. Prerequisites include the following foundation courses: Biology 213, 215, 217 219 and 221 (or Psychology 116). Students interested in enrolling for this course without the aforementioned prerequisites may request permission of the instructor.
CH 291 Special Topics: Chemistry of WMD
Ever wanted to harness the fabulous power of weapons of mass destruction in order to gain friends and influence neighboring governments? This team-taught ILC will examine the science and politics behind nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. In addition the course will examine the histories, ethics, and strategic values of nuclear weapon systems, and examine current strategies in non-proliferation, from both a domestic and international perspective.
CH 591 Special Topics: Chemistry, Advanced Organic Synthesis
Three hours of lecture weekly. This course explores a broad range of organic reactions that are not covered in CH212, including recent examples from the literature. Topics include cycloadditions, sigmatropic rearrangements, transition-metal catalyzed reactions, reactive intermediates, and enantioselective reactions, among others. Prerequisites: Chemistry 211, 212.
FM291: Television Theory -- Mon 9:40 to 12:40 (Prof. Holly Van Buren)
This course will analyze American television with a cultural studies approach. Looking at television shows ranging from its early beginnings (1950s sitcoms, anthology programs, and quiz shows), to its current post-broadcasting streaming reality (Netflix, Hulu, On Demand technology), this course will cover topics such as: televisual style and narrative design, intertextuality, feminism, nostalgia, and cult fandom. Over the course of the semester we will unpack television as a critical touchstone of American culture, while also delving into close textual analysis as a means to foster discussion. Shows to be screened include (but are not limited to):Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Wonder Years, Broad City,An American Family, Mary Tyler Moore, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glee, American Horror Story, Big Little Lies, Stranger Things, Mosaic,and much more.
FM291: Navigating the Film Industry -- Weds 6 to 9 (Prof. Nelson Kim)
This course will be a broad survey of the film industry, designed primarily for filmmakers (screenwriters, directors, and producers) but open to all. The focus will be on preparing independent filmmakers to finance, produce, and distribute their work, but we will also cover studio filmmaking and working in television. Topics will include fundraising, casting, the role of talent agents and managers, film festival strategies, distribution platforms, and more. Students will deliver in-class presentations on various topics, participate in mock "pitch" meetings, and write research papers. Guest speakers will provide working professionals' perspectives on different aspects of the business.
FM291: Radio Production -- Thurs 6 to 9 (Prof. Katie Hiler)
This course will provide students with an introduction to radio production. Students will advance their skills in interviewing, audio storytelling strategies, microphones, audio editing, the radio business, and funding strategies. Through the creation of their own radio material, students will gain practical and analytical skills and will be evaluated on class participation, weekly one-question quizzes, and four creative projects.
HI291-01Environmental History of NYC
Living in New York today, outside of a few parks, it can be difficult to find the things we usually associate with “nature:” forests, mountains, wildlife, wetlands and marshes, and the like. Indeed, if anything, this city seems to be defined by a lack of the “environment.” But New York is, and always has been, shaped by the distinctive set of natural, geographical, and biological features that surround us. This course examines these environmental forces: New York was born as a water city. How will our future be affected by the threats of climate change and rising seas? Where have New Yorkers found the food, drinking water, and clean air we need, and how have we gotten rid of the garbage we don’t want? What about the city’s non-human residents – from the horses and pigs of the nineteenth century, to the pigeons, rats, and bedbugs of today? This course will demonstrate that “city” and “environment” are not antithetical terms, but rather that New York’s past and future are inseparably tied to the place in which we live.
HI291-02 (EYH)
Southern Roots--Antebellum Charleston, South Carolina, and the West Indies
As one of the original 13 colonies South Carolina holds a significant place in American history. Established in 1686, colonists immigrated from the Caribbean to establish a community that would provide economic opportunities for planters who needed land for the gangs of slaves they already owned. South Carolina was perfect because the climate was similar and the discovery of wild rice in the marshy Sea Islands created the perfect environment for rice cultivation and slave labor. Visitors to South Carolina’s port city described the lowcountry as a carbon copy of Caribbean society. This class will examine the cultural and political importance of South Carolina in American society and the role Caribbean culture and slavery played in forming South Carolina society.
HI 291-HL & EC291-HL (Honors ILC) The Big Change: Capitalism, Globalization and Climate Change
This course will examine the connection and linkages between capitalism (markets) and climate change. We will begin with an examination of the contemporary structure of global capitalism and the nature of climate change. Then we will engage in an exploration of possible policies and techniques designed to deal with climate change and their consequences for our society.
NR591 and NR591G - Special Topics - Nursing Informatics
This course allows for discussion and analysis of current issues and/or research in response to student and departmental interest.
SO 291-HL (Honors ILC) Special Topics: The Role of the Media in Crisis SituationsThis honors course will examine the role the media play in crisis situations. It will examine the public responsibility of the media in public emergences, as well as the moral and ethical limits in how the media report and interpret such situations. Case studies of the role the media have played in recent emergency situations will be examined to consider whether the media meet their professional and ethical obligations. Particular attention will be given to cross-national comparisons between the role of media in crisis situations in the United States and Israel. Wagner students work with Hadassah Academic College (Jerusalem) students to draft joint projects comparing media response to crisis situations