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WINTER 2007 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 Censored! - What and Why? Stephen Barker, Drama W 11:00am-11:50am, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classroom Course Code 87551 NOTE: Professor Barker's seminar will be held in the Mesa Court Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Central Campus. For a map of Mesa Court, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/mc/map.asp. We live in an increasingly censorious age: more and more art, writing, and even ideas are being kept out of the "public marketplace" and are therefore either not available for consideration and digestion or are significantly altered to make them acceptable. On what grounds does this happen? What is being censored? Why? Is it all "art"? Or is it politics? What would be the difference? In the course, we will not only read, listen to, and view censored works, but we (even more importantly) will discuss the history of censorship and the reasons for the interdiction against works that have been judged (by whom? why?) inappropriate for adult readers/viewers. Stephen Barker is a professor in the School of the Arts who has written and published extensively on art, aesthetics, literature, and philosophy. Changing Nature of American Jazz Dance Bob Boross, Dance F 10:00am-10:50am, MAB 317 Course Code 87553 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 - feeing 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 is head of the jazz, tap, and musical theatre dance areas of the UCI Dance Department, and holds an M.A. in Individualized Study in Jazz Dance from New York University. After performing on Broadway in the 1981 revival of Can-Can, choreographed by Roland Petit, Bob became a teacher and choreographer in jazz dance and musical theatre. In theatres across the country he has choreographed Annie Get Your Gun, Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Pirates of Penzance, and for UCI - Victor/Victoria. His concert dances have been seen in New York City at the Broadway Dance Center Performance Outlet and at Dancespace, in Los Angeles with the 2002 Gypsy Awards show and Spectrum Dance in LA, and Texas with Discovery Dance Group. His piece "Cool," a finalist in the Jazz Dance World Congress Choreography Competition, will soon join the repertory of the London Studio Center Jazz Dance Company in England. 1966: Rock Comes of Age David Brodbeck, Music Th 12:00pm-12:50pm, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classroom Course Code 87554 NOTE: Professor Brodbeck's seminar will be held in the Mesa Court Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Central Campus. For a map of Mesa Court, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/mc/map.asp. It can be argued that 1966 is the year in which rock and roll became Rock. With that in mind, this course explores several watershed recordings of the time--including albums by the Beatles (Revolver), the Beach Boys (Pet Sounds), the Byrds (Fifth Dimension), and Bob Dylan (Blonde on Blonde)--in terms of the turbulent social and historical context in which they were produced. David Brodbeck is Chair and Professor of Music. He holds the Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has previously taught at the University of Southern California and the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests and publications center on Central European music of the 18th through early 20h centuries and Anglo-American popular music since the end of the Second World War. So, You Want to be a Star? Don Hill, Drama Th 4:00pm-4:50pm, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classroom Course Code 87580 NOTE: Professor Hill's seminar will be held in the Mesa Court Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Central Campus. For a map of Mesa Court, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/mc/map.asp. “So you want to be a Star?” freshman seminar will provide students an opportunity to discover their dreams and establish career goals in the Arts (both on stage and behind the scenes). Student will learn how to design a career path, how to find a mentor and most importantly how to listen to their "inner voice" in making career decisions. Don Hill has worked in the professional theatre as an actor, stage manager, production manager, director, producer and union negotiator in a thirty-two year career spanning both coasts. As a directing student at USC he was mentored by the late John Houseman, who chaired his master's thesis, Find Your Way Home. Latter at USC he would guest direct Equus, California Suite And The Lion In Winter. During his five years as production manager for the Los Angeles Theatre Center he supervised 66 main stage productions 54 of which were new works.As the chief business representative for Actor's Equity Association for seven years, Hill negotiated and administered the Production (Broadway) Contract. As Associate Producer for the Long Beach Civic Light Opera (one of the largest musical theatre companies in America), Hill worked with such personalities as Carol Burnett, Dixie Carter, Nell Carter, Tyne Daly, Sandy Duncan, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Uggams and Elaine Stritch. Art of Collaboration and Consensus Decision Making Lisa Naugle, Dance Tu 2:00pm-2:50pm, MAB 317 Course Code 87567 Artistic collaboration requires successful communication where individuals work on steps and procedures that are small portions of a larger