Science and Technology | First-Year Experience

Course Codes
Faculty Directory

ASN 101 - Trekking through Asia
Welcome to the "Asian Century." Asia has re-emerged as the center of the world, after a brief hiatus that started in the 18th century. With histories and religious traditions stretching back three millennia, today as we see cultures across Asia have transformed in ways to meet the demands of our rapidly changing world. China, Japan, and India are three of the world's top economies. Asia contains six of the world's ten largest countries, and is home to over half of the world's population and two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. For decades Asian countries have been leaders in global manufacturing, and Asian universities are now renowned centers for scientific and medical innovation. Fifty percent of the declared nuclear-weapon states are also in the region. Simply put, Asia matters a great deal! In this course, we trek through the Asian past and present, exploring this vast and vibrant region. Through writings and travelogues that documented the peoples and lands of places stretching from the Sea of Japan to Persia, and from Java to the Mediterranean Sea, we will learn about the cultural systems that helped shape Asian societies. We will consider how these traditions contributed to and were changed by historical interactions in Asia itself and in relationship to the rest of the world. Join us on the journey! (Yoshikawa, offered annually)

01 LEC TR 1:10-2:40 PM; Yoshikawa
02 LEC TR 2:50-4:20 PM; Yoshikawa

BIOL 167 - Introductory Topics
These courses, while focused on a range of topics, are designed to help students (1) distinguish between scientific inquiry and other modes of inquiry; (2) articulate in general terms the central concepts of biology, including the process of evolution through natural selection; the central role of DNA, RNA, and proteins in living organisms; and the inheritance of genetic information; (3) ask relevant biological questions, develop scientific hypotheses, and design experiments to test hypotheses; and (4) explain the relevance of biological knowledge to society. Lab is required, but which lab section you register for is independent of the lecture section. Prerequisites: none. (offered every semester)

01 LEC Biology of Environmental Change MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Cushman
02 LEC The Secret Life of Bees MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Fischman
11 LAB M 1:10-4:10 PM; Cushman
12 LAB T 1:10-4:10 PM; Cushman
13 R 8:40-11:40 AM; Cushman
14 LAB R 1:10-4:10 PM; Cushman

CHEM 101 - That's Cool Chemistry
This course provides a platform for students to help them understand and appreciate the underlying science that surrounds them every day. Topics will include nomenclature, understanding and using chemical equations, chemical bonding, atomic and molecular interactions. The course will also answer questions such as "Why do snowflakes always have six points?" More extensive topics may include environmental chemistry, atomic and nuclear chemistry, simple thermodynamics, the structure and function of macromolecules (such as nucleic acids and proteins), forensic chemistry, food chemistry, and the chemistry of fossil fuels and biofuels. These topics will be chosen in part based on the expertise of the instructor and on relevant and timely issues. The course will also allow students to develop qualitative and quantitative problem-solving skills. Two or three lectures a week, one of which will include a hands-on component in which students will conduct experiments in order to explore the scientific process. This course is not open to students who have taken or intend to take CHEM 110, or who must do so for their intended or declared major. (Spring, offered occasionally)

01 LEC MW 1:10-2:40 PM; Pelkey

CHEM 110 - Introduction to General Chemistry
This course presents a survey of chemical concepts in the context of understanding technology that impacts our lives. Fundamental chemistry is illustrated by applications to air pollution (including global warming and ozone depletion), water pollution, energy production, nutrition, and drug design. Three lectures per week. This course prepares students for CHEM 120 and CHEM 240. No prerequisites. (Fall, offered annually)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Church
02 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Bowyer
03 LEC MWF 12-1 PM; Pelkey

CHEM 190 - Accelerated General Chemistry
This course is designed for first year students with a strong high school background in chemistry. The course will begin with a brief review of the material covered in high school chemistry and then move on to more advanced topics. Questions such as (1) whether a reaction will occur and at what rate, (2) does a reaction require heat or liberate heat? (3) To what extend will a reaction proceed? and (4) How fast does a reaction proceed? will be explored. Prerequisite: Foundational knowledge of high school chemistry and a satisfactory score on the HWS chemistry placement exam. (Fall, offered annually)

