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FALL 2004 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 Changing Nature of American Jazz Dance Bob Boross, Dance F 9:00-9:50am, MAB 317 Course Code 87556 American jazz dance has regularly adopted new looks as styles, technology, and popular culture have evolved throughout the twentieth century. Yet the fundamental basis of jazz dancing - feeling and reacting to rhythm - still remains the same. This seminar will examine the roots of jazz dance, its philosophy, societal influences, and the pioneers of the changing nature of American jazz dance. Bob Boross has written on jazz dance for national publications, as well as choreographed and taught jazz dance on an international level. He is the head of the jazz and tap dance areas within the UCI Dance Department and artistic director of the UCI Jazz Dance Ensemble. High Fashion Style: Where Did It Come From? Who Has it Now? Madeline Kozlowski, Drama W 12:00-12:50pm, MAB 302 Course Code 87583 When Elizabeth I of England died, it is said there were 3,000 gowns in her closet. She was the arbiter of high fashion in Renaissance Europe. Today designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier set the fashion trends. This seminar will examine the basics of 500 years of fashion style. Students will expand their knowledge of fashion icons by using historical and contemporary research. Emmy Award winning Costume Designer Madeline Kozlowski's work has been seen across the United States on film, television, and stage. Her design work has earned four Dramalogue Awards, six L.A. Weekly Awards, and three Emmy Nominations. From Shakespeare to Sitcoms her work exhibits a diversity that "keeps her looking forward to the challange of each new project." SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Do herbal medicines work? Is there a scientific basis for their use? Are natural substances really good for you? Joseph Arditti, Developmental and Cell Biology F 11:00-11:50am, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classrooms Course Code 87551 Examine whether there may be a real basis for the use of some herbal medicines and devote attention to several instances for which there is scientific evidence one way or another. Also consider whether "natural" should always be interpreted as being tantamount to "good," "effective," or "safe." Professor Arditti has been at UCI since 1966. He retired in 2001 spending his carrer working on orchid biology. He has written numerous scientific papers (about 150), several (15 or 16) books, several hundred (approximately 200) popular articles, world wide travel. Why People Believe Weird Things Nancy Burley, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Th 2:00-2:50pm, SH 425 Course Code 87557 This seminar explores the question: why do smart, well-educated people believe in paranormal phenomena, Alien Presence, or scientific proof of the existence of Noah's Ark? Are such beliefs harmless? How can we recognize our own weird beliefs and become more sophisticated in evaluating media claims for evidence for improbable events? Professor Burley is an evolutionary biologist and conduct empirical research on the social behavior of birds. Water Crisis in the American West Richard Symanski, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology M 3:00-3:50pm, SH 425 Course Code 87575 Water is one of the important issues in the West, and water scarcity is particularly important in Southern California where the human population is large and growing and a water crisis is at hand. In this seminar we focus on readings in Marc Reisner’s classic book, Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water. In a series of open-ended discussions based on the readings, we critically examine the history of water problems in the West, current issues in the Southland and in the Imperial Valley, and possible solutions in an uncertain future. Richard Symanski is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. He is the author of six books, including two on conservation issues in Australia and one on wild horses in the American West. He teaches courses in introductory biology, conservation in the American West, and writing for upper-division biology and engineering majors. HENRY SAMUELI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Fluids, Flows, and Turbulence in Engineering Haris Catrakis, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering W 3:00-3:50pm, CS 213 Course Code 87587 For a long time, it has been appreciated that everything flows yet with the peculiar property that most flows are highly irregular – so irregular in fact that most flows can not ever repeat themselves. Understanding the behavior of such flows, which are collectively known as ‘turbulence’, continues to be an elusive goal. The goal of this seminar course is to introduce to the audience some of the key fundamental issues and practical aspects of turbulence, with no prior knowledge of turbulence assumed. The course will start with a brief history of the subject, including an overview of the main intellectual foundations of the subject, and a gallery of fluid motion with examples from the laboratory, nature, and engineering. The three key reasons why turbulence is a challenging subject are that it is irregular, nonlinear, and multiscale – i.e. the fluid motion spans a wide range of