Fall 2006
Introduction to African American Studies
Writing or Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7759 | Stephanie Evans |
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What is Black Studies? How have scholars approached the Black experience in the United States? How can African American Studies critically enhance traditional academic disciplines? Students will tackle these questions and engage the field of Black Studies in a way that informs their chosen major and enhances their approach to scholarship. The honors section will utilize the Department of Special Collections at UF and other primary resources. Students will produce a final research project relevant to their discipline but which provides an alternative entry point to their interests.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To provide a basic introduction to African American socio-cultural history
2. To provide a brief introduction to the historical development of African American Studies, the field’s contemporary theories, and contemporary issues relevant to African Americans
3. To read and reflect on foundational texts and contemporary research in the canon of African American Studies
4. To provide a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of African American experiences
5. To promote creative, self-directed learning through the research process
Dr. Stephanie Evans is an Assistant Professor in African American Studies and Women's Studies. In May 2003, she received her Ph.D. in African American Studies with a concentration in History and Politics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and in May 2002 earned a Master's Degree in the same field. Also in 2002, she completed the Graduate Certificate Program in Advanced Feminist Studies.
Seeds of Change
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4372 | Maria Gallo-Meagher |
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Seeds of Change is an introductory course that focuses on the role of genetically-altered plants in agriculture, the environment, foods, and medicine. Basic concepts of DNA technology are introduced in a non-technical way as a foundation for studying the applications and implications of plant biotechnology.
In the Agronomy Department at the University of Florida, Maria Gallo-Meagher is responsible for the molecular genetics of peanut and other agronomic crops of importance to the state of Florida. The central theme of her research is the use of molecular approaches to create novel/improved genotypes, and to gain a better understanding of mechanisms which regulate gene function.
Parasitic Diseases, Microbes, and Bioterrorism
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3305 | Pauline Lawrence |
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NOTE: This class is located in the Entomology Building on Natural Area Drive near the Performing Arts Center. Please plan accordingly.
Malaria, onchocerciasis, plague ("black death"), Lysteria, ebola, smallpox, birdflu, West Nile virus, etc. have caused devastation, death, and misery to people in various parts of the world. Some of these parasites, bacteria, fungi, and viruses have developed resistance to drugs and have the potential to quickly evolve into more lethal strains, far outpacing our current ability to control them. These "emerging pathogens" and the diseases they cause are transmitted by insect vectors, contamination, or sadly, by terrorists who use them in silent warfare. How do these parasites and microbes develop? Where do they live? What characteristics do they have that make them a global threat or effective biowarfare agents? These topics and more will be addressed in this introductory course. We will study the life cycles, basic methods of transmission, and diseases caused by these agents. We will also discuss historical and potential new examples of microbes used in warfare as well as selected aspects of U.S. policy in the "War on Terror" as it relates to bioterrorism.
Pauline O. Lawrence has been Professor of Entomology and Nematology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) since 1994. Prior to that time she was Professor of Zoology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) where she taught a variety of courses including Cells, Organisms, and Genetics and Ecology and Behavior to non-science majors, Animal Parasitology to senior undergraduates, and honors courses in Parasite Biology.
Dr. Lawrence's major research interest is in host-parasite co-evolution. She uses state-of-the-art technology in her National Science Foundation-funded research to study the symbiotic relationship between a poxvirus and a parasitic wasp.
Some Like it Hot: a Discussion of Animal Thermal Biology
Writing or Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1146 | Daniel Hahn |
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How do fish survive under the polar ice? What can live in the steaming waters of a hot spring? Are fevers helpful or harmful? These questions and more will be covered in this Honors course on Thermal Biology. This will be an introductory course using extreme examples from the animal world to illustrate basic principles in biology. We will survey a wide variety of behaviors and physiological adaptations that animals use to deal with heat and cold and make ties back to how our own bodies work. The course format will be small and informal combining short lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on experiments (many with insects which are my specialty). Grading will rely on a combination of participation, short assignments, scheduled quizzes, and a project/term paper. Please note that the Entomology and Nematology building (Bldg 970) is located on Natural Area Drive near the Performing Arts Center. Don’t worry, you will be allowed an extra 15 minutes to get there from your previous class (i.e., class begins at 3:15 and ends at the normal time of 4:55), and there is both plenty of available parking at the Entomology and Nematology building and frequent bus service from main campus to help you get to us.
Daniel A. Hahn is an Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. His interests include understanding why animals vary so much in shape, size, and physiology (for example, why do rabbits have relatively big ears and mice small ones?) and using animals with unusual behaviors and physiologies to study basic processes in human diseases; especially diabetes, obesity, and infertility.
The U.S. Supreme Court Under the Leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1368 | George Crawford |
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Study of a series of landmark decisions rendered by the Warren Court is a central component of this course. Other topics include the emergence of innovation in Constitutional jurisprudence in the 20th Century, judge-made law through federal appellate jurisdiction and the limits of judicial power. The course also features an examination of the internal dynamics of the Court and its function within the context of U. S. public policy debates from 1953 through 1969.
The results of three essay examinations and a research paper will determine a substantial portion of the grade earned by each student in AMH 4524. Reading assignments will include four books and a set of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. Students will be expected to discuss assigned readings and must prepare in advance for each class session.
Dr. George B. Crawford is Adj. Assistant Professor of History. He has taught a variety of courses on United States Constitutional History at the University of Florida since 1987. A recipient of American Historical Association and National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships, he received his doctoral degree from the Claremont Graduate School. His current research interests include an assessment of Justice Robert Jackson’s jurisprudence and a study of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the eminent domain power between 1895 and 1954.
Cultural Anthropology
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 5123 | Staff |
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This course provides an introduction to cultural anthropology for majors and non-majors alike. The class is designed to provide an overview of both the tenets and controversies of the field of cultural anthropology. Students will be introduced to the founding concerns of the discipline: the distinctive status of humans as cultural creatures, an appreciation of social and cultural diversity, and the value of studying indigenous peoples and small-scale societies. It also addresses the field’s growing preoccupation with material and political inequality, the world-systems of capitalism and colonization, and the unstoppable mobility of persons, ideas, and objects we attribute to globalization.