01 MWF 8:30-9:30 AM; Slade

CPSC 120 - Principles of Computer Science
Designed to appeal to a diverse audience, this course examines some of the fundamental ideas of the science of computing within a particular topic area, which varies from semester to semester. Past topics have included Graphics and Animation, Multimedia, Robots, and Web Site Development. This course is intended for students with no previous programming experience, and is appropriate for those who are interested in computer science as well as those who might not have considered computer science but are interested in a particular topic area. This course counts towards the major and minor in computer science but cannot be taken concurrently with or after completion of CPSC 124. No prerequisites.

01 LEC F 10:50-11:50 AM; Bridgeman
01 LEC MW 10:50-11:50 AM; Bridgeman

CPSC 124 - Introduction to Programming
An introduction to the theory and practice of computer programming, the emphasis of this course is on techniques of program development within the object-oriented paradigm. Topics include control structures, objects, classes, inheritance, simple data structures, and basic concepts of software development. Currently, Java is the programming language used in the course. This course has a required lab component, and is required for the major and minor in computer science. No prerequisites. (Offered every semester)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Hu
11 M 2:50-4:20 PM; Hu

CPSC 220 - Introduction to Computer Architecture
This course reveals how hardware executes software. Students design digital logic circuits to work with binary data, develop programs using both assembly language and machine language, and analyze operations of the central processing unit during program execution. This course has a required lab component and is required for the major in computer science.

01 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Fietkiewicz
11 LAB R 1:10-2:40 PM; Fietkiewicz

DATA 101 - Introduction to Data Analytics
Introduction to Data Analytics introduces students to answering questions with large datasets. We explore data types, obtaining data, integration, management, visualization, and examples of data modeling. We will also explore questions of data privacy, the ethics of collecting, storing and manipulating data, and the specter of bias. Students will also begin to acquire fluency in the R statistical computing language and will fine tune professional skills including effective communication, presentation, and storytelling with data. Students will develop a working knowledge of data analytics through hands-on projects and case studies in a variety of domains. Class sessions will be a combination of lecture, demonstration, independent coding work, and group collaboration. This introductory course is open to all students interested in the applications of data analytics and is the first course in the Data Analytics minor. The course partially satisfies the quantitative reasoning goal. (Staff, offered each semester)

01 LEC TR 2:50-4:20 PM; Capreedy

DATA 127 - Math Foundations of Data
DATA 127 covers the key mathematical tools for data analytics and other quantitative fields. Topics covered include limits, derivatives, definite integrals, optimization, matrix algebra, and vector spaces. A special emphasis is placed on practical applications in the interpretation of large data sets. Students will explore the uses of these mathematical tools through computer coding. Prerequisites: (1) Math 100 with a grade of C- or higher or a score 15 or higher on the Math Placement Test; (2) DATA 101 with a grade of C- or higher, a declared Data Analytics minor, or permission of the instructor. DATA 127 substantially fulfills the Goal 3 (Quantitative Reasoning). (Staff, offered annually)

01 LEC TR 10:20-11:50 AM; Hebb

ENG 175 - Travel Literature
The mobilities of populations have been crucial to the ways in which human beings have been organized across the planet - in empires, in nations, on continents, in hemispheres. Several factors encourage or deter mobility or travel - technological, economic, demographic, and so on. But travel inevitably introduces an encounter with otherness. We begin and end the course with an encounter with "America." We will encounter embodiments of racial and gendered otherness, but we will also examine the encounter between the human and the machine, the technological otherness of the android. The texts typically include Shakespeare's "The Tempest," Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe," Phillip Dick's "Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," Octavia Butler's "Kindred," and George Orwell's "Burmese Days." (Basu)