accomplishment. Brainstorming, creative thinking and problem solving make valuable skills and can be significant contributions to successful teamwork. The course will feature a map of the territiory of collaborative activity including the instructor's creative projects over the past 10 years with dancers, musicians, visual and new media artists. We will also look at the work of prominent artistic couples and other pathbreaking experiments (groups) fostered by collaboration and partnership. Student will be given tasks, scenarios projects to encourage collaborations that serve to transform individual ideas into meaningful information and representations. Students will participate in various projects (small and large group) over several weeks through face to face and online communication. They will engage in critical and creative thinking as they work together toward deeper levels of artistic awareness and capabilities in problem solving. Lisa Naugle is Associate Professor in the Department of Dance. She holds a Ph.D and MFA in dance from New York University. Her research and publications explore the convergence of contemporary performance and new media technologies. Her work has been performed in London, Amsterdam, Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Budapest,Prague, Brazil, Spain, Korea, China and Canada, as well as throughout the USA. HENRY SAMUELI SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Employing Molecular and Nanotechnologies in Engineering Design Betty Olson, Civil and Environmental Engineering Th 11:00am-12:50pm, SE 200 Course Code 87570 An overview of what can be done with molecular and nanotechnologies to improve drinking water treatment, food safety, wastewater treatment and environmental protection. Concept of biodesign will be introduced and discussed. Dr. B.H. Olson is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research focuses on using molecular techniues to improve drinking water and wastewater treatment: including biohydrogen production, ammonia removal in wastewater treatment and detection and differentation of waste sources in the environment Engineering the Future of Medicine: Rewarding Career Options for Chemical, Biomedical, and Materials Engineers Andrew Putnam, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science F 12:00pm-12:50pm, NS2, 3201 Course Code 87571 “What can I do with an engineering degree?” This is a very common (and appropriate) question for students embarking on an engineering education. Most students are unsure of exactly what a practicing engineer does, but are lured to the field for various reasons, including relatively high salaries, job security, and their own technical competency in science and math. Given that the 21st century has been dubbed the “Biotech Century”, and that one of the largest concentrations of biomedical device companies is right here in Orange County, this freshman seminar will introduce students to engineering career options with medical relevance, particularly those that exploit the skills and training of chemical, biomedical, and materials engineers. Students will learn about options in pharmaceutical sciences, biotechnology, drug delivery, biomaterials, bio-defense, and tissue engineering, and be exposed to the impact of engineers on the development of new biomedical therapies and devices. Andy Putnam is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He graduated with honors from UCLA in 1994 with a B.S. in chemical engineering (bio-option). Following a short stint working at Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, he continued his education at the University of Michigan, earning M.S.E (1996) and Ph.D. (2001) degrees in chemical engineering. His research interests are in the broad area of cell and tissue engineering, focusing on the development of novel biomaterials that mimic the extracellular matrix (a complex network of proteins and sugars in which most cells in the human body reside). These biomaterials are being studied for their ability to selectively support the adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation of many different cell types (including stem cells), and will likely prove useful for regenerative medicine applications. Why Buildings and Bridges Collapse? The Art and Science of Structural Engineering Roberto Villaverde, Civil and Environmental Engineering F 10:00am-10:50am, SSL 159 Course Code 87576 In the wake of the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, many people wonder why some engineered buildings and bridges 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 Emeritus of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where he was a faculty member from 1982 to 2004. 