Course topics include
• The Concept of Culture
• Ethnographic Research and Representation
• Kinship and Family Life
• Gender and Sexuality
• Politics, Violence and Identity
• Globalization and Transnationalism
The course reading tacks between the study of seemingly remote and insular communities in New Guinea, West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East, and mainstream American society, to reveal the varied ways people make meaning and organize relationships in a turbulent world. We also look closely at the methods used by anthropologist to learn about and represent cultural difference and diversity.
Molecular Genetics and Evolution
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: I, B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8118 | Connie Mulligan |
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ANT3930 is an in-depth examination of the use of molecular genetic data to investigate the evolutionary history of humans. The completion of the human genome sequence has greatly facilitated the application of molecular genetic data to questions of human evolution. Over the past ten years, a wealth of genetic data has been generated on human populations worldwide and new statistical methods have been developed to analyze these data. These genetic data are currently being used in a number of investigations, such as the reconstruction of past migration events or the detection of admixture or gene flow in a population. Specific topics to be discussed include the relationship of humans to non-human primates, emergence of anatomically modern humans in Africa (out-of-Africa vs. multiregionalism), Neanderthal genetics (did we interbreed?), colonization of Europe, genetic ancestry in the public domain (National Geographic's Genographic Project), and the use of ancient DNA to study human evolution.
Application of molecular genetic data to human origin questions will be presented in two course textbooks (The Seven Daugthers of Eve by Bryan Sykes and Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins by John H. Relethford) while relevant journal articles (course packet) will provide current examples of questions being addressed in the literature. The course meets once a week for three hours and the course format is lecture plus discussion with substantial class participation. Evaluation of student performance is based on class participation, oral presentations, problem sets, regular quizzes, and exams. Although basic molecular biology concepts will be reviewed (first 2 weeks), knowledge of DNA structure, Mendelian genetics, and molecular biology is expected. See webpage for information on course in Fall, 2004. For questions about the course, contact Dr. Mulligan at mulligan@anthro.ufl.edu.
Connie Mulligan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Her lab studies human genetic variation in order to reconstruct the evolutionary history and relationships of human populations and human pathogens. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University in 1990 in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. She held postdoctoral and research scientist positions at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the National Institutes of Health before coming to UF in 2000.
Introduction to Forensic Science
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2678 | Jason Byrd |
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| 4252 | Staff |
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This course addresses the various disciplines within the forensic sciences. Specifically, this course will focus on the application of the medical and natural sciences to forensics. The development of the medical examiner, coroner, and crime laboratory systems within the United States will be discussed as well as the scientific and non-scientific methods used to establish human identity, and the pathological conditions commonly found in forensic casework. This is a three-credit course designed to familiarize the student with the application of science to law and the courtroom.
Dr. Byrd is a Board-Certified Forensic Entomologist and is a past Chairman of the American Board of Forensic Entomology. He has conducted over 100 workshops specializing in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. He has published numerous scientific articles on the subject of forensic entomology, and has also published two books dealing with the use of insects in legal investigations.
Beginning Chinese I
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1889 | Cynthia H. Shen |
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As one of the most widely used languages in the world, Chinese is spoken natively by an estimated population of about 1.3 billion. This course teaches the standard Mandarin, which serves as the official language of China and Taiwan and is one of the four official languages in Singapore. In cultivating students' language ability the course will endeavor to integrate the four skills essential in language acquisition: listening, speaking, reading and writing. While providing students with grammatical and structural analysis of language to facilitate a better comprehension, the course will create many occasions for students to communicate in the target language so as to expediate the command of their communication ability in Chinese. Since the Chinese language is intimately related to its culture, cultural implications of the language will be occasionally introduced to enrich the learning experience.
Cynthia Hsien Shen is a native Chinese speaker. She grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She was awarded a B.A. degree from National Taiwan University. She pursued her graduate studies in the U.S. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Cornell University. She taught and served in various positions at the Gainesville Chinese School before she joined the Department of African & Asian Languages and Literatures as a lecturer.
One-Semester General Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1953 | Staff |
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| 1956 | Staff |
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| 5636 | Staff |
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| 5638 | Staff |
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| 9475 | Staff |
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Students must have a good (AP, IB) high school chemistry background or an SAT II score of 630 or higher to enroll in this course. At Preview sessions, advisors will verify that these requirements are met.
This course is suitable for chemistry and biological science students including those intending medical, dental, and veterinary professions. Good mathematics skills and disciplined, focused study habits help.
Note:Engineering students whose majors require a total of eight hours of chemistry credit may enroll in CHM 2047 and its lab with the expectation of fulfilling the remaining four credit requirement with CHM 3120, Analytical Chemistry, and its lab or another approved Chemistry course. Engineering majors that require only one chemistry course (e.g., CHM 2045) [aerospace, computer, electrical, industrial and systems, and nuclear engineering] may enroll in CHM 2047 and its lab to satisfy the chemistry requirement.The course condenses the usual two-semester sequence of undergraduate general chemistry into a single semester consisting of this lecture course and a companion lab, CHM 2047L, for a total of 5 credit hours (instead of the usual 8 in the two-semester sequence). Although some fundamental knowledge of chemistry is assumed, the course covers most of the general chemistry topics in detail. It fulfills the general chemistry prerequisite so students can begin advanced courses (such as analytical, organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry) earlier than usual.
The course has four lecture days a week and a discussion period each Thursday run by the teaching assistant. The lectures cover the basic principles of chemistry (e.g., atomic theory, bonding, thermodynamics, kinetics, states of matter, etc.) and are supplemented with guest lectures by faculty involved in modern chemical research. The discussion sections are run in smaller groups to allow for more detailed consideration of the material. The course grade is determined by progress tests, a final exam, and homework assignments.