01 LEC TR 12-1 PM; Basu

ENV 102 - Introduction to Environmental Studies
This class introduces numerous questions and perspectives regarding global climate change. While the media now reports daily on climate change, understanding its causal mechanisms and effects are exceptionally complex. Is the climate changing and how do we know? What are climate change's causal forces? What are some ways that climate change affects ecosystems and human life? How do we imagine and plan for futures that may look and feel dramatically different from the present? What is being done to mitigate climate change and its effects? And why is more not being done? Addressing these questions requires an interdisciplinary approach, spanning the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities. In this course, we will scratch the surface of multiple approaches to the problem of global climate change and techniques of environmental studies, paying particular attention to the ethical dimensions of climate action. (Staff, offered each semester)

01 LEC MW 2:50-4:20 PM
02 TR 1:10-2:40 PM; Kinne

GEO 144 - Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of life in the Universe. It brings together perspectives from astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, paleontology, biology and chemistry to examine the origin of life on Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe. This course is designed to help students understand the nature and process of science through the lens of astrobiology. We will explore questions such as: What is life? How did life arise on Earth? Where else in the Universe might life be found? How do we know about the early history of life on Earth? And how do we search for life elsewhere? We will evaluate current theories on how life began and evolved on Earth and how the presence of life changed the Earth. We will review current understanding on the range of habitable planets in our solar system and around other stars. And we will discuss what life might look like on these other planets and what techniques we could use to detect it. This course is designed to fulfill a student's goal of experiencing scientific inquiry and understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. It does not count toward the major in Geoscience or Physics. (Hebb, Kendrick, offered alternate years)

01 LEC TR 8:40-10:10 AM; Kendrick

GEO 182 - Introduction to Meteorology
The influence of weather and climate affect our daily activities, our leisure hours, transportation, commerce, agriculture, and nearly every aspect of our lives. In this course many of the fundamental physical processes important to the climate system and responsible for the characteristics and development of weather systems will be introduced. We will examine the structure of the atmosphere, parameters that control climate, the jet stream, large-scale pressure systems, as well as an array of severe weather phenomena including hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms and blizzards. Upon completion of this course, we will have developed: (a) a foundation of basic scientific inquiry (b) a basic comprehension of the physical processes that govern weather and climate, and (c) an understanding of the elements of weather and climate that are most important to society. (Laird, Metz, offered each semester)

01 LEC MW 8-9:30 AM; Laird

GEO 184 - Introduction to Geology
We will explore the form and function of the solid Earth, using plate tectonics as a central paradigm. From this framework, we investigate minerals and rocks, volcanoes, earthquakes, the rise and fall of mountains, the origin and fate of sediments, the structure of our landscape and geologic time. We analyze geological resources such as minerals and fossil fuels, and the many other ways human society interacts with our restless planet. We work extensively in the field and typically take one mandatory weekend field trip. This course is a prerequisite for many geoscience courses. (Arens, Kendrick, offered each semester)

01 LEC TR 10:20-11:50 AM; Arens
11 LAB T 1:10-4:10 PM; Arens
12 LAB W 1:10-4:10 PM; Kendrick

GEO 186 - Introduction to Hydrogeology
Water and water resources are critical issues for the sustenance of every society. This course is an introduction to hydrogeology and explores water in the atmosphere, lakes, oceans, and other reservoirs found on land and the movement among reservoirs. Discussion of the role of water in natural systems results in an exploration of (1) atmospheric moisture; (2) floods and stream processes; (3) the physical , chemical, and ecological characteristics of lakes and oceans; (4) aquifers and groundwater processes; and (5) wetlands. We will use quantitative reasoning to examine the characteristics and importance of water across environmental and geophysical sciences. This course is a prerequisite for many geoscience courses. (Curtin, Finkelstein, offered fall)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Curtin
11 LAB M 1:10-4:40 PM; Curtin
12 LAB T 1:10-4:10 PM; Curtin

