Science (SCI)

The field of sustainability will be surveyed using the lens of Systems Thinking. Students will be introduced to the rate and scale of environmental impacts resulting from climate change, our industrial food system, and waste accumulation in linear models of production, with case studies considered from multiple perspectives and disciplines. Students will develop systems models to identify key feedbacks and interactions among factors. A final team-based inquiry-driven project will involve analysis of a focal area of choice, to characterize sustainability challenges and opportunities for focused interventions, with consideration of social equity dimensions and model limitations.

Landscape Ecology combines the spatial approach of the planner and designer with the functional approach of the ecologist. As a field it is an integrative and multidisciplinary science that combines geology, botany, zoology and human settlements at the "landscape" scale. For this course the focus will be various land use scales, i.e., the block, neighborhood, city, and region and how ecological processes function at each scale. Students learn the key principles of landscape ecology and then how to apply them to preservation, conservation, planning and the design process.

What does it mean to conduct research? What are the distinct stages of the research process? What are the requirements of modern scientific research? How do you analyze a scientific article? This course will teach you to conduct research in accordance with scientific methodology. You'll learn to critically review scientific literature, and to design and conduct scientific experiments. The course will help you to develop the core skill sets required in any research setting. Topics in scientific communication and data analysis will also be discussed.

Students interested in pursuing independent study in science must submit a proposal to the academic associate dean of undergraduate programs in the College of Science, Health and the Liberal Arts for approval at least two weeks before pre-registration. Detailed guidelines for development of the proposal may be obtained from the College. See "Independent Study" in "University Academic Policies and Procedures: Common Academic Policies for All Students."

This communication intensive course convers recent advances in biological, physical, and medical sciences by way of presentation, journal reviews, and discussions involve both students and invited faculty. This course is designed to sharpen students' critical thinking skills through evaluation of modern scientific discoveries and analysis of their impact on society and humanity as a whole. Integration of knowledge and ideas from various sources is required. [Writing Intensive]