One-Semester Organic Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0808 | Nigel Richards |
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Prereq: CHM 2046, CHM 2047 or CHM 2051; CHM 2046L or CHM 2047L, or permission of instructor. Please contact Dr. Keaffaber in the chemistry department (Flint Hall room 251, jjk@chem.ufl.edu) if you would like to register.
CHM3217 is a relatively small class that focuses on problem solving based upon understanding of structure and reaction mechanisms. This course is the first part of a CHM 3217-3218 organic/biochemistry class. These two classes together satisfy both organic chemistry and biochemistry requirements for CLAS, IDS, and microbiology majors. It is not accepted by food science or pharmacy. It is accepted by the Junior Honors Medical Program, most Medical schools (State of Florida, Harvard, Chicago, Hopkins, etc.), graduate programs, Vet school, and Dental schools, except the Dental school at the University of Florida.
Nigel Richards is a professor in the Chemistry Department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.
Bioorganic Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0809 | Staff |
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Prereq: CHM 3217 or CHM 2211, or permission of instructor.
An introduction to the basic concepts of biochemistry and molecular biology from the structural and mechanistic perspective of organic chemistry.
Women in Antiquity
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8474 | Judy Ann Turner |
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Women in the ancient Mediterranean world (emphasis upon Greece and Rome) are the subject of the course. The topic remains controversial among ancient historians. Until recently historians did not question the preponderance of our ancient evidence which originates from ancient males (authors, artists, lawmakers) and often reflects a male-biased or vastly distorted view of females. Inscriptional evidence and careful analysis of archaeological and written texts offer a much different, less stereotyped depiction of ancient women. Our course goal is to attempt a more accurate understanding of females in ancient societies. Through use of film, slides, primary and secondary resource readings, and discussion the class will investigate ordinary and extraordinary women from Minoan Greek times through the fall of the Roman Empire. We will explore ancient females' expected and actual societal roles, occupations, and lifestyles. Special attention will be given to females in religion since religious involvement always was one notable way for ancient females to achieve the highest status (and occasionally great independence) and power in their societies.
Judy Ann Turner (Ph.D. in Ancient History, University of California) was the Andrew Mellon Research/Teaching Fellow at the University of Southern California '84- '85 and taught at Cal Poly State University '85-'89. In Florida, she taught at SFCC (Humanities, '90-'93) and at U.F. (Honors Program and Classics Dept.) since '93. She has been an officer in the Archaeological Institute of America, Gainesville Society for more than a decade. Her publications include articles on sacerdotal women in the Linear B tablets and and articles on Greek Priesthoods. She is writing a book on Greek priestesses and ancient cults.
Ancient Greek Medicine and Literature
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0669 | Bruce Kraut |
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Ancient Greece, the birthplace of western civilization, gave us a foundation not only for democracy, law, mathematics and literature, but also for medicine. The medical treatises of Hippocrates offer a unique perspective on the emergence of rational medicine and are just now being fully appreciated as the great milestones of human thought which they represent. The literature of ancient Greece teems with material on death, disease, healing, and the human condition. The Hippocratic corpus helps to shed new light on these texts. This course will review some of the great literary works of ancient Greece, beginning with Homer, Hesiod, and Herodotus, then focusing on the fifth century B.C.E. (the Golden Age) with the dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Students will also be provided with numerous excerpts from other contemporary writers, including dramatists, philosophers and historians. Our discussions will navigate back and forth between the works of these literary masters and the medical treatises in elucidating ancient perspectives on health, philosophy and life.
Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of Greek literature as well as of various aspects of ancient medical thought and medical practice. There's no need to have any preparation in classical languages or in science and medicine, but each student is expected first and foremost to keep up with reading assignments and also to participate fully in class discussions. There will be periodic short presentations by each student based on material from the readings and a term paper of the student's choice at the end of the course.
Bruce Kraut received his Ph.D. in Classical Philology from Princeton University and his M.D. from Emory University. He is a former Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Georgia and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Classics at the University of Florida and a Pediatrician in private practice. His special interests include Greek drama, Greek papyri, and ancient medicine.
Subversive Greek literature from Archilochos to Kazantzakis
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0587 | Konstantinos Kapparis |
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One of the main functions of literature has often been to shock, to challenge the ideals and standards of contemporary society, to make people question their beliefs, and re-affirm or discard them. Cutting-edge books have changed history, redefined identities, and reshaped moral and religious systems. However, these books were often banned, burned, or publicly condemned for their content, and their authors came to be considered as dangerous outcasts, rebels, and traitors of their own society and its values.In this course we will read banned literature from antiquity to the present day in the long tradition of Greek literature, and we may cross-reference it with banned literature from other cultures, trying to understand why it was banned, what kind of beliefs and social values it was attacking, and how it changed the course of history.
Course Website: http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/CLT3930.html
Kostas Kapparis is Associate Professor of Classics and Assoc. Director of the Center for Greek Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow, and before coming to the UF he worked in Scotland and N. Ireland. His research interests include Greek Prose Literature, the Social and Cultural History of Classical Greece and the History of Medicine and Science.
Comparative Politics
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3951 | Katrina Schwartz |
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The goal of this course is to teach you how to think like a political scientist. It provides you with the analytical tools to tackle urgent questions about politics around the world: How can dictatorships become democratic? Does government intervention promote or hinder a country's economic development? Why do ethnic, religious and cultural identities continue to provoke violent conflicts? You will develop these analytical skills by comparing similarities and differences in the political systems of six countries on five continents: two established democracies (Britain and Japan), three developing democracies (Russia, Brazil and Nigeria), and one non-democracy (Iran).
Katrina Schwartz is Assistant Professor of Political Science. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University's Harriman Institute in 2002-2003 and received her Ph.D. in political science in 2001 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her primary research interests are in environmental politics, the former Soviet Union, and nationalism and globalization. Her book, Nature and National Identity after Communism, is forthcoming from the University of Pittsburgh Press. It explores the interweaving of discourses of nature and nation through case studies of nature management and rural development policy conflicts in Latvia.