GSIJ 247 - History, Psychology and Feminism
Should the history of feminism and psychology be x-rated, as was asked once of science more generally? This question opens onto psychology's expressways where histories of feminism, gender, sexuality, race and what are sometimes called the 'psy' disciplines crosscut in the greater search for knowledge of who we are or might become. Running parallel throughout this history are the ways feminist and critical gender scholars tackled the very ways the science of psychology upheld cultural conventions of gender, race and sexuality. This course examines these tangled stories from early case studies of hysteria and spiritualism through to mid-century depictions of the "mommy pill," "how the clinic made gender" and to late twentieth and early twenty-first century concerns around gender, race and bodies. The course uses history, theory and research in psychology to appreciate psychology's changing views, treatment and study of diverse lives, and how feminism shaped psychology as much as psychology shaped feminism. This course also counts toward the major in psychology. (Formerly WMST 247)

01 LEC TR 1:10-2:40 PM; Bayer

GSIJ 300 - Who's Afraid of Gender?
This seminar surveys several strands of feminist theorizing and their histories. The course examines how activist movements ground feminist theories, including changing technologies (from print to digital and social media). By critically engaging the underlying assumptions and stakes of a range of theories, students become more aware of their own assumptions and stakes, sharpen their abilities to productively apply feminist analyses in their own work and lives, and create ways to take feminist theory beyond the classroom. Prerequisite: GSIJ 100 or permission of instructor.

01 LEC W 1:10-4:10 PM; Bayer

MATH 100 - Elementary Functions
Intended for students who plan to continue in the calculus sequence, this course involves the study of basic functions: polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric. Topics include a review of the real number system, equations and inequalities, graphing techniques, and applications of functions. A problem-solving lab is an integral part of the course. Permission of instructor is required. This course does not count toward the major or minor in mathematics. (Offered annually)

01 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM
11 LAB T 10:20am-11:50 AM

MATH 130 - Calculus I
This course offers a standard introduction to the concepts and techniques of the differential calculus of functions of one variable. A problem-solving lab is an integral part of the course. This course does not count towards the major in mathematics. Prerequisite: Satisfactory performance on the department's placement exam, or MATH 100. (Offered each semester)

01 LEC MWF 8:30-9:30 AM
02 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; King
03 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; King
11 LAB T 1:10-2:40 PM
12 LAB R 8:40-10:10 AM; King
13 LAB R 10:20-11:50 AM; King

MATH 131 - Calculus II
This course is a continuation of the topics covered in MATH 130 with an emphasis on integral calculus, sequences, and series. A problem-solving lab is an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: MATH 130 or permission of the instructor. (Offered each semester)

01 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Hao
11 LAB R 1:10-2:40 PM; Hao

MATH 204 - Linear Algebra
This course is an introduction to the concepts and methods of linear algebra. Among the most important topics are general vector spaces and their subspaces, linear independence, spanning and basis sets, solution space for systems of linear equations, and linear transformations and their matrix representations. It is designed to develop an appreciation for the process of mathematical abstraction and the creation of a mathematical theory. Prerequisites: MATH 131 or MATH 232, and MATH 135 strongly suggested, or permission of the instructor.

01 LEC TR 10:20-11:50 AM; Bell

MATH 232 - Multivariable Calculus
A study of the concepts and techniques of the calculus of functions of several variables, this course is required for the major in mathematics.

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Biermann

MUS 211 - Science, History & Art of Video Game
This course engages video game music by analyzing its history and effect on players and listeners through three interlocking and integrated viewpoints: music cognition and emotion; the history of video game music and game sound design; and the art of choosing and creating music for gaming. Students will learn about the history of video game music, including its journey from beep-boops to full-orchestra scores and choose-your-own soundtrack adventures. This history provides a framework for learning how video game music works on us - tools from the science of music cognition, including music's origins in human evolution; biological and neurological accounts of musical emotion; music and game processing and multimedia environments; musical anticipation; and music theories surrounding behavior and play will allow students to explore what specific parts of our human actions, feelings, and behavior are affected by games and music. Lastly, students practice the art of video game music by composing or choosing music for a game, applying the knowledge to a real-world gaming experience. MUS 110 or 120 and/or some background in music performance is helpful but not required. (Offered annually)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Lofthouse, Cricco

