ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE prerequisite. Evaluations are based on class participation, homework, midterm, final exams, and a term project or paper. Offered every year.
█ CHEMISTRY OF FOODS & COOKING Don Cass Course limit: 15 Cost: $50 This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of chemistry in the context of food. After a brief introduction to biochemistry (why we eat), the course works through different foods, roughly in the order that humans are thought to have exploited them. Topics include their history, cultural significance, and how their molecular structure can explain how different methods of preparation affect their nutritional and aesthetic characteristics. Each class is based around kitchen experiments that illustrate chemical concepts. Evaluations are based on a midterm take home problem set and each student’s compilation of a cookbook of recipes for 15 different food types, each of which includes a discussion of how the recipe reflects the chemical principles discussed in the class.
CARE: SAVING ALL █ COLLECTIONS THE PARTS (INTRODUCTION TO) Steve Ressel Course limit: 14 Cost: $30 Natural history museums are major players in the great human enterprise that was started by Linnaeus over 250 years ago: to catalog all of Earth’s species and understand the inherent order of these organisms. While the Earth’s biotic inventory is far from complete, natural history collections presently held by reputable institutions represent extremely valuable and, in some cases, irreplaceable sources of knowledge regarding life on our planet. This course introduces students to current principles and practices of caring for and organizing collections through hands on work with the holdings of the Dorr Museum. This course focuses on the proper storage, handling, and exhibition of collections, and cataloguing collections in accordance with currently accepted evolutionary relationships among represented taxa. Through individual and group projects, students research and pilot practices that address short and long term needs of collection material. Students are evaluated on level of class participation and successful completion of class projects, including a final project that will form the basis of a strategic plan for collections care at the Dorr Museum. This course is suitable for students interested in the
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study of natural history, vertebrate biology, educational studies, and exhibition in museums and galleries.
█ COMPUTER SCIENCE (INTRODUCTION TO) Dave Feldman Course limit: 12 This course is an intensive introduction to computer science for students with little or no programming experience. The primary goal for the course is to provide students with a solid foundation in Python, a modern, high level, and object-oriented programming language. A secondary goal is for students to gain an initial introduction to algorithmic approaches in interdisciplinary problem solving. Constructing effective software involves creativity and judgment, and there are theoretical principles and practical considerations that inform and guide its construction. Students will be introduced to these principles and will gain experience applying these principles to practical problems. Students who successfully complete this class will: gain a solid, practical understanding of the core Python language, including control statements, functions, simple data structures, and input/output; learn to extend their knowledge of Python or other languages; develop good programming techniques; and will be able apply algorithmic thinking and programming skills to areas of interest. This course is designed to use programming in a wide range of areas, including research in biology, economics, statistics, and other mathematical sciences. Also, the class helps prepare students to write applications for web or mobile devices. The course is suited for students who do not have particular areas of programming applications in mind, but who wish to experience challenge and excitement of designing and implementing algorithms. Evaluation is based on weekly programming exercises and a final programming project.
RICAN █ COSTA NATURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION John Anderson & Steve Ressel Course limit: 15 Cost: $1000* This team taught, intensive, field based course examines the ecology and biotic diversity found at several sites within Costa Rica and the implications of this diversity on concepts of conservation biology. Whereas primary emphasis will be placed on Central American herpetofauna and avifauna, we will also discuss and examine issues of botanical, mammalian, etc. diversity and abundance, and the significance of the full array of species in more