African Politics
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2787 | Staffan Lindberg |
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Africa in the early 21st century is an exciting space. Hundreds of African pro-democratic groups are capitalizing on the wave of democratization in more than forty countries. A new generation of political elites, businessmen, journalists and leaders are beginning to emerge, and finally some countries are experiencing sustained economic growth and development. Africa's first female president was elected in Liberia, and Rwanda--the site of genocide leaving one million people dead in 1994--has 49 percent of its legislature made up of women. Mali, while extremely poor, mostly rural and 95 percent Muslim, beat all odds recently by holding its fourth successive democratic elections. UN peace-keeping missions in places like Sierra Leone are held as models to the world. What explains these success stories?
Yet another genocide is taking place in Darfur--again largely ignored by the world, and president Mugabe's increasingly destructive rule in Zimbabwe continues. Somalia is still in anarchy while Ivory Coast, Northern Nigeria, and Democratic Republic of Congo are reeling from sectarian, religious and ethnic violence at the verge of civil war. Kenya and Ethiopia are once again threatened by famine. Some of the world's most corrupt states are found in Africa and no where in the world has AIDS become a larger problem.
Why are some countries still trapped in decline, violence, poverty and bad leadership?
Africa is a rich mosaic of countries and peoples, with a landmass that is three times larger than the US. Djibouti is smaller than Massachusetts while Sudan is almost as big as the entire Western Europe. The Seychelles is made up of people of African, Asian and European decent and less than 100,000 individuals while Nigeria has a population of about 120 million people and over 250 ethnic groups. Africa also has a rich political history with all varieties of colonialism, and leaders that have experimented with liberal capitalism, Marxism, African socialism, and Islamic revivalism in the context of a wide selection of regimes such as monarchies, military dictatorships, personal rule, Islamic republics, apartheid, and liberal democracies. Can these differences help us understand success and failure in contemporary African politics and development?
This is a course for students interested in comparative politics. The intricacies of the political, economic and social realities of Africa require a willingness to be open to new ideas and new perspectives if we are to understand some of what is peculiar to African societies, as well as what they have in common with other parts of the world. The course spans Africa's colonial past through its early post-independence era, but the focus is on contemporary African politics. The course will also give you a good sense of what social research is all about: how we come up with explanations, figure out how to research them, refine our guesses, argue our points, learn from each other and from the world around us. Welcome.
Staffan I. Lindberg is a Ph.D. (2004) from Lund University, Sweden. His dissertation won the American Political Science Association's Juan Linz Award for best dissertation 2005. Professor Lindberg holds a joint position at the Department of Political Science and the Center for African Studies. He taught at Kent State University, spent two years in Ghana as parliamentary advisor, and consults on a regular basis for donors in Africa. He has published on state building, women's legislative empowerment, effects of electoral systems, opposition parties, party systems and elections based on his cross-national research. His book, Democracy and Elections in Africa (Johns Hopkins UP, 2006) demonstrates the positive causal effect of elections on the spread of democracy. He has also done in-depth work on Ghana, and has published on political clientelism, voting behavior and party alignment, as well as the workings of the Ghanaian legislature.
Fiction Writing
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1655 | Staff |
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Prerequisite: CRW 1101
This course will continue instruction in basic techniques of voice, plot and character, while also introducing advanced ones. Students read a lot of good stories and write a few themselves. Samuel Johnson said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money." Juniors or seniors who have not taken CRW1101 or 1301 must have strong composition skills.
Empirical Research
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 5574 | Larry Kenny |
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Prereq: ECO and ES majors with ECO 2013 and ECO 2023, or B or better in ECO 2013 and ECO 2023
This course develops skills in the development and empirical testing of economic models. Toward this end, each student will develop and test his or her own empirical economic model. The course is broken into three parts, which are described below.
We begin the first part with a discussion of how knowledge advances and a self-contained development of statistical testing of hypotheses with regression analysis. To gain some feeling for what constitutes good empirical economic research and for what constitutes mediocre empirical economic research, we then read and discuss several published papers in economics. We also examine how papers on positive economics are best written. Finally you will be shown how easy it is to run regressions on a PC.
In the second part, you present a proposal that develops the hypotheses to be tested and describes how they will be tested. You must ascertain whether the data that are required to test the hypothesis are available. Your proposal should describe your sample (e.g., all states in 1980, annual data from 1950 to 1990), the variables you will create, your predictions about the effect of each independent variable on your dependent variable, and from what sources your data will be obtained.
In the third part, you present a complete description and analysis of your results. In your handout, develop your predictions, describe your sample, indicate how your variables were constructed, discuss whether your results support or refute your hypothesis and whether your independent variables have a big impact on the dependent variable. In the second and third parts there also will be some discussion of other empirical papers, statistical problems, and issues involving economic data. The final paper develops the predictions and discusses how the data were gathered and the hypotheses tested.
Larry Kenny was chairman of the UF Department of Economics for 7 years and serves on the editorial boards for the journals Public Choice and Education Finance and Policy. His research has dealt with inequality in school spending, adoption of school vouchers, the structure of taxes in different countries, the effects of a candidate's economic performance and voting record on electoral success, voter information and turnout, the effects of voter enfranchisement on government spending, term limits, the determinants of how efficient schools are and redistribution.
Introduction to Education
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1272 | Jeff Hurt |
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This course is intended to be an introductory exploration of the PreK-12 teaching profession. It presents issues and conditions currently relevant to teachers and the teaching profession, and examines standard practices, teaching environments, professional obligations and requirements, qualifications for entrance into the profession, certification, legal aspects of the profession, alternative and innovative programs, non-teaching educational positions, and the future of education. Students will participate in a variety of activities, including researching "current issue" topics, such as grades, classroom discipline, teacher tenure and promotion, extra-curricular activities and homework. As part of the requirements for successful completion of the course, all students will complete a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer work in a PreK-12 school system.
Dr. Jeff Hurt has been teaching for 35 years. He has been on the College of Education faculty at the University of Florida since 1985. He has experience in teaching and/or supervision at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. He has degrees in English Education, Social Science Education, Library and Information Science, and Educational Technology and Communication.