PBHL 100 - Introduction to Public Health
Drawing from interdisciplinary sources as well as key scholarship from within the field of public health, this course provides an introduction to the core functions of public health, covering both US and global contexts. The course uses historical and contemporary examples to highlight the role of public health in promoting the health status of different populations, and the relationship of public health to other forms of health promotion in clinical and community settings. Focal topics include issues of global health, environmental health, health justice, and clinical health. Students are encouraged to think critically and reflexively about what it means to intervene in human health in such contexts, and to consider how social inequality and structural injustice plays a significant role in health outcomes. (Offered annually)

01 LEC MWF 8:30-9:30 AM; MacPhail

PHIL 154 - Environmental Ethics
This course explores the ethical and philosophical issues that arise when we consider the relation between humans and the natural environment - issues made urgent by our current environmental crisis. Among questions examined are: Is the value of nature intrinsic or only instrumental? Do humans have obligations toward nonhuman animals? Why are animal species worth preserving? Is it individual animals or ecosystems that should be of moral concern? What can feminism tell us about our treatment of nature? Are economic efficiency and cost/benefit analysis adequate criteria for assessing our relation to the environment? (Ward, offered annually)

01 LEC MW 1:10-2:40 PM; Ward
02 LEC MW 2:50-4:20 PM; Ward

PHYS 115 - Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of life in the Universe. It brings together perspectives from astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, paleontology, biology and chemistry to examine the origin of life on Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe. This course is designed to help students understand the nature and process of science through the lens of astrobiology. We will explore questions such as: What is life? How did it arise on Earth? Where else in the Universe might life be found? How do we know about the early history of life on Earth? And how do we search for life elsewhere? We will evaluate current theories on how life began and evolved on Earth and how the presence of life changed the Earth. We will review current understanding on the range of habitable planets in our solar system and around other stars. And we will discuss what life might look like on these other planets and what techniques we could use to detect it. This course is designed to fulfill a student's goal of experiencing scientific inquiry and understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. It does not count toward the major in Geoscience or Physics. (Offered alternate years)

01 LEC TR 8:40-10:10 AM; Kendrick

PHYS 150 - Introduction Physics I
This is a calculus-based first course in mechanics and waves with laboratory. Prerequisite: MATH 130 Calculus I (may be taken concurrently). (Offered annually)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Allen
02 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Allen
11 LAB M 1:10-4:10 PM; Dumitriu
12 LAB T 1:10-4:10 PM; Dumitriu
21 LAB W 1:10-4:10 PM; Dumitriu
22 LAB R 1:10-4:10 PM; Dumitriu

PHYS 160 - Introduction Physics II
This course offers a calculus-based first course in electromagnetism and optics with laboratory. Prerequisites: PHYS 150 and MATH 131 Calculus II (may be taken concurrently). (Offered annually)

01 LEC TR 10:20-1:50 AM; Spector
11 LAB M 1:10-4:10 PM; Spector
12 LAB M 7:30-10:30 PM; Spector

PHYS 285 - Math Methods
This course covers a number of mathematical topics that are widely used by students of science and engineering. It is intended particularly to prepare physics majors for the mathematical demands of 300-level physics courses. Math and chemistry majors also find this course quite helpful. Techniques that are useful in physical science problems are stressed. Topics are generally drawn from: power series, complex variables, matrices and eigenvalues, multiple integrals, Fourier series, Laplace transforms, differential equations and boundary value problems, and vector calculus.

01 LEC TR 1:10-2:40 PM; Spector

PSY 100 - Introduction to Psychology
This course offers a comprehensive survey of the methodology and content of present-day psychology. Emphasis is placed on the development of a critical evaluative approach to theories and empirical data. (Fall and spring, offered each semester)

01 LEC MWF 9:40-10:40 AM; Fisher
02 LEC MWF 10:50-11:50 AM; Fisher