Freshman Seminars 2018 Spring

SOC Title

Code

Instructor

Time

Place

GENETICS ETHICS

87601

BARDWELL, L.

Thu, 1-1:50 pm

MH 4248

VOCAL PRESENCE

87602

BASSHAM, C.M.

Wed, 1-1:50 pm

CAC 3100B

AMAZING INVNTRS C&C

87603

AYANOGLU, E.

Wed, 4-5:00 pm

DBH 1427

BEAUTY AND POETRY

87604

BENCIVENGA, E.

Fri, 11-11:50 am

HIB 055

QUANTUM LOTUS

87605

CHEN, M-C.

Thu, 1-1:50 pm

Contact Instructor

WOMEN IN FILM

87606

HILL, D.D.

Mon, 5-5:50 pm

Contact Instructor

SHORT STORIES

87607

LEE, J.W.

Wed, 2-2:50 pm

SSL 159

LINGUISTX FUN&PROFT

87608

KAY, D.G.

Thu, 1-1:50 pm

Contact Instructor

NAZI GERMANY

87609

LEVINE, G.S.

Mon, 1-1:50 pm

Contact Instructor

IMPROV FOR SUCCESS

87610

VEENSTRA, J.R.

Tue, 5-5:50 pm

STU4 209

PAGE TO STAGE

87611

PAGE, J.

Tue, 5-5:50 pm

SCS 272

RESEARCH ON ADHD

87612

SCHUCK, S.E.B.

Tue, 9-9:50 am

Child Development Center, Room 8

HYPERLOOP TRAIN CAR

87615

MCNALLY, M.G.

Thu, 3-3:50 pm

AIRB 4080

SCIENCE OF CLI-FI

87617

SORTE, C.J.

Tue, 2-2:50 pm

SSL 155

BIAS AND PREJUDICE C

87619

SAMEH, C.

Thu, 11-11:50 am

HG 3200

BIAS AND PREJUDICE C is the third of a three-part, integrated series. See description below.

Amazing Inventors in Communications and Computing

Major inventions in communications and computing have changed our lives in substantial ways. Their inventors are highly driven and dedicated people who often risk everything to make their inventions work and get adopted. This seminar will study a number of these amazing people’s stories in depth.
Come and understand how those inventions were made and how they transformed our lives as well as those who invented them.

Ender Ayanoglu is a Professor in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

Genetics Ethics

In this course we will discuss the ethical and social implications of recent advances in biology and medicine, in particular recent advances in genetics (such as genome sequencing, human cloning and gene editing). The science behind these advances will also be covered.

Lee Bardwell is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences.

Vocal Presence: Exploring Ease, Power, Variety, & Health for your Speaking Voice

No matter your field of interest, it’s likely that at some point you’ll want to vocally communicate with others in an effective manner. Over the quarter, you’ll start to free your breath and find ways to generate more interest, power and clarity in how you express yourself.

Cynthia Marie Bassham is a Lecturer in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Beauty and Poetry

Does a poet understand the very poetry he writes? What makes something, or someone, beautiful? In this course we will discuss such issues with the help of Plato, one of the greatest philosophers of all time.

Ermanno Bencivenga is a Professor in the School of Humanities.

The Quantum and the Lotus

What is the ultimate essence of all phenomena? Modern Physics and Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy are both on quests for the answer to this fundamental question. We will explore the key concepts in
Modern Physics, including Einstein’s Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and String Theory, and in
Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy, including Interdependence and Emptiness. We will explore similarities and differences in these two frameworks’ underlying notions and analyze how they lead to the mirages of reality.

Mu-Chun Chen is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Women in Film (Breaking the glass ceiling in Hollywood)

Explore the amazing careers of powerful and talented women as actors, directors, writers and producers. Learn the challenges and difficulties each of these women overcame to become part of the
Hollywood industry elite. This course will survey the careers of Viola Davis, Barbara Streisand,
Shonda Rhimes, Lucy Liu, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, Sofia Coppola, and Jane Fonda.
Discover how each of these amazing women found their voice and passion in breaking the glass ceiling.

Donald David Hill is a Senior Lecturer in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Linguistics for Fun and Profit

One of the reasons we go to college is to learn more about how the world works. We all use at least one language, but most people’s understanding of why the language they speak behaves as it does is limited to folkloric misconception. Language is rich and complex—even linguists don’t completely understand it—but learning some of what linguists know is fascinating: It helps us see things we otherwise wouldn’t notice, and it is useful background for many human activities, from academic work to child-rearing. We’ll address questions like these: Why can’t most English speakers pronounce (or even recognize) the tones in Chinese? Why do some non-native speakers of English have trouble pronouncing phrases like “there is a rather pithy theme”? People in Rome 2000 years ago spoke Latin; why do Romans speak Italian today? If “ain’t” isn’t a word, what is it? Why is English spelling so inconsistent? Why do young children pick up new languages more easily than adults? Why can Danes and Norwegians understand each other’s speech more easily than they can understand speakers of Finnish? How is it that we can understand sentences describing entirely novel ideas (like “a zebra-striped anteater riding a flying skateboard”)? Why can’t we have a real conversation with Siri?

You will read and view a wide range of source materials, largely online. You will participate actively in the discussion at each class meeting, drawing questions and comments from your own experience and writing occasional reaction pieces on your observations.

David G. Kay is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Informatics.

Short Stories

In this class, we will read and closely study various short stories, one per week, written by authors from around the world such as James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Eudora
Welty, and Ryunosuke Akutagawa, among others. A typical day in class will involve focused discussions of the assigned story for the week. The analytical abilities that you develop in this class, regardless of what you decide to major in, will help you to succeed in your other college courses and beyond.

Jerry Won Lee is an Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities.

Nazi Germany: History, Facts, Myths

This seminar traces the rise of Hitler and the Nazis from their beginnings through their defeat at end of World War II. The course is intended for students who want to learn about this troubling and catastrophic era in German and European history to gain an understanding of the complex people who brought such destruction on the world and themselves. There are no term papers or exams, but students are asked to pose and answer questions on course topics and prepare 1-2 short presentations.

Glenn S. Levine is a Professor in the School of Humanities.

Hyperloops, Bullet Trains, and Self-driving Cars

Uber and ZipCar; fuel cell, electric, and hybrid vehicles; self-driving, connected, and autonomous vehicles; magnetic levitation and hyperloop transit. And still no flying cars. And whatever happened to telecommuting? What is the future of transportation? Despite the promise of all of these technologies, it might be bicycles and walking in denser communities.

Michael G. McNally is a Professor in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

From Page to Stage!

This seminar will provide participants the chance to learn how plays go from a script through casting, design process, rehearsals, technical and dress rehearsals and performance. They will interact with the head of directing, have conversations, and try their hand at envisioning a play from page to stage.

Jane Page is a Professor in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.

Bias, Prejudice and Bigotry C

The focal point of this integrated freshmen seminar is bias, prejudice and bigotry in society. Led by a different faculty member each quarter, seminar participants will explore the varied sources of hostility to human and cultural diversity through interrogating the manifestations of contemporary homophobia, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. In weekly moderated conversations, students will discuss the causes and consequences of implicit bias, the interaction between personal preferences and political discourses of difference, and the use of ideologies of hate to construct communities organized around fear of the other. The purpose of this seminar series is to provide students with a conceptual vocabulary about bias, prejudice and bigotry in society while equipping them with a greater awareness of campus resources for promoting a culture of inclusive excellence for all.

This freshman seminar is the third of a three-part integrated series on bias and prejudice as seen from different disciplinary perspectives. Completion of the fall and/or winter quarter seminars (Bias and Prejudice A, B) is not required to enroll in the spring quarter offering of the series.

Catherine Sameh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities.

“What is it with this kid?” 30 Years of Research on ADHD and what do we know?

This seminar will review the last 30 years of seminal research on the etiology, presentation, and treatments of ADHD. Current topics to explore will include the role of maternal mental health, alternatives and complements to medications (i.e. animal therapies, mindfulness based strategies, and physical activity), nicotine and cannabis abuse risk, and the biological basis of children’s health and wellbeing.

Sabrina E.B. Schuck is an Assistant Professor in Residence in the School of Medicine.

Cli-Fi: The Science of Climate Fiction

Climate change is a complex topic of enormous societal importance, and now it even has its own genre: “cli-fi” or “climate fiction”. Join us as we explore the portrayal of climate change and our own future. Cli-fi readings and films will be paired with those describing the facts about climate change. We will consider our own place in preventing a climate apocalypse via lively discussions, field trips, and creative projects.

Cascade J. Sorte is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences.

Improv for Success

What do The Second City, the legendary comedy theater where talents like Tina Fey and Keegan-Michael Key started, and Fortune 500 companies have in common? Both use improvisational training and techniques as a tool to build keys for success. This course will use improv to help the participants build skills and achieve their goals.

Joel Robert Veenstra is a Lecturer in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.