Speaking and Writing for Engineers
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0918 | Creed Greer |
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Note: This course will substitute for ENC 2210, Technical Writing.
This course has been expressly designed for engineering students to equip them for speaking and writing assignments associated with undergraduate coursework and careers in the field of engineering. Students will learn valuable techniques and tools that will help them become effective communicators of technical material, capable of organizing and expressing ideas to satisfy the demands of both general and specialist audiences. Writing and speaking assignments will mirror actual tasks in school and in the field. In the process, students will learn how to become critical evaluators of their own communication skills by commenting on and evaluating the spoken and written work of peers in class. The primary writing assignments include a résumé and a cover letter, a procedural manual, and a final team design proposal. Oral assignments include an interview supporting the cover letter and résumé, a presentation of the team proposal, and role-playing as peer reviewers of other team projects.
Creed Greer is Associate Program Director and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1989. Dr. Greer's specialties include professional and technical communication, composition, and recent literary theory. Since joining the Dial Center in 1995, he has conducted research in and developed disciplinary writing courses for undergraduate and graduate-level work in law, engineering, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and business administration.
Speaking and Writing for Premed Students
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7858 | Mickey Schafer and Christa Arnold |
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Medical professionals have a special obligation to communicate without ambiguity, either in the written or spoken word; they depend on their communication skills to interact productively with other medical experts, their colleagues, clients and their families, and the public at large. This team-taught course will provide students with the opportunity to participate in a range of activities: researching, processing, and sharing medical information with others. Students will learn to do research using medical databases and other research tools, as well as discovering how best to organize and present their findings to other medical professionals or patients. The physician must often act as intermediary between the specialized world of scientific research and the more pragmatic world of the general public; consequently, we will also investigate how best to present technical medical information to the layperson. This course is predicated on the idea that the ability to write and speak clearly are learned skills, not innate talents, which means that better communication can be learned by practice. Students will experiment with a range of communication strategies in class: lectures will be followed by focused written and oral activities that allow students to put theory and strategies into practice. We will read and dissect examples of both good and bad writing in order to learn from them, in addition to examining several types of medical writings: written patient instructions, technical/research papers, case reports, and patient records. Students will also participate in a variety of speaking assignments in class, ranging from impromptu to prepared presentations. We will discuss techniques for improving public speaking, interviewing and listening skills, and patient-doctor communication.
Christa L. Arnold, Ph. D. and Mickey Schafer, Ph.D. are faculty members in the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. Dr. Arnold's past positions include Assistant Professor in Speech Communication at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She has taught over ten different communication courses on the collegiate level but specializes in public address courses. Dr. Arnold has over 40 International, National, and Regional competitive research papers with several winning top paper awards. Her research in the area of Speech Communication includes publications in International, National, and Regional journals. Dr. Arnold also has skills in Forensics, having competed in Speech and Debate, as well as having coached Forensics teams. She has also been nominated to Americas Outstanding Names and Faces. Dr. Schafers background is in linguistics, applied and theoretical. Her specialities include medical professional communication, cross-cultural communication, and composition for professionals in various fields.
Writing for Prelaw Students
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4746 | Creed Greer |
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It is no exaggeration to say that in courts of law people's lives depend on the character of words. It is also true that the livelihood of lawyers depends on their ability to put language to its most productive ends. It is with these ideas that we take up the subject of writing and law. Lawyers are notorious for producing impenetrable documents. On the other hand, some of the most eloquent writing about our society has been set down by attorneys and judges. Our job will be to learn what we can from those well-stated arguments and opinions and to avoid what makes legal writing so notoriously difficult to read. This course is designed to be, in large part, a practical workshop on the most common forms of legal writing. It is also a consideration of the character of legal communication in general. To these ends, we will write three documents: a legal brief, a legal memorandum, and an analytical essay. In writing the first two, we will become familiar with legal research and law library resources. In the analytical essay we will examine how common perceptions of legal institutions are played out in popular venues, such as film or theater, as well as in the media. In all of the writing we will develop the rhetorical skills of argument and persuasion while mastering the basic elements of style. Several field trips, including at least one to the county court and one to the law school's moot court, will show how speaking is integral to this discipline. Hence, our course also has an oral communications component wherein students will learn the basic skills of legal debate.
Creed Greer is Associate Program Director and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1989. Dr. Greer's specialties include professional and technical communication, composition, and recent literary theory. Since joining the Dial Center in 1995, he has conducted research in and developed disciplinary writing courses for undergraduate and graduate-level work in law, engineering, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and business administration.
Writing After the AP 3
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 5230 | Brian McCrea |
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The good news is that you received a 3 or better on one (perhaps both) of the AP English exams and received credit in advance for ENC 1101 and 1102. Congratulations.
The bad news is that several important studies, most notably the Bok report on undergraduate writing proficiency at Harvard, have indicated that students who do not use their writing skills lose them. Writing is not like riding a bicycle, where once you master the skill you always have it. Rather, writing is more like a good golf swing; if you don't practice and play, it goes away.
This course will give you the opportunity to write. It will also engage the question of how American society defines good writing, looking in particular at work by the late James A Berlin, who argues that university writing classes frequently have been the accomplices of a privileged elite.
In the first part of the course, you will read Michael Harvey's successful handbook The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing as well as once-classic essays by George Orwell, E. B. White, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr. and others. We will study several prose models--illustration, definition, comparison-contrast and analysis--and you will write short essays that follow those models. We will discuss both sentence and paragraph structure, with particular emphasis on how periodic and parallel sentences have come to be associated with "graceful" writing, loose sentences with "clear" writing. One goal will to help you write as clearly and directly in the third person (the kind of writing you are likely to do in the business and professional worlds) as you do in the first.