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. Previous to joining the University of California, he was a design engineer at various engineering firms and organizations. He is a registered civil engineer in the State of California and has published extensively in the areas of structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. Engineering Small Things for Biology Noo Li Jeon, Biomedical Engineering Th 1:00pm-1:50pm, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Gandalf’s Classroom B Course Code 87560 NOTE: Professor Jeon's seminar will be held in Middle Earth Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Mesa Court or the School of the Arts. For a map of Middle Earth, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/me/map.asp. Noo Li Jeon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the Univeristy of Illinois. He did his Postdoc at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School. SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES To Hell with Dante James T. Chiampi, Italian Tu 12:00pm-12:50pm, HOB2 233 Course Code 87556 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." Cinema and the City Edward Dimendberg, Film and Media Studies Tu 5:00pm-5:50pm, HH 251 Course Code 87557 Through readings and viewings of films from the invention of cinema at the end of the nineteenth century to the present day, this seminar will explore the relation of the motion picture to the emergence of the modern metropolis. Representations of technology, gender, race, public space, and everyday life will be considered in a wide range of short films produced in cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Los Angeles, Bejing, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo. Texts in film and urban history, sociology, and cultural studies will be read and discussed to cast light upon the screenings. Our goal will be to understand the emergence of modern urban societies as reflected in the film medium in genres such as the documentary, the industrial, the narrative, and experimental film. Edward Dimendberg is Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies and Visual Studies. He is author of FILM NOIR AND THE SPACES OF MODERNITY (Harvard UP, 2004) and co-editor of THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC SOURCEBOOK (California, 1994). His essays on film and the built environment have appeared in numerous journals, museum catalogues, and exhibitions. He has held fellowships from the J. Paul Getty Trust, the German Fulbright Commission, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and the Graham Foundation. In Spring 2006 he was a Senior Fellow at the International Research Center for Cultural Studies in Vienna. Politics and the English Language: Orwell in the 21st Century Susan Jarratt, Comparative Literature W 2:00pm-2:50pm, KH 500 Course Code 87559 This seminar takes its title from an essay by George Orwell, who accused politicians of confusing the public by misusing words like "democracy," "freedom," and "patrioticism." In this class, we will read Orwell's essay and then examine public writing in the press, print, and electronic media, focusing on the key words of our day and discussing their uses and abuses. We will also read Orwell's nightmare vision of the future, 1984, for insights about language, truth, and power. Susan Jarratt is a scholar of ancient Greek rhetoric and contemporary writing. She is interested in the ways ordinary people make sense of and participate in public controversy. Sex and the Ancient City Andromache Karanika, Classics W 1:00pm-1:50pm, Mesa Court Housing Complex, Community Center Classroom Course Code 87562 NOTE: Professor Karanika's seminar will be held in the Mesa Court Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Central Campus. For a map of Mesa Court, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/mc/map.asp. This seminar will focus on the social construction and conceptualization of sexuality in classical Athens. In an interdisciplinary approach, we will analyze a selection of ancient Greek texts, ranging from philosophy and oratory to comedy, and will decode images from ancient vases. Dr. A. Karanika is Assistant Professor of Classics. She received her Ph.D in Classics at Princeton University. She has written articles on Athena's cult in classical Greece, on ecstatic healing practices in antiquity, on work songs. During 2002-4 she served as a Humanities Fellow at Stanford University. Learning Key Concepts in the Humanities Through Film and Media Horacio Legras, Spanish Tu 12:00pm-12:50pm, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Gandalf’s Classroom B Course Code 87564 NOTE: Professor Legras' seminar will be held in Middle Earth Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Mesa Court or the School of the Arts. For a map of Middle Earth, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/me/map.asp. Professor Legras just arrived at the Spanish and Portuguese department after teaching for five years in the East coast. His area of research is Latin American Literature and Culture. He has considerable experience teaching contemporary theory at both graduate and undergraduate level (and he does it in a clear and highly entertaining way). He is currently editing a book (a textbook)on the teaching of film and media. Study Abroad in a Global World Glenn Levine, German W 1:00pm-1:50pm, KH 400D Course Code 87581 Why study abroad? Where should I go? How long should I study abroad? How can I plan study abroad to fit with my major? Do I have to master a foreign language before I go? What should I expect when abroad? How much will it cost? How does UCI help me to go abroad? How will study abroad affect me, my education, my career? These are some of the practical questions we’ll explore in depth in this seminar. On the more scholarly side, we’ll also consider how the study abroad experience involves acculturating to a new country and people, and the ways you can act as an "ethnographer" of a new country and culture while abroad and do your bit as a "global citizen" (we'll also discuss what this term means). Glenn Levine is an Associate Professor of German and the Faculty Director of the Center for International Education (study abroad). He is a linguist with publications and research projects in bilingualism, adult second-language acquisition, critical pedagogy, and Yiddish. The Spanish Language Worldwide Armin Schwegler, Spanish F 1:00pm-1:50pm, HH 251 Course Code 87572 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. No prior knowledge of spoken or written Spanish required. (bold and underline last line) 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. The Secret Life of Roman Emperors Cristiana Sogno, Classics W 1:00pm-1:50pm, HOB2 108 Course Code 87582 Have you ever wondered what being the ruler of one of world's greatest empires would be like? In a world obsessed with beauty and power, meet Claudius, a nerdy recluse with a limp and stutter, who became emperor against all odds. Cristiana Sogno is Assistant Professor of Classics. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Torino in Italy and her Ph.D. from Yale University. Her research focuses on the history and literature of the Late Roman Empire. Becoming a Revolutionary: The French Revolution of 1789 Timothy Tackett, History W 3:00pm-3:50pm, HH 142 Course Code 87574 Reflections on the origins of the French Revolution, one of the most influential events in Western History. The seminar will focus, in particular, on how men and women first came to conceive the possibility that they could totally transform the political and social world in which they had always lived. Timothy Tackett is a Professor of History. He has written 6 books (3 have won prizes) and some 50 articles on 18th century French History, mostly dealing with the Revolution. DONALD BREN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCES Rich Lifelong Learning for Everyone on Earth Alfred Bork, Information and Computer Science M 11:00am-11:50am, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Gandalf’s Classroom B Course Code 87552 NOTE: Professor Bork's seminar will be held in Middle Earth Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Mesa Court or the School of the Arts. For a map of Middle Earth, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/me/map.asp. A major global problem in the world today is that most people receive an inferior education, even in developed countries. In developing areas there is often no education at all, creating many problems. This lack of education is a problem at all levels of learning from early childhood to adult learning throughout life. This Seminar proposes and discusses a possible practical solution to this problem of learning for all, based on a new approach to learning, adaptive tutorial learning with computers. Both the learning paradigm and how it can be used to achieve the goal of universal learning will be considered. The Seminar will generate some material of this kind. We will also address how this problem is related to other major problems we face today. The Seminar will be based on class discussions of the critical issues, not lectures. Alfred Bork is professor Emeritus in Information and Computer Science, and Physics. He has been using computers in learning since 1958. Before coming to UCI he was a student at Georgia Tech and Brown University, and a postdoctoral scholar at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Since then he has been at the University of Alaska, Reed College, and Harvard University. Puzzlers for Computer Scientists Dan Hirschberg, Computer Science M 11:00am-11:50am, ET 137 Course Code 87558 This seminar will explore problem solving and critical thinking through the study of puzzlers and brain teasers, focusing on problems related to computer science. Problem solutions will need only high school mathematics and logic. Dan Hirschberg received his Ph.D. from Princeton University. He was a member of the faculty at Rice University before coming to UC Irvine. He holds a joint faculty appointment in the departments of Computer Science and EECS. His research expertise is in the area of design and analysis of efficient algorithms. SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES Science - Good, Bad, and Bogus, and How to Tell the Difference Richard Chamberlin, Chemistry Th 9:30am-10:20am, NSI, 4112 Course Code 87555 What is science, and how does it differ from other fields that appear or pretend to be science? There is no absolute standard for the level of evidence required before something is accepted as a scientific fact, but where that line is drawn determines the difference between good science and pseudoscience. It has suggested that something should not be accepted as fact until “it has been confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.” Is that too rigorous, or should the standard be lower, perhaps just a “preponderance of evidence?” Our society is engaged in endless debate about a large number of scientific issues, such as global warming, bioengineered food, alternative energy, evolution, environmental toxins, and many others. Unfortunately, many of the debate participants do not really understand what science is and how it works. We will attempt to get a better understanding of science and its methods by reading about and discussing examples of good science, bad science, and bogus science (aka pseudoscience). We will contrast the reasoned skepticism of good science with the easy acceptance that characterizes bad science and pseudoscience (and perhaps the blind faith of religion -- but it will not be a science versus religion debate). In addition to learning about how scientists think about science, we will study some of the famous "mistakes" of past theories. We will also discuss a number