scales. Basic research questions, and tools to address such questions, will be discussed for both the large-scale and small-scale flow behavior. Engineering examples will be described in a variety of technological problems spanning applications from high-speed flight to free-space laser communications. Future prospects on the understanding, prediction, and optimization of turbulence will also be discussed, especially their role for further technological advances. Haris J. Catrakis joined UC Irvine as Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 1998. He taught and conducted postdoctoral research in aeronautics at the California Institute of Technology from 1996 to 1998, which is the place where he earned his Ph.D. in 1996 and his B.S./M.S. simultaneously in 1991. His Ph.D. and M.S. degrees are in aeronautics. His B.S. degree is in engineering and applied science. He is the recipient of several awards including the National Science Foundation Career Award and the Henry Ford II Scholar Award. Engineering Cell Processes Nancy Da Silva, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science M 4:00-4:50pm, ET 918 Course Code 87594 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. This freshman seminar will introduce the basic methods of cell and bioprocess engineering while focusing on a large range of applications. Examples will include the synthesis of valuable pharmaceuticals (e.g., insulin and polyketides), engineering of microbial cells for the production of chemicals (e.g., indigo -- the dye in blue jeans), biodegradation of pollutants, genetic engineering of plants, etc. Nancy Da Silva is a Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. Her research focuses on the molecular level design of cell systems and subsequent applications. An example is the metabolic engineering of yeast for the production of pharmaceuticals and other products. Teamwork and Leadership in Real-World Engineering William Tang, Biomedical Engineering Th 2:00-2:50pm, CS 213 Course Code 87591 Real-world engineers work in teams. Teams are formed at the start of a project and are disbanded when the project ends. A successful engineer is the one who enjoys team work, knows how to contribute one’s own strengths to the team, and how to improve one’s skills through learning from the team. In a team environment, a good engineer grows in both technical skills and interpersonal skills. Leaders naturally emerge from a team, and are often those who put their hearts and minds into growing both technically and personally. The good news is that leadership and teamwork are SKILLS and not something a person was born with or without. So, everyone can become an excellent leader, can enjoy a fruitful teamwork, and can grow and mature both technically and personally, including those who label themselves as geeks. Dr. William C. Tang received his Ph.D. in EECS from UC Berkeley in 1990. He seminal thesis work has become a crucial building block for the Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) field. After his graduation, he entered the automotive industry first at Ford Research Laboratory and later as the Sensor Research Manager at Ford Microelectronics, Inc. (FMI), managing a research team in a co-located manufacturing environment. In 1996, he joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), leading a team of 17 researchers to pursue MEMS for space applications. In July 1999, he joined the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he managed a $102 million budget, coordinating over 130 research teams, promoting research results to the US military, and representing the US in promoting global advances in MEMS. In July 2002, Dr. Tang joined the BME Department with a joint appointment with EECS. He is frequently invited to speak in seminars and workshops. Why Buildings and Bridges Collapse? Roberto Villaverde, Civil and Environmental Engineering F 10:00-10:50am, HH 112 Course Code 87586 In the wake of the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, many people are wondering why some engineered buildings and other structures collapse, and ponder if extremely large structures are after all safe. This seminar will introduce students to the art and science of structural engineering. It will give an overview of the forces that may affect structures, the properties and limitations of the materials used to build them, what is behind the design process followed by engineers to ensure structures are safe, and why sometimes structures collapse. Several catastrophic collapses will be reviewed—including those of the World Trade Center twin towers, and an explanation will be offered for the occurrence of these collapses. Lastly, the seminar will provide some insight in regard to the actual safety of structures and whether or not structural failures can be prevented. Roberto Villaverde is a Professor of Civil Engineering at UCI, where he has been a faculty member since 1982. He received his Ph D. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and is an alumnus of Japan's International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering. He is a registered civil engineer in the State of California, has published extensively in the areas of structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, and has participated in reconnaissance surveys of several devastating earthquakes. He teaches courses in structural analysis, earthquake engineering, soil dynamics, and wind engineering. His research has focused in the seismic analysis of nonstructural components, dynamic response of nonlinear systems, seismic structural collapse, and passive control of structures. He is the author of the textbook Fundamental Concepts of Earthquake Engineering, which will be published in 2005 by Prentice-Hall GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Gender and Negotiation Lisa Barron, Graduate School of Management Th 2:00-2:50pm, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Building 543 (Harrowdale Hall's Multipurpose Room) Course Code 87576 Research has suggested that men and women have different attitudes and beliefs toward negotiation. These differences can even lead to differences in negotiation behavior. This course will explore these differences and why they might exist. In addition to reading research on gender differences in negotiation, students will conduct their own exploratory research to investigate the attitudes their peers hold towards negotiation. Lisa Barron is an Assistant Professor at UCI’s Graduate School of Management in the Department of Organization & Strategy. She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and her MBA at UCLA. Her key research areas are: Negotiation and communication, Relationship between beliefs and behaviors, Diversity and gender in organizations, and Intergroup Relations. Professor Barron’s primary research interests are in the areas of negotiation and conflict resolution, career formation and success,communication,and diversity. Her research has focused on differences in salary negotiators’ beliefs and behaviors and its impact on negotiated salaries. Making Movie Magic: Learning from Collaborative Work Challenges in the Film Industry Cristina Gibson, Graduate School of Management W 3:00-3:50pm, MPAA 130AB Course Code 87562 The process of making a film is a vivid example of a complex work collaboration. In the film industry, studio executives, directors, production managers, artists and actors, must combine efforts and work toward a common end, in a concentrated time period, under high deadline pressure. Participants have diverse priorities such as financial investment versus artistic endeavor, long-term impact versus short-run gain, or profit versus vision. The structure of collaboration is often temporary and ambiguous and must be quickly reconfigured with each new film. In this class, we will examine these collaborative work challenges and identify the key managerial characteristics and organizational features that create a successful film. We will discuss how these lessons can be translated into other settings to improve the effectiveness of work collaborations of all types. In her work with teams in multinational organizations, Professor Gibson strives to increase performance, longevity and quality of work life for team members from various cultures. Her research interests include communication, interaction and effectiveness in teams, the impact of culture and gender on work behavior, social cognition, and international knowledge management. She is co-editor with Susan Cohen of the book Virtual Teams That Work: Creating the Conditions for Virtual Team Effectiveness (2003, Jossey-Bass) and co-author with P. Christopher Earley of the book Multinational Teams: A New Perspective (2002, Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates). Her research has appeared in many of the field’s top scientific and practitioner journals. She is the recipient of numerous grants and awards from the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Bosch Institute for Applied International Management, and the Center for Innovation and Management Studies. Getting Rich in America Richard McKenzie, Graduate School of Management M 11:00-11:50am, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classrooms Course Code 87567 Many young people assume that in order to be "rich" (or have wealth of more than $1 million) in this country, one has to be born into wealth or to be lucky. This course will cover "Eight Simple Rules for Building a Fortune and Satisfying Life" (the subtitle of the book coauthored by the professor teaching the course and that carries a main title identical to the title of the course, Getting Rich in America). A theme of the course will be that everyone taking the course should be a multimillionaire at retirement age, but only if certain life strategies are followed. Key Research Areas: Professor McKenzie is a nationally recognized authority on the Microsoft antitrust case and public policies relating to digital economics. He has repeatedly received teaching awards from the full-time and Executive MBA students in the Graduate School of Management at UCI. Homepage: http://www.gsm.uci.edu/~mckenzie/. SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES To Hell with Dante James T. Chiampi, Italian Tu 12:00-12:50pm, HH 251 Course Code 87581 We will choose passages and themes from Dante's "Inferno" and study the way they have been studied and illustrated through the ages to learn what that tells us about Dante's time, that of his commentators, and ours. Among his commentators, we shall read passages from the Old Commentators down to T. S. Eliot; among his illustrators, we shall study artists from Botticelli through Doré to Baskin. Professor