In the second part of the course, you will read essays by Gloria Anzaldua, Amy Tan and others who criticize the criterion of grace as Orwell and White developed it. These contemporary writers argue that the standards for good writing from the 1940s through the 1960s made writing the property of upper-middle class, Anglo-Saxon males. To write as Orwell would have them write, Tan and Anzaldua complain, they have to give up their ethnic voices and heritage, their "tongue." Several essays by Berlin will help us both to observe and to analyze the debate between Orwell, White and their critics. In this part of the course, you will work on a longer essay in which you narrate in the first-person your history as a writer, and then in the third person use your history to suggest where the definition of good writing is headed, and perhaps even more important, whether we need a definition of good writing.
Throughout the course, you will look regularly at the Independent Florida Alligator and Gainseville Sun and try to improve your skills as an editor (of yourself and others). Just because writing appears in print does not mean it is clear, direct or graceful. As you work to improve the sentences of published authors, you also will learn how to improve your sentences.
My name is Brian McCrea, and I have taught at the University of Florida for thirty years. During that time, I have published three scholarly books and two writing handbooks. I do not believe that we write; we rewrite. I take great pleasure is seeing my students become successful editors of their prose. I try to give my students keys to use as they look at all those words on a page and wonder how to make them say something clear, direct and important.
I play golf badly and run, sometimes competitively. I have trained for the past several months to do the 15 kilometer River Run in Jacksonvillle, and I look forward to that event.
I write on topics in eighteenth-century British literature. I will be offering a course at the University of Florida's Paris Research Center on Frances Burney--an 18th Century novelist who lived in Paris from 1810-1812--during Spring Break 2006.
Sensory Processes
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4018 | Keith White |
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Prereq: Any PSY course with grade of C or better.
An introductory survey of the human senses and their role in perception, consideration of how we sense the physical environment and what factors influence our perception of it. The capacities and the limitations of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell are explored from physiological and behavioral perspectives. Inasmuch as the phenomena under study can also be experienced, lectures are frequently supplemented with demonstrations and discussions. The aim is to improve understanding of how one's own perceptions may plausibly relate to structures and functions of the nervous system.
Keith D. White, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology with joint/affiliate appointments in Ophthalmology, Clinical and Health Psychology, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the McKnight Brain Institute. He also is a Research Scientist in the Brain Rehabilitation Research Center of the North Florida/South Georgia Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. His research concerns vision and visual perceptions, altered visual perceptions in individuals with psychiatric disorders, and the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging to study neuroplastic changes during rehabilitation of stroke patients.
Intermediate French 1
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8216 | Staff |
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Prereq: FRE 1131, or the equivalent; Coreq: FRE 2240.
Devoted to grammar review and composition, this course and its sequel, 2201, develop reading and writing skills in French.
Plant/ Health Spirituality
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6965 | Nigel Smith |
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Plants used in treating the sick and enhancing health, both organic and spiritual, are explored with examples drawn from around the world. The course thus surveys plants used in healing, communicating with the supernatural, and in bringing aesthetic pleasure. The scope is international with an emphasis on understanding the sacred origins of many of today’s “drug” plants such as marijuana and how cultural and ecological diversity have contributed to a rich array of plants domesticated for their ability to help users achieve altered states of consciousness. The role of traditional healers, their practices and perspectives, is discussed. Public health surprises occur with some frequency, such as the emergence of AIDS as a global threat to human health in the last few decades, so the course underscores the importance of conserving plant biodiversity and indigenous knowledge to enhance options for tackling future challenges to human health. The emerging market for "organic" foods is also explored within the context of a desire for "healthier" food and reducing damage to the environment. Political, economic, and environmental issues surrounding the development of transgenic foods (derived from crops that have been developed with the use of recombinant DNA technology) are analyzed since movements have arisen in some countries to ban such foods on health grounds. The growing demand for plant-based dietary supplements, such as energy boosters, is examined along with regulatory issues.
Nigel Smith is a professor of geography whose primary area of research is the management and conservation of natural resources in the humid tropics, especially in the Amazon. He is currently conducting field research on land use change in the headwaters of the Amazon in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, and is also studying the use of wild fruits by people in the lowlands of the Peruvian Amazon. The author of a dozen books, Professor Smith was awarded a TIP teaching award in 1996.
Beginning German I
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2387 | Christina Overstreet |
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Discover German is unlike any other language course you may have had! All materials are presented online in VISTA. You need a Gatorlink account, a computer, and a head set to participate in this course. Since Discover German aims to teach the language from the beginning in the context of the German culture, we have many live links to German sites and pictures. Think of it as working with an e-book: each chapter has a dialog, grammar pages, exercises, and homework assignments. All homework is done online and may be oral or written. For example, you will read and listen to a dialog and questions about that dialog. Then you will record your answers, attach your soundfile to the assignment and submit it. For written assignments, you simply write/copy your word file into the submission area and click 'submit'. The instructor will provide individualized and immediate feedback.
The Discussion Board will be used as a springboard for conversation in class. For example, you "virtually" shop for furniture by going to IKEA (practicing numbers, vocabulary etc.) or you Google Ritter Sport Schokolade. When you come to class, you are prepared to tell your classmates in German what furniture you bought and what chocolate you like best.
Students also write, perform, and video record "Situationen". For example, you may go shopping for winter clothes with a friend, buy tickets for a theater performance in Berlin, or create a "Before" and "After" Commercial Spot (using the imperative mood and comparative and superlative of adjectives).
Yes, you are required to learn the grammar! Discover German grammar pages are written in English for you to study at home. Grammar exercises are interactive and you can practice on your own at your own pace.
For more information, please go to http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/overstre/
Christina Overstreet, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Department of Germanic and Slavic studies. She is a native speaker of German and trained in Foreign Language Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition. Ms. Overstreet has directed the Summer Program at the University of Mannheim and has extensive experience in teaching German language and culture on the beginning and intermediate levels. She has been instrumental in developing and teaching web-based courses that present language in the context of culture. Her research interests include the effective integration of new technology into the foreign language classroom. In her free time, Ms. Overstreet enjoys walking at the beach and traveling.