of pseudoscientific ideas such as ESP, telekinesis, alien visitations, etc., and ask why they do not rise to the level of “fact” among scientists. A detailed knowledge of specific scientific fields is not required; science and non-science majors alike are welcome. Dr. Chamberlin, Professor of Chemistry, has been on the UCI faculty since 1980. He teaches organic chemistry, and his reserarch group of a dozen graduate students and postdocs employs synthetic organic chemistry to design and make small molecules that contol the function of receptors, ion channels, enzymes, and transcription factors. Pluto Controversy: Eight, Nine or Twelve Planets? Asantha Cooray, Physics M 4:00pm-4:50pm, FRH 4135 Course Code 87578 What is a planet? You would think that astronomers have a simple answer to this important question, but recent events have shown that the answer may not be that simple. A lack of an answer has now led to a controversy with some astronomers claiming Pluto is a planet, while others not. The differences in opinion complicate the status of new discoveries of several bodies in the distant, outer Solar system with sizes greater than Pluto. If Pluto is a planet, should they be called planets? And at the end, how many planets are in the Solar system? Assistant Professor Cooray received his bachelor's degrees in Physics and Mathematics from MIT in 1997, his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from U. of Chicago in 2001, and has been a UCI faculty member since 2005. His current research attempts to understand how the Universe got to be the way it is. He is also interested in understanding the physical processes that shaped the Solar system. His website is http://www.cooray.org. The Rise and Fall of Scientific Theories Michael Dennin, Physics W 10:00am-10:50am, FRH 2111 Course Code 87579 This course will discuss theories of how the world works across different time periods and cultures. We will ask the question: what makes a “theory” scientific? We will also consider the very different question: What makes a scientific theory true or false? As we answer this second question, we will consider ideas that are definitely “scientific”, but turn out to be "incorrect", as well as some of the most long lasting scientific theories which we expect to remain “correct”. Michael Dennin has been a Physics Professor here at UCI for roughly 10 years. His research interests include understanding how foam and sand flow and how proteins interact with cell membranes. He has taught a number of Freshman Seminars, including the Science of Superheroes which was features in the LA Times. Demystifying Modern Physics Meinhard Mayer, Physics M 4:00pm-4:50pm, PSCB 220 Course Code 87565 There has been a flood of publications linking physics, particularly quantum mechanics and cosmology to mysticism and various pseudo-religious beliefs. I will try to prepare students to look critically at these beliefs, by introducing them to quantum mechanics and some relativity, and the difference between science and superstitions. After receiving a master's degree in Electrical Engineering in 1952, Meinhard Mayer got his PhD in Mathematical Physics in 1957, and has done research in theoretical particle physics, statistical mechanics, and other areas of mathematical physics at several institutions in Romania, USSR, Austria, France, Germany and Italy. He has been a professor of Physics and mathematics at UCI from 1964 to 1994, and a professor Emeritus since then. For details, please look at my website: http://www.physics.uci.edu/faculty/mayer.html and my faculty profile: http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfmfaculty_id=2054&term_list=. Queer Scientists, Queer Science James Nowick, Chemistry Tu 3:00pm-3:50pm, NSI 4112 Course Code 87568 This class will explore factors influencing the scientific interests and the career paths of gay and lesbian scientists through presentations by some of UCI's gay and lesbian science faculty and by other gay and lesbian scientists. Students taking the class will address the question of whether gay and lesbian scientists have unique perspectives on science. James Nowick is a Professor of Chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. degree from MIT and has been at UCI since 1991, where he has received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and the School of Physical Sciences Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. His specialty is organic chemistry, and his interests include the interfaces between organic chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology. Our Energy Future Dennis Silverman, Physics Th 2:00pm-2:50pm, PSCB 230 Course Code 87573 Study of the limitation of fossil fuel resources. Evidence for global warming and future effects of carbon dioxide generation. Examine possible solutions in nuclear energy, solar power, wind power, hydrogen, alternate fuels, and especially conservation. For the last six years Dennis Silverman has been studying energy, starting with the California energy crises. Last year he worked with retired engineers and scientists in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on a set of energy lectures. These lectures have been "published" on the internet for free and easy access. Drugs From Nature Larry E. Overman, Chemistry Th 12:00-12:50pm, FRH 4042B Course Code 87584 Man has employed chemical compounds found in Nature (natural products) for thousands of years to treat diseases, relieve pain or alter consciousness. Today, many natural products