James T. Chiampi was educated at Fordham, Yale, the University of Florence and the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa. He has published a book and more than twenty articles on various aspects of the "Divine Comedy." The Art of the Tale Alexander Gelley, Comparative Literature Tu 2:00-2:50pm, HH 118 Course Code 87561 Many recent short stories enact a form of storytelling that derives from oral practices, suggesting that the storyteller is in touch with the traditions of a community. Another type of story reflects the "homelessness" of modern life, where communal values are precarious and often survive only at the level of memory and nostalgia. This contrast between types of narrative was suggested by Walter Benjamin, a highly original literary critic of the earlier 20th century. We shall read his essay "The Storyteller" and then test some of his arguments through a reading of selected short stories from an international anthology of recent writing. Alexander Gelley has taught Comparative Literature at UC Irvine for many years and published on theories of narrative and on the writings of Walter Benjamin. His courses deal with European and Anglo-American literature from the Romantic period to the present, and with such topics as the city in literature and film, and German-Jewish culture. The 2004 Election David Igler, History F 2:00-2:50pm, KH 126 Course Code 87563 This Freshman Seminar will use the 2004 election as a vehicle to study American elections and politics in general. We will briefly consider past elections, the electoral process, and changes in American political culture. Professor Igler’s work in American history focuses on the American West as well as U.S. social, political, and environmental history. Rhetoric and the Election of a President Susan Jarratt, English Th 2:00-2:50pm, KH 537 Course Code 87564 The country will be electing a president as you enter UCI in the fall. This seminar will allow you to devote some of your intellectual energies to this fundamental democratic process. It will introduce you to the field of rhetoric as the art of public persuasion through an examination of public speaking, writing, and visual images produced during the presidential election of 2004. As a basis for analyzing presidential rhetoric, you will learn about principles of the ancient Greek art of rhetoric: modes of persuasion, structures of argument, uses of emotion and figures of speech. We will then apply these analytical tools to examples of political rhetoric from the campaign which you will collect and bring to class: editorials, campaign speeches, ads, policy statements, campaign literature, etc. In addition to teaching you about rhetoric, the goal of the seminar is to encourage you to cultivate the habits of citizen-scholarship: learning how to form educated opinions about public issues and participate in democratic processes with the help of scholarly resources. Susan Jarratt is Campus Writing Coordinator and specializes in the study of ancient Greek and contemporary rhetoric. Envy, Resentment, and Unfairness Bonnie Kent, Philosophy M 10:00-10:50am, HH 251 Course Code 87593 People are often criticized for envying those who are better looking, more successful, even just luckier. But is envy always inappropriate, or is it sometimes justified? How does envy differ from resentment at unfair treatment? Do only humans have a sense of fairness, or do certain animals have one, too? We shall begin with a philosophical analysis of envy and some recent psychological research, then use the insights gained to discuss characters in short works of fiction. Bonnie Kent (Ph.D., Columbia) is Associate Professor of Philosophy. She has been awarded research fellowships from the American Philosophical Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Centre for Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). A specialist in ethics and moral psychology, her publications include works on virtue, weakness of will, passion and justice. Introducing Opera: Puccini’s Turandot Meredith Lee, German W 10:00-10:50am, MKH 400D Course Code 87589 Turandot is a princess in an imaginary Peking. An unyielding virgin with an icy heart, she rules a darkened Chinese empire, executing suitors who cannot answer her difficult riddles. In this western fantasy about exotic passion and obsession, is there room for love? Puccini’s opera comes to Orange County this fall! The seminar will read the libretto, view the opera, and learn about contemporary opera production and interpretation. No formal musical training is required. Meredith Lee is Professor of German and Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education. Her research and teaching focus on 18th- and 19th-century German literature, especially poetry. She teaches Opera and Literature in a comparative literature setting. The seminar will include attendance at the Opera Pacific production, which runs November 9-14. Attendance is mandatory. (We will probably attend on Tuesday evening, Nov. 9) The Rise and Fall and Rise of Hitler and the Third Reich Glenn Levine, German W 11:00-11:50am, KH 400D Course Code 87566 There are many, many questions to think about and address regarding the events in Germany and Europe between 1932 and 1945, questions that hold implications for many aspects of our lives today. Here are just a few: What was the Third Reich? How and why did Hitler and the Nazis come to power, and how did they manage to stay there for such a long time? Why were the Jews, Sinti-Roma (Gypsies), homosexuals, the mentally ill, and other groups persecuted and exterminated so efficiently, and ultimately so "legally" under the Nazis? Why was the world unable or unwilling to stop it? What led to the downfall of the Third Reich? What is the nature of Germany’s or the world’s guilt for the crimes of these years? And importantly, why have we, especially in the United States, remained so fascinated, and even obsessed, with this period of Germany’s history? How are modern-day extremist right-wing movements in the U.S. and Europe related to the Hitler era? We’ll make use of a few movies, a literary text, and SHORT excerpts from some historical texts to get at answers to these important questions.Glenn Levine is an Assistant Professor and Language Program Director in the Department of German. He has published on bilingualism, codeswitching, language pedagogy, and Yiddish language and literature. Professor Levine is currently working on a book on codeswitching in the foreign language classroom. Sugar Cube Cities: The California Missions in Historical Perspective Vicki Ruiz, History W 4:00-4:50pm, KH 126 Course Code 87572 This seminar explores the siginficance of the California mission system to native peoples, to Spanish/mestizo settlement and to contemporary perceptions of California history. Reading secondary sources, conducting primary resarch at Special Collections at Langson Library, and visiting the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, students will weigh a variety of evidence in formulating their own interpretations of California missions as sites of history and fiction. Vicki L. Ruiz is Professor of History and Chicano/Latino Studies. An award-winning author and teacher, she is one of the leading scholars in Mexican American and U.S. women's history. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Education for all people on earth Alfred Bork, Information and Computer Science W 11:00-11:50am, CS 432 Course Code 87555 Education has problems everywhere, in both rich and poor areas. With our current approach many do not learn. This seminar concentrates on young children, both in schools and in environments where no or poor schools exist. The proposed strategy for learning is based on adaptive computer-based tutorial learning. The program will be very interactive, with all students playing an active role in the discussions.Professor Bork is Professor Emeritus. He came to UCI in 1968. His graduate work was at Brown University in physics. He has been at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Study, the University of Alaska, Harvard University, and Reed College. His major interest for over 40 years has been in order of magnitude improvents in learning. For further details see: www.ics.uci.edu/~bork/. Mars Exploration Eric Mjolsness, Information and Computer Science Th 9:00-9:50am, SST 122 Course Code 87569 We will study the geology of Mars and the possibilities for exploring it with satellites, with robotic field geologists such as the recent Mars Exploration Rovers, and eventually with the presence of human geologists. Formerly Supervisor of the Machine Learning Systems group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Prof. Mjolsness is in the UCI Computer Science Department and does research on computer systems for scientific inference. Problem Solving Through Recreational Mathematics Amelia Regan, Information and Computer Science F 11:00-11:50am, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Building 523 (Gondolin Hall's Multipurpose Room) Course Code 87579 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 for solving these problems. Recreational math is one of her hobbies. SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES A Short History of Nearly Everything Myron Bander, Physics M 10:00-10:50am, FRH 2111 Course Code 87553 Bill Bryson, primarily a travel writer has written a humorous, nontechnical account of "all" scientific developments, roughly from the seventeenth century on. Included are discussions of astronomy, biology, geology, paleontology, physics, etc. In this seminar we will read and analyze this book.Professor Bander has been at UCI Since 1966. His research interests: elementary particle physics, cosmology. For more information go to: http://www.physics.uci.edu/~mbander/. Nanotechnology - Present and Future Philip Collins, Physics M 2:00-2:50pm, FRH 2111 Course Code 87558 Nanotechnology is the art of building useful things at the atomic scale - electronics, machines, robots, etc - most of which we don't yet know how to do. We'll discuss nanotechnology from multiple points of view, including its potential for the future, the current state of the art, and its possible risks and dangers. We'll also look at what's available on campus for interested students who want to learn more or get involved.Philip Collins is a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. His research focuses on using nanomaterials for next-generation electronics, including circuits at the molecular scale. He has helped to form a startup company on this topic, and has performed research at IBM, UC Berkeley, and MIT. Playing with infinity Paul Eklof, Mathematics W 10:00-10:50am, MSTB 256 Course Code 87582 Mathematics has been called "the science of infinity". This seminar will introduce students to some mind-blowing concepts in math. Example: the existence of an infinity of different size infinities. Topics include potential vs. actual infinity, irrational and transcendental numbers, Cantor's work on transfinite number systems, logical paradoxes, and Godel's and Turing's theorems about the unsolvability of problems. Readings will be non-technical and the only prerequisite is high school math and a willingness to grapple with big ideas. Paul Eklof has been a UCI faculty member since 1973. His research is in logic and algebra, including the application of logic to algebra to prove that certain algebraic problems are unsolvable. Much of his work deals with structures larger than the smallest infinite size. The Dark Side of the Chemical Industry: What To Do When Economic Success Conflicts with Public Health William Evans, Chemistry Tu 3:00-3:50pm, FRH 3034 Course Code 87588 A 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. 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.William J. Evans received his B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin, where he did undergraduate research on the explosive gas pentaborane. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in synthetic inorganic chemistry at UCLA and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Cornell University. Evans joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1975 and initiated a research program in an area entirely different from his training or experience: the chemistry of lanthanide elements, an area that was not popular at that time. Despite the general view that these metals were not worth studying, research has shown from many different perspectives how the unique chemistry of the f elements can be utilized to broaden and expand chemistry. After promotion to Associate Professor with tenure at Chicago in 1982, he was recruited to come to the University of California, Irvine, where he was appointed Professor in 1983. Magnetism: Physics, History, and Applications Herbert Hopster, Physics W 3:00-3:50, FRH 2111 Course Code 87577 Loosely following historical developments, this course will give an overview of magnetism and its applications over time, from ancient compasses to present-day magnetic imaging techniques in medicine and data storage technology. 1. Basic facts about magnets; 2. Magnetic materials; 3. Earth’s magnetism ; 4. Electricity and Magnetism; The work of Oersted, Faraday, Ampere, Maxwell and Einstein; 5. Electromagnets, motors, generators, superconductivity, magnetic levitation; 6. Quantum theory of magnetism; 7. Magnetic data storage (tapes, floppy disks, hard disks, MRAM, spintronics); 8. Nuclear magnetism, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); 9. BiomagnetismProfessor Hopster (PhD 1977, University Aachen, Germany) has an active research program in magnetic materials. In his Laboratory at UCI he studies the properties of nano-scale magnetic films that are only a few atoms thick. Abrupt Climate Change James Randerson, Earth System Science W 4:00-4:50pm, CRH 1101 Course Code 87570 We will discuss changes in the Earth's climate over the last several hundred thousand years, as recorded in ice from Antarctica and Greenland. Key topics will include a review of evidence for abrupt climate change (over periods of decades to centuries) and possible implications of these changes for human civilization and ecosystems. We will use The Two Mile Time Machine by Richard Alley as the text for the course. Professor Randerson is a new assistant professor in the Department of Earth System Science. He is eager to start working more with undergraduates, and potentially with freshmen. For more information: http://www.ess.uci.edu/~jranders/. Radiocarbon Dating Susan Trumbore, Earth System Science TBA, TBA Course Code 87585 This seminar will focus on the use of the radioactive isotope, radiocarbon, as a tool for dating. We will discuss the fundamentals of radioactive dating, and applications to understanding past climates and today's carbon cycle. We will take advantage of UCI's Keck Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facility to learn about how radiocarbon measurements are made.Susan Trumbore is a Professor in the Department of Earth System Science, and one of the PIs for the Keck UCI Carbon Cycle AMS facility. This AMS facility is one of only five such facilities in the US, and is measuring radiocarbon samples at the rate of ~5000 per year. Her research is in applying radiocarbon measurements to understanding the Earth's carbon cycle. Waves and Particles - the Quantum World Gaurang Yodh, Physics Th 2:00-2:50pm, FRH 4135 Course Code 87592 How high can mountains be on earth ? Why are electrical wires made of copper? What makes the sun shine? How does MRI work? What is the origin of stability, identity and regeneration of atoms? The quantum revolution of the 20th century made our current wonderful world of cell phones, DVDs and HDTV a reality. This course will acquaint you with the Einstein's photon, de Broglie's matter wave and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and address the question ' Does god play dice' ! Ph.D. University of Chicago, 1955. Professor Yodh has taught courses at all levels, both undergraduate and graduate in his career. His research is in Very High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy and in Particle Astrophysics. He has a unique telescope called Milagro, in the New Mexico mountains. He has done research in elementary particle physics, cosmic ray physics. He is a fellow of American Physical Society, American Association of Advancement of Science and of the Institute of Physics in UK. He is also interested greatly in music and am an accomplished performer of the Indian instrument, the Sitar. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY Understanding Cities: Learning from Popular Film, Television, Song, and Print Victoria Basolo, Planning, Policy and Design W 11:00-11:50am, SE 225 Course Code 87580 Images of cities are developed through experience, mostly second-hand through film, television, song, and print. This seminar explores the images of cities offered through these sources and challenges course participants to analyze the presentation of cities and city life as depicted through the mass media.Victoria Basolo, Ph.D., AICP is an assistant professor in the Department of Planning, Policy, and Design. Her research interests focus on urban planning and policy issues including housing, economic development, regionalism, and urban politics. Social Relationships under the Microscope Karen Rook, Psychology and Social Behavior M 11:00-11:50am, SE 200 Course Code 87571 Our relationships with other people provide some of life’s greatest pleasures, as well as some of its greatest disappointments and agonies. We will grapple with this paradox as we explore how scientists study social relationships. We will learn how they investigate the effects of social relationships on emotional and physical health and how they apply this knowledge to aid people who suffer from loneliness or, alternatively, from involvement in conflict-ridden social ties. We will consider whether the kinds of close relationships people form change as societies undergo economic, technological, and social transformations, and we will use this discussion as a springboard for making predictions about social relationships in the future. Karen Rook is a Profefssor in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior. Her research examines the effects of family relationships and friendships on health and well-being at different points in the life-span. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Quantum Mysteries for Everyone Jeffrey Barrett, Logic and Philosophy of Science M 12:00-12:50pm., SST 777 Course Code 87554 If quantum mechanics is right, then the structure of the physical world is very different from what one might have imagined. In this seminar we will discuss how quantum mechanics explains the counterintuitive experimental evidence we find when we look at small, well-isolated physical systems. We will also discuss the famous quantum measurement problem and some possible solutions. Barrett was a physics undergraduate student and continued thinking about physics as a graduate student at Columbia University. His interest in the quantum measurement problem led to a book, *The Quantum Mechanics of Minds and Worlds* published by Oxford University Press. The book concerns Everett's relative-state formulation of quantum mechanics, which is sometime called the many-worlds formulation of quantum mechanics. Barrett is currently Chair of the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science. Video Games and Behavior Michael D'Zmura, Cognitive Science Th 11:00-11:50am, SSPB 3218 Course Code 87588 Computer and console games are very popular, particularly among younger people. Why are they so popular? What elements of their design make them especially catchy? What positive behaviors do they encourage? What about the downside: video game addiction, promotion of violence and social withdrawal? Psychology can help inform the debate on these topics.The instructor is a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences. He received his Ph.D. inPsychology from the University of Rochester in 1990. LATINO DIVERSITY: Musical and global perspectives Raul Fernandez, Chicano/Latino Studies W 11:00-11:50am, CRCC 102 Course Code 87560 Latinos/Hispanics in the United States are a very diverse group. They come from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other countries. When Latinos migrate to the United States they bring very different, and very exciting, music styles and dances: mariachi, cumbia, merengue, salsa, punta, tamborito, etc. Looking at these musical styles illustrates Latino diversity and provides a entry way to study migration, US-Latin American relations, and Latino politics.Professor Fernandez is an expert on US-Latin American cultural and economic relations. He has written extensively about Latin American music in the United States. The Death Penalty: An American Obsession? Wayne Sandholtz, Political Science W 10:00-10:50am, SSPB 5250 Course Code 87574 A majority of the world's countries have either banned or ceased to carry out the death penalty, and additional nations abolish it every year. About 80 percent of all executions worldwide take place in three countries: China, Iran, and the United States. In fact, the U.S. is the only wealthy democracy that has not abandoned capital punishment. What is behind the worldwide trend away from the death penalty? Why, despite that trend, does the death penalty continue to enjoy considerable public and political support in the United States?Professor Sandholtz teaches in the Department of Political Science. His research has focused on the European Union, political corruption, and international law. Globalization: Problem or Panacea? David A. Smith, Sociology Th 1:00-1:50pm, SSPB 2214 Course code 87590 The word "globalization" is familiar to anyone tuned into global media, and is rapidly emerging as the favoirte mantra of political leaders, business executives, and news reporters all around the world. It is clearly one of those faddish neologisms that is frequently invoked but rarely defined (and, in this case, freighted with ideological implications). In this seminar we will explore what globalization means--and they try to carefully delineate just exactly what large-scale worldwide political and economic changes have occurred in the past two or three decades that led to the presumption that "the world has changed." Finally, we will analyze and discuss whether a world beset with myriad problems (grinding poverty and inequality, international tension and terrorism, severe ecological threats, etc.) is better or worse off given the current level of "globalization." Has it solved our problems? Or just made them worse?Finally, how can we as citizens and "oridinary people" constructively participate in our new globalized society? David A. Smith is a professor in Sociology. His main area of scholarly interest is in the political economy of the world system, with experise in Third World Development, global urbanization, global commodity chains, and social change in East Asia. The past three years he edited the major sociology journal, SOCIAL PROBLEMS--and in November 2001 produced a rare "special issue" of that journal on "Globalization and Social Problems." COLLEGE OF MEDICINE The Cultural and Philosophical Bases for Health Care Systems Joie Jones, Radiological Sciences W 3:00-3:50pm, HH 251 Course Code 87565 This Seminar will examine in some detail the bases or foundations of a variety of health care systems, including conventional Western Medicine, Chinese, Indian, Native American, etc. Although contemporary Western Medicine will be shown to be firmly rooted in deterministic Newtonian Physics, other systems, including so called traditional medicine and those we usually associate with complementary and alternative medicine, will be seen to be universally based on a more modern physics world view. Such observations have a significant impact on the evolution and integration of health care systems, which will be reviewed and discussed.Dr. Jones has been Professor of Radiological Sciences at UCI since 1977. He has a wide range of research interests including medical imaging and the general applications of ultrasound technology. In recent years, Dr. Jones has become interested in the critical evaluation of both diagnostic and therapeutic medicine modalities, particularly in the areas of complementary and alternative medicine and subtle energy medicine. The Evolution of the Religion versus Science Controversy over Evolution Calvin McLaughlin, Biological Chemistry Tu 2:00-2:50pm, Med Sci I, D240 Course Code 87568 The publication of Charles Darwin's seminal book The Origin of Species in 1859 ignited an important religion versus science controversy that has persisted to this day. We will take both a historical and a conceptual point of view to try to understand why this cotroversy has been so durable, especially in America. We will start by reading portions of Darwin's book so that we can understand what biologists and other scientists mean by evolution. We will then examine the point of view of religious figures who oppose the theory of evolution so we can understand their objections to the theory or evolution. We will also examine the ideas of religious figures who do not oppose evolution. While we will focus on objections to evolution from within the Christian tradition which center on the creation accounts in the book of Genesis we will examine the objections to evolution from other great religions. This will involve an examination of the creation accounts at the heart of the major religions. Many Native American Tribes have their own distinctive creation stories that we will discuss. It may surprise many to learn that most of the major religions have branches of thought that oppose the theory of evolution. Since neither the theory of evolution nor the objections to it have remained static, we will document how both sides of the arguement have evolved since 1859. Science and non-science majors are welcome. The course is designed for students who are religious and want to understand the meaning of evolution and for students who are interested in the nature of conflict and conflict resolution that involve belief systems. We will strive for a free and open exchange of views. Calvin S. McLaughlin is a Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biolgical chemistry in the College of Medicine. After studying religion at Yale Divinity School as a Rockefeller Brother Fellow, he obtained his doctorate in biochemistry from MIT. He has published extensively on the molecular biology and genetics of yeast. He is currently involved in genomic research involving bacteria, yeast, and humans. |
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| 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 |