The Limits of Representation: Europe and the Holocaust
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6037 | Eric Kligerman |
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This course is designed to give students an understanding of the historical, political and aesthetic import surrounding the attempted destruction of the European Jewish community by Nazi Germany. Through an analysis of Holocaust literature, film and visual media, we will investigate the connections between history, trauma, witnessing and representation. How do authors, filmmakers and artists depict events that shatter traditional forms of perception and comprehension? How do history, memory and imagination coalesce in their respective texts? The course will begin with a discussion of controversial issues of historiography of the Holocaust, including the uniqueness of the event, the nature of anti-Semitism, and the role of “ordinary Germans” in the Nazi genocide. Afterwards, we will investigate various examples of Holocaust film and literature, moving from documentary to figurative forms of representation. Among the topics we will discuss are the aestheticization of trauma, the function of testimony, narrative and witnessing, and the transformation of the Holocaust into a metaphor for other types of suffering. The course will constantly shift from how Germany itself remembers and constructs its representation of the Holocaust to how other European writers and artists represent the destruction of the European Jewish community.
All texts and discussions will be in English.
Eric Kligerman is an Assistant Professor of Germanic and Slavic Studies. His field of work focuses on 20th Century German literature and visual culture, Holocaust Studies and critical theory.
Introduction to Global Change
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 9531 | David Hodell |
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The Earth can be thought of as a complex system of interacting components that includes the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. The human species has increased its population and technology to the point where we are no longer passive members of the earth system. Rather, we have begun to modify components of the earth system by our industrial and agricultural activities. GLY1073 seeks to understand the complex issues of global environmental change that challenge society today (e.g., greenhouse warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, acid rain, desertification, biodiversity, etc), from a systems' perspective. Students will learn to view the Earth as a complex system of interacting components that exchange mass and energy, and we will explore the complex linkages and feedback processes that exist among its components. This system's perspective fosters an appreciation for how the Earth works as a whole and provides the conceptual framework for discussion of relevant global change issues. The laboratory portion of the course consists of a series of simple computer models using a system modeling software package called Stella. Models build upon one another throughout the semester and include population growth, energy resources, carbon cycling and the earth's climate system. No advanced knowledge of computers or modeling is assumed or required. Students will also undertake a term project on some issue of global change that will be presented in class using PowerPoint and published electronically on the Web. Honors students are encouraged to browse the class homepage at http://ess.geology.ufl.edu to learn more about the class.
David Hodell is Professor of Geology and originator of the Earth System Science Program. His area of research is paleoclimatology, which seeks to understand how Earths climate has changed through geologic time. He was the recipient of a TIP (Teaching Incentive Program) Award, a curriculum development award from NASA and OIR (Office of Instructional Resources) to specifically develop this course in Earth System Science. Dr. Hodell was awarded Honors Professor of the Year in 2001-2002.
Physical Geology
Writing or Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8923 | Michael Perfit |
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This course is designed to give Honors students an understanding and appreciation of the materials and processes that have shaped the Earth and continue to affect our natural environment. The first part of the course deals with the origin of the earth and the development and application of plate tectonic theory. We will discuss the origin and occurrence of various rock types and volcanoes and I emphasize the dramatic and often devastating aspects of volcanic eruptions. In addition, I spend a significant amount of time discussing the sea floor, ocean ridges, the interior of the earth, earthquakes and mountain building. We will also discuss topics that range from groundwater in Florida to mass extinctions on Earth and tsunamis.
I have limited the class size to about 15 so that I can have maximum interaction with students.
Geology is a science that can be seen and experienced nearly every day and can be appreciated outside the realm of the classroom, long after graduation. I have developed this course so that the classroom lectures, outside readings and lab exercises enhance the text and will hopefully capture the student’s attention and imagination. The laboratory section is designed to give you some "hands-on" experiences with geologic materials and data. Hopefully, we will be able to take a few field trips so that students can experience real geology.
Mike Perfit is a geochemist who spends much of his time deep beneath the surface of the ocean investigating deep-sea volcanoes and the spreading of the Earth's tectonic plates. He is Professor of Geology and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Geological Sciences. His specialty is igneous petrology, the study of the origin of rocks formed from magma. He uses that and his training in geochemistry and marine geology to study the Earth's last great frontier: the abyssal depths of the ocean. He has participated in over 25 major oceanographic cruises to places as distant as Papua New Guinea and has had over 30 dives in the manned submersible ALVIN to depths greater than 12,000 feet. The discoveries he and his colleagues have made on the East Pacific Rise and Juan de Fuca Ridge have garnered attention in the public media including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Discovery, and a few TV productions. He has published over 90 scientific articles in journals and books and his photographs have appeared in magazines such as Earth and Alaska Geographic.
Environmental Crisis and Sustainability
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4589 | Charles Montgomery |
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The news about our global environmental problems has become increasingly troubling, if not downright frightening. Hardly a week goes by without disturbing reports of species extinction, water shortages, the irreversible loss of ice caps, the inexorable rise of global temperatures, and, withal, the haunting specter of a catastrophic "tipping point," the point of no return. This course takes a frank look at our largely unsuccessful efforts over the past half century to protect the natural world. Focusing primarily on recent U.S. history, we will examine the limited achievements of "environmentalism" and identify the daunting economic and cultural obstacles that impede true environmental sustainability. Along with surveying the bad news, we will also explore strategies and solutions, in the limited time that remains, for saving nature and humanity as we know it.
This course will be run as a seminar, with associated high expectations of careful, thorough reading and enthusiastic discussion. Grading will be based on short papers, exams, discussion, and students' independent projects/presentations, which will grapple with one aspect of our current or historical environmental condition.
Charles Montgomery is an associate professor in the History Department. His areas of interest include modern American cultural, political, and environmental history.
Western Humanities 1
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2637 | James Hodges |
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This section of Honors Humanities is a survey of Western culture from ancient Greece through the Renaissance, with readings from literature, philosophy, and religion. In addition to selections from the Bible, the course includes The Iliad, plays from Sophocles and Euripides, Plato's Republic, The Aeneid, Dante's Inferno, Machiavelli's The Prince, and Shakespeare's King Lear. Readings about and viewings from classical, medieval, and renaissance architecture, sculpture, and painting are also part of the curriculum. There will be a series of reaction papers required on the assigned readings and a cultural event report.