are indispensable agents in the treatment of a variety of various medical disorders, and others serve as the inspiration for the development of clinical therapeutics of the future. This seminar will examine the history, chemical, and biological properties of selected important natural products. Our discussion will begin with morphine, the active ingredient of opium, which has been used by man for at least 3500 years. Other natural products to be studied include taxol, marijuana and penicillin. Professor Overman is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UCI. Professor Overman's research interests center on the invention of new reactions and strategies in organic synthesis and the total synthesis of natural products and their congeners. Using synthesis strategies developed largely in his laboratory, Professor Overman's group has completed total syntheses of more than 80 structurally complex natural products. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY Ceasefire: Addressing Gun Violence in America George Tita, Criminology, Law and Society W 11:00am-11:50am, Middle Earth Housing Complex, Whispering Wood/Woodhall Multi-Purpose Room Course Code 87575 NOTE: Professor Tita's seminar will be held in Middle Earth Housing. Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Mesa Court or the School of the Arts. For a map of Middle Earth, please go to http://www.housing.uci.edu/me/map.asp. Violence, especially gun violence, is the one type of crime that truly distinguishes the United States from other countries. In this seminar we'll explore America's love of guns; the circumstances in which guns are most often used; and, effective strategies aimed at curbing levels of gun violence. Professor Tita received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the Heinz School of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon. He joined UCI in 2000 after spending 2 years at RAND as a policy analyst. His research focuses on the community context of crime, especially violence. He has experience working with local community groups and law enforcement at the local, state and federal level in devising gun violence reduction strategies. COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES Practical Nutrition for College Students Frances Jurnak, Physiology M 2:00pm-2:50pm, HH 251 Course Code 87561 Course will focus on the scientific basis for genetic individuality, metabolic role of vitamins and minerals, diet fads, exercise and muscle building fads, improvement in mental acuity, avoidance of contagious diseases, methods to mitigate the negative effects of alcohol on the body, staying younger longer, and lowering the risk for cancer. Frances Jurnak is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics in the College of Medicine. Her Research specialty is structural and functional biochemistry, with strong personal interest in nutritional biochemistry. The Evolution of the Evolution versus Religious Dogma Controversy Cal McLaughlin, Biochemistry Tu 2:00pm-2:50pm, Medical Science 1, Room D240 Course Code 87566 The publication of Charles Darwin's seminal book, "The Origin of Species" in 1859 ignited a 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 controversy 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 those who oppose the theory of evolution. Since neither the theory of evolution nor the objections to it have remained static, we will examine how both sides have evolved since 1859. One focus of the current debate is the meaning of intelligent design. After graduating with a degree in chemistry Professor McLaughlin studied theology at Yale Divinity School and received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from MIT where he worked on sequencing the first nucleic acid molecule. During postdoctorial studies in Paris he helped elucidate he genetic code and determined the direction of reading of mRNA molecules. At UCI he has been involved is using the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae to understand the control of growth and cell division. Currently he is studying human genetic problems that involve evolution and disease. The Changing Face of Beauty in the Age of Extreme Makeovers Brian Wong, Surgery Tu 4:00pm-4:50pm, Beckman Laser Institute P221 Course Code 87577 NOTE: Dr. Wong's seminar will be held at the Beckman Laser Institute, upstairs Conference Room (P221). Please be aware that your travel time will be greater than 10 minutes if you are coming from Central Campus. The Beckman Laser Institute is Building 817 on a campus map. http://www.uci.edu/campusmaps.shtml. Marketing, multiculturalism, and the explosion of reality TV programming have expanded the definitions of facial beauty and eroded traditional biases toward cosmetic facial surgery. The focus of this course will to discuss facial beauty from both contemporary and classical sources and examine how some standards have changed while others have remained constant. Discussions will be from the perspective of art, science, and surgery. Dr. Wong is a facial platic surgeon in the Department of Otolarngology-Head and Neck Surgery and also a Biomedical Engineer based at the Beckman Laser Institute. His research is focused thermoviscoelasticity in tissue, optical imaging, shape change technologies, and wound healing, and is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and the State of California. His practice is focused on corrective and aesthetic nasal surgery. |
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