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SPRING 2003 FRESHMAN SEMINARS
The School of Biological Sciences also offers freshman seminars during spring quarter. For more information, please visit http://freshmanseminars.bio.uci.edu/. Please note that students may take a maximum of three freshman seminars for credit, so long as subjects vary, over their entire university career. CLAIRE TREVOR SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Music of the Spheres: Music in the Christian Middle Ages Margaret Murata, Music T 1-1:50 p.m., Music and Media 116 Course Code 87566 This seminar explores how medieval music fit into and expressed a cyclic, ordered Christian universe, developing a rhythmic system and music writing out of oral traditions and improvisations. This development led to the grand festal music of the great cathedrals. We will listen to music on CDs and will have ungraded in-class exercises to learn basic pitch intervals, simple rhythms, and musical textures. No musical background is necessary, but the seminar is also suitable for freshman music majors. Margaret Murata is professor of music history and theory. She has published studies on seventeenth-century music, including opera. She has received several teaching awards from the campus. HENRY SAMUELI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Problem Solving Through Recreational Mathematics Amelia Regan, Transportation Systems Engineering W 3-3:50 p.m., EG E4171 Course Code 87564 Many important mathematical concepts were developed from problems that were recreational in origin. Though published accounts of recreational mathematics can be found as early as the year 500, a sharp increase in popularity was seen in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Using the book, Problem Solving through Recreational Mathematics by Bonnie Averbach and Orin Chein as our guide, we’ll explore some of the best known and most interesting problems in recreational mathematics. Our class will commence each day with the reading and the collaborative solving of one or more problems. Some interest in mathematics would be helpful of course, but no more than average talent is required. Students from all majors are welcome. Amelia Regan studies applications of information technologies and optimization methods for logistics and supply chain management. She spends most of her time building mathematical models and developing computer based algorithms to solve the problems generated by these models. Successes and Failures in Materials Science and Engineering James Earthman, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science F 9-9:50 a.m., ELH 110 Course Code 87553 Students will read case histories of and discuss successful and unsuccessful applications of materials in engineering systems. Emphasis will be placed on what scientists and engineers were able to learn, and in some cases missed, from both successful and failed applications. Case histories include materials used in the Titanic, Apollo vehicles, Space Shuttle, and osteoconductive implants. Case history reading will be assigned weekly. James Earthman has been a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine since July 1988. He received his B.S. degree (1980) in Materials Science from Rice University and his M.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1985) degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Following his graduate work at Stanford, he spent two years as a Research Associate at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne. Dr. Earthman's teaching and research activities include studies of a broad range of deformation and damage mechanisms in both model and advanced materials. His work has also involved the development of computer-based techniques for determining the damping characteristics of biomaterials, the corrosion rate of metals exposed to bacteria, and the nature and size of surface defects using rapid in-situ laser scanning techniques. He has authored and co-authored over 80 research articles and has served as editor for two books in the field of Materials Science and Engineering. Atom by Atom, Crystal by Crystal - What Makes a Material Act That Way? Martha Mecartney, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Th 1-1:50 p.m., ET 201 Course Code 87571 Students in this seminar will use hands-on workshops and discussions to examine how real materials are created in nature and in the materials science engineering laboratory. From our investigations into the structure of materials, we will create and test models for materials and how they behave. We will read excerpts from Ivan Amato‚s Stuff: the Materials the World is Made Of. We will have workshops on building crystals, deforming materials, breaking bonds, demolishing eggshells, and seeing the structure of seashells. Martha Mecartney is a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at UC Irvine. Her research specializes in the microstructural design of ceramic materials. Her teaching interests include challenging all UC Irvine students to understand enough science and technology to be informed and critical citizens. Biomedical Engineering With Lasers Michael Berns, Biomedical Engineering Th 3-3:50 p.m., Beckman Laser Institute Rm A120 Course Code 87567 In this seminar we will discuss the design and uses of lasers in basic research, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in people and animals (pets and zoo animals), and how lasers impact society through science and the media. There will be some general readings, class presentations by students and guests, and observation of lasers in action. Michael Berns is the co-founder and chairman of the Beckman Laser Institute. He is professor of Biomedical Engineering, of Surgery, and of Developmental and Cell Biology. His research focuses on how the body ’s cells and tissues respond to light. He is involved in developing sophisticated techniques and instrumentation, such as lasers, computers, light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy to study numerous problems in cell structure and function, such as cell motility and fertility. Harnessing the Power and Complexity of Cell Processes Nancy DaSilva, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science T 4-4:50 p.m., ET 918 Course Code 87568 Discoveries in biological sciences coupled with new biochemical engineering approaches have led to tremendous advances in biotechnology. The cell (ranging from microbial cells to animal cells) can be harnessed to produce a wide variety of compounds or to grow and metabolize in a desired manner. Cell-based synthesis can also replace existing traditional chemical synthesis processes. This freshman seminar will introduce the basic methods of cell and process engineering while focusing on a large range of applications. Examples will include the synthesis of valuable pharmaceuticals, the production of indigo (the dye in blue jeans), biodegradation of pollutants, etc. The course will involve lectures by the instructor and guest lecturers. A variety of reading assignments will be given. Nancy Da Silva has been a faculty member at UCI since July 1988. She received her B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Her research is in biochemical engineering, focusing on the molecular level design of recombinant expression systems and subsequent analysis and application. An example is metabolic engineering for the production of pharmaceuticals or other products. Performance of Civil Infrastructure Systems during Natural and Manmade Hazards Tara Hutchinson, Civil and Environmental Engineering T 5-5:50 p.m., ET 201 Course Code 87569 This seminar will introduce students to a range of significant case histories describing failures of systems and structures within the broad fields of civil infrastructure (such as building and bridge structures, geotechnical structures). Types of hazards imposed on structures will include both natural (e.g. earthquakes, floods) and manmade (e.g. blast, service loading). There will be short readings and written assignments. Professor Hutchinson is a faculty in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research includes both experimental and analytical studies primarily in earthquake engineering and emphasizing seismic soil-structure interaction, seismic response of concrete and timber structures and performance-based earthquake engineering. Recently she has worked on integrating advanced information technologies into her work in structural engineering, including vision-based tracking systems and scientific visualization, for use in investigating system response. Laser, Photonics, and Fiber Optics Communications Chin C. Lee, Electrical and Computer Engineering M 11-11:50 a.m., CS 259 Course Code 87570 Interactive discussions on fundamental principle of the laser, applications of lasers, light is wave and particle, how photonics technology impacts our daily life, what fiber optics is, and why fiber optics communications have nearly unlimited bandwidth and thus form the backbone of internet networks. There will be readings and a tour of the Integrated Photonics Laboratory in the Engineering Gateway Building. Students also will design a photonic product for use in daily life. Chin C. Lee received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University. He is a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and of Materials Science and Engineering. His research interests include semiconductor devices, microwave devices, electronic packaging, thermal design of electronic devices, bonding technology, electromagnetic theory, acoustic microscopy, integrated optics, and optoelectronics. He has published about 160 research papers. He is is a Fellow of IEEE and an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies. SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES The Spanish Language Worldwide: Its History and Contemporary Usage Armin Schwegler, Spanish and Portuguese T 11-11:50 a.m., KH 400D Course Code 87559 This "fun course" studies the history and contemporary usage of Spanish worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on Latin American dialect varieties (including Mexican, Cuban, Argentinean, Colombian, and USA Spanish). By taking this course students will gain a better appreciation for (1) how and why a once very marginal tongue has become one of the world's major languages, (2) the extent to which Spanish dialects differ today, and (3) how Spanish evolved from Roman times into what it is today. Born in Switzerland and resident of the USA since 1975, Professor Schwegler has learned Spanish and about 10 other languages. His research on the Spanish language and its dialects have taken him to virtually every corner of Latin America (he often does field work in remote jungles in South America). The author of over 40 scholarly articles and several books, he is currently writing a monograph about PALO MONTE, an Afro-Cuban ritual language used in voodoo-like ceremonies. Prof. Schwegler has been a guest professor at several universities in Europe and the United States, and recently spent 2 years in Costa Rica as Director of UC's Education Abroad Program. In the fall of 2002, he taught at the University of Havana and did field work in Cuba for his new book. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Artificial Intelligence: Is It for Real? Dennis Kibler, Information and Computer Science W 3-3:50 p.m., CSE 310 Course Code 87554 This seminar will examine some of the problems that Artificial Intelligence research has investigated, starting with the original research. Student interest will help determine which topics are discussed. Possible topics include strategic game playing, natural language processing, speech recognition, theorem proving, intelligence tutoring systems, expert systems, and bioinformatics. For each topic, a seminal paper will be required background reading. Dennis Kibler has doctoral degrees in mathematics and computer science. His research has been in Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and most recently bioinformatics. Risks in Computer Software Debra Richardson, Information and Computer Science M 2-2:50 p.m., ICS2 Rm 136 Course Code 87558 Debra J. Richardson is Department Chair and Associate Professor of Information and Computer Science and holds the Ted and Janice Smith Family Foundation Endowed Chair. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the area of software engineering, with particular interests in software quality, software requirements analysis, formal specification, and testing and validation. She recently introduced a new undergraduate course covering two of the most critical parts of software production: software specification and quality engineering. GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Culture and Communication in Global Business Settings John Graham, Marketing and International Business M 2-2:50 p.m., SSL 122 Course Code 87565 Cultural differences affect communication in both face-to-face and mass media commercial transactions. In the seminar the pervasive influence of culture will be demonstrated. Then details regarding the cross-cultural blunders made by companies in global markets will be discussed and analyzed. Cross-cultural business negotiation skills also will be taught. Dr. Graham's primary professional interests regard international business negotiations. He has completed studies of negotiation styles in the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan and The Peoples' Republic of China, South Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and most recently in the Soviet Union. Graham has also published extensively in both academic and management journals including the Harvard Business Review, Columbia Journal of World Business, Journal of Marketing, Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of International Business Studies, and Journal of Higher Education. His research has been the subject of articles published in The Smithsonian, Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Los Angeles Times. Prior to his doctoral studies he worked as a market analyst for Solar Turbines, Inc., a subsidiary of Caterpillar Tractor Company. Optimal Decision Making in Management Carlton Scott, Graduate School of Management F 10-10:50 a.m., SSL 248 Course Code 87560 Important decisions that management faces include allocating limited resources to competing demands, pricing of products and services, scheduling manufacturing operations, developing a portfolio of investments and locating a service facility. Here we will look at how management uses mathematical optimization models to assist with such complex decisions that in some cases involve thousands of variables and sophisticated computer software. We will begin with an overview and history of optimization and the modern realization of its application to managerial decision making. This will be followed by looking at specific types of optimization models and their application in practice. Although the underlying mathematics is very advanced, the emphasis will be on concepts and real applications. Carlton Scott is a recognized authority on operations research, operations management, and quality management. His research interests involve the application of mathematical models to assist managerial decision making. Some of his research is associated with the development and analysis of optimization models that arise from decision situations in business and industry. SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES The Dark Side of the Chemical Industry: What to Do When Economic Success Conflicts with Public Health William J. Evans, Chemistry W 3-3:50 p.m., FRH 3034 Course Code 87552 Discussion of the issues and factors that must be considered when profitable technology in the chemical industry is found to have potential detrimental effects on the health of the public and the environment will be the focus of this seminar. The complexities of several recent problems of this type will be analyzed from all perspectives. These include industry's efforts to continue to use asbestos, MTBE, and chlorofluorocarbons after they were connected with cancer and ozone depletion (a world problem that has been studied extensively by UCI's Nobel Prize Winner, Professor F. S. Rowland and Chancellor Ralph Cicerone). No prior or current experience in any science courses is required for this seminar. This course is compatible with both non-science and science majors. William Evans has taught at UC Irvine since 1982. He received the School of Physical Science's Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education Award in 2002. His research addresses such problems as the formation of new polymers, development of high technology materials, organic synthesis, and industrial feedback transformations. Adventures in Biogeochemistry William S. Reeburgh, Earth System Science W 12-12:50 p.m., RH 251 Course Code 87557 Biogeochemistry has developed relatively recently as a recognizable research area. Its origins can be traced to geology, oceanography, and most recently to atmospheric chemistry, where scientists recognized that life processes ranging from rain forests to bacteria (and including man) are the major controls on the cycles of a number of elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Problems ranging from the origin of life, life in extreme environments, life in extrasolar planetary systems, global climate change, and even remediation of Super Fund sites all fall within the area of biogeochemistry. This seminar will explore some of the history of the field and exciting new areas being studied with biogeochemical approaches with readings from the current literature. Prof. Reeburgh's research deals with the global budget of methane and processes that can influence the methane budget. He joined the UC Irvine Program in Geosciences, which became the Department of Earth System Science, following a career at the University of Alaska's Institute of Marine Science. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY Rethinking Security: New World, New Threats Richard Matthew, Urban and Regional Policy T 12-12:50 p.m., SE 306 Course Code 87555 In this seminar we will explore a set of transnational threat networks, including terrorism, global crime, infectious disease, environmental change, illegal arms dealing, and drug trafficking. Attention will be focused on the rapid development of these threats in the past three decades, their interconnectedness, our vulnerability to them, and the sorts of responses that may be needed to neutralize them. Richard A. Matthew is Assistant Professor of International and Environmental Politics in the Schools of Social Ecology and Social Science at the University of California at Irvine, and Director of the Global Environmental Change and Human Security Research Office (www.gechs.uci.edu) at UC Irvine and the new Counterterroism Center Initiative also at UC Irvine. He has worked closely with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, as well as a number of government departments and agencies including Defense, State, the intelligence community and NATO. His research focuses on international relations in the developing world, especially South Asia, and he has published widely on transnational security threats including terrorism, environmental change and landmines. He is currently working on a book on terrorism. Environment and Society Dele Ogunseitan, Environmental Analysis and Design W 12-12:50 p.m., SE 306 Course Code 87556 Environmental problems have become more complex and intractable as the scope of scientific understanding of nature widens, and the demands of human-dominated systems increase. Uncertainties about the future outcome of current interactions between human societies and the environment are also increasing. This course introduces students to the theoretical and practical underpinnings of research in the nexus of environment and society. Case studies are used to demonstrate the importance of interdisciplinary research in crafting sustainable solutions to contemporary environmental problems. Dale Ogunseitan earned his doctorate in Environmental Microbiology. He also has a Master of Public Health degree with a specialization in Environmental Health, and a Certificate in International Health. He has been a faculty fellow in the Environment and Natural Resources Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He is currently an AT&T Industrial Ecology faculty fellow. Living in Space Jonathon Ericson, Environmental Analysis and Design W 9-9:50 a.m., SE 200 Course Code 87563 It is inevitable that we are going to live and work in space. This seminar will discuss the problems and potentials of space travel and living in extraterrestrial environments. Space travel represents real challenges to the physiology of the human body, psychological issues resulting from isolation and confinement, and potential hazards of space environments. Humans are very vulnerable to a number of dangers. We will examine the differences in living on Mars and the Moon. We will compare life and livelihood of people in both environments. We will examine technical challenges to sustain life and protect humans in both environments. If you are a space buff, curious, or just interested in the future of mankind, this interdisciplinary seminar is for you. Jonathon Ericson was most fortunate to spend an entire summer being briefed on the human element in space by NASA as a faculty fellow at Stanford. The seminar, Living in Space, is developed on that detailed information. Professor Ericson is Chair and Professor in the Department of Environmental Analysis and Design. He left the faculty at Harvard University for UCI where he undertook archeological inquiry using scientific methods. His current research is in environmental health science, particularly the neurological effects of heavy metal exposures during child development. COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Diabetes, Obesity, Vascular Disease, and Aging as Viewed by Insulin Edward R. Arquilla, Pathology W 3:30pm-4:20pm., PSCB 230 Course Code 87551 The focus of this seminar is on the involvement of insulin on the degenerative diseases: a cohort of interrelated diseases that comprise a major health care problem of the modern world that includes diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and aging. Edward Arquilla's research is currently interested in the systematic study of the cellular and molecular components of the immune response to insulin. The objective of these studies is to elucidate what role insulin antibodies in particular and the other components of the immune system in general have on the clinical management of diabetic patients and on the etiology and pathogenesis of diabetes, obesity and aging. Exploring How You Gain a Sense of Control in Your Life Deane H. Shapiro, Jr., Psychiatry & Human Behavior T 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m., EIC 120 Course Code 87561 This seminar will explore how humans in general, and you in particular, seek to gain and maintain a sense of control in your life. Readings and discussions from psychological research, cross-cultural findings (East and West), religious, scientific, and political perspectives will be explored. Come prepared to think critically, reflect deeply, and enjoy the challenging process of self-exploration. Deane H. Shapiro, Jr., received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, and served for seventeen years as a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, California College of Medicine, with joint appointments in the School of Social Ecology and the School of Social Science. He is currently a Professor Emeritus. He has over a hundred research and clinical publications, including five books, on topics of psychological health, stress management, east-west psychology, control theory, self-control, and meditation. He is also a part time haiku poet, flute player, and tai-chi practitioner. Doctor Stories/Patient Stories: Understanding Illness through Literature Johanna Shapiro, Family Medicine T 12-12:50 p.m., SS2 1010 (Student Services II) Course Code 87562 What is it like to be a patient? What does it mean to experience serious illness, even to face the possibility of death? This course will use fictional literature-poetry, short stories, and plays-as well as first-person and physician accounts to explore the psychological, emotional, and relational aspects of patient experiences with conditions such as cancer, heart disease, disability, alcoholism, and mental illness. We will also examine the power of storytelling to bring coherence and meaning to people's lives in situations of great physical and emotional suffering. This course may appeal especially to students planning careers in medicine, but is open to anyone. Johanna Shapiro teaches medical humanities, a field that that can include bioethics, the history of medicine, and the relationship of literature and the arts to the practice of medicine. Shapiro, who has held her current post since 1997, has been a professor in the College of Department of Family Medicine since 1978. She is a faculty advisor to the college's student-initiated annual journal of arts and humanities, Plexus, to which faculty, staff, residents and medical students contribute poetry, short stories, artwork and photography. |
| Freshman Seminar Program 256 Aldrich Hall Irvine, CA 92697-5675 Phone (949) 824-6987 Fax (949) 824-3469 A Division of Undergraduate Education Program © 2006-2008 The Regents of the University of California All Rights Reserved |