James Hodges is a Professor Emeritus of English. In addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, Dr. Hodges has also taught at the Sewanee Military Academy (Tennessee), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Tennessee State University. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.A. and M.A.) and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Western Humanities 2
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2638 | James Hodges |
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This section of Honors Humanities is a survey of Western culture from the Eighteenth Century to the present, with readings from literature, psychology, and philosophy. The course includes Voltaire’s Candide, Goethe’s Faust, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Dostoyevski’s Notes from Underground, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and other plays, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and other poems, Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Sartre’s No Exit and other plays; also included are Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents and Jung’s Man and His Symbols. Readings about and viewings from architecture, sculpture, and painting are also part of the curriculum. There will be a series of reaction papers required on the assigned readings and a cultural event report.
James Hodges is a Professor Emeritus of English. In addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, Dr. Hodges has also taught at the Sewanee Military Academy (Tennessee), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Tennessee State University. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.A. and M.A.) and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Biological Perspectives on Contemporary Social Issues
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3534 | Jane Brockmann |
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Many of the most contentious contemporary issues of our time require a biological perspective if we are to make informed choices. This perspective requires some background and ability to interpret and understand biological research. The aim of this course is to provide a format for an in-depth discussion of contemporary social issues, such as animal experimentation, nature vs. nurture (gender issues), abortion, evolution vs. intelligent design, conservation of multiple-use resources, genetic engineering and sociobiology. The goal will be to acquire sufficient scientific background for critical discussions of these topics, including evaluation of the social or economic costs vs. the apparent benefits. We will use a variety of sources including both primary and secondary literature to inform our discussions.
Jane Brockmann is Professor of Zoology at UF specializing in the fields of Animal Behavior, Behavioral Ecology and Evolution. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and came to UF in 1976, completing a NATO-NSF Post-doctoral Fellowship at Oxford in 1977-78. She is the recipient of several teaching awards including the Doctoral Mentoring Award in 2005. She served as chair of Zoology from 1997-2001 and in 2003-04 she served as Program Director for the Animal Behavior Panel at the National Science Foundation. Her current research is on the behavior of horseshoe crabs, research she conducts on the west coast of Florida. This work has resulted in her being involved with conservation efforts for this species.
Business & Leadership Writing
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8603 | Vikram Rangala |
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Writing in the world of work is not done for a grade or praise, but to inspire action and create relationships. Therefore, a professional writing course cannot focus only on technique. It must also consider the processes and contexts within which an individual document gets written. Much of leadership, in business or anywhere, consists of creating or altering perceived contexts, and guiding others along healthy, meaningful processes. For example, a manager who has repeatedly acted in ways that lessen trust and create resentment cannot write a peppy memo to the troops and reasonably expect it to unite and cheer them. It is likely to backfire unless she remains aware of the other ways in which she has influenced them. Writing assignments will include personal and analytical essays, as well as business documents such as memos. While this is not a technical writing course, careful attention to grammar, word choice, and spelling are ways in which writers show care, professionalism, and competence. I will therefore grade written assignments both for technical excellence and for the way in which they show understanding of people, situations, and likely results. Our readings will include topics such as the psychology of persuasion, ethics, and how organizations foster excellence, as well as the writings of successful leaders in a variety of positions and times.
Vikram Rangala is the Honors Writing Coach. He received his B.A. from Rice University and his M.F.A. in creative writing from UF. He has been named Honors Professor of the Year and also teaches Professional Writing for the Warrington College of Business graduate programs.
Magic and Witchcraft
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1940 | Judy Ann Turner |
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"Magic and witchcraft, the fear of daemons and ghosts, the wish to manipulate invisible powers--all were very much a part of life in the ancient world." --Georg Luck, Arcana Mundi, p. xiii. The occult, folklore, mystery cults, oracles, and superstition--the 'darker side' of religious experience--impacted the lives of average Greeks and Romans much more than did the Olympian or 'civic' gods. Yet this significant feature of ancient religious practices receives little attention in scholarship. This course is an effort to lessen the void in topics of ancient religion available to students. Through the use of film, lecture, reading of ancient (in translation) and modern sources, the course will examine origins and practices of ancient magic, witchcraft, mystery cults, demonology, astrology, alchemy, religious 'possession'and other occult subjects. We will explore continuity or resurgence of some ancient occult practices, and if schedules permit, there will be some guest speaker talks on course topics.
Judy Ann Turner (Ph.D. in Ancient History, University of California) was the Andrew Mellon Research/Teaching Fellow at the University of Southern California '84- '85 and taught at Cal Poly State University '85-'89. In Florida, she taught at SFCC (Humanities, '90-'93) and at U.F. (Honors Program and Classics Dept.) since '93. She has been an officer in the Archaeological Institute of America, Gainesville Society for more than a decade. Her publications include articles on sacerdotal women in the Linear B tablets and and articles on Greek Priesthoods. She is writing a book on Greek priestesses and ancient cults.
Writing & Love
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2535 | Vikram Rangala |
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| 2536 | Vikram Rangala |
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Writing and loving are similar disciplines requiring similar decisions: a willingness to put aside one’s self, careful attention to detail, a willingness to see people and things as they are and value them, relentless sincerity, a modicum of grace, a sense of humor. Writing and love are both sometimes painful. Both must be done even when we don’t feel like it, even without inspiration. Both are likely to make us embarrass ourselves. This is not a lightweight course, not a support group, not a course in romance fiction, not really about romance at all. Love, in this definition, is not romantic love. It is not a feeling, not something to fall into. It is a verb, a practice, a way of engaging the world; it is a willful action. Most of the problems we face, together and individually, are ultimately problems of how to love: they require us to make better decisions about what to say to each other, how to see each other and ourselves, about what is important, about how to better give of ourselves. Writing is about precisely those decisions. Students will write personal essays weekly. They will also be required to practice writing every day for 10 to 30 minutes. There will be regular, though short, reading assignments, but in this course, the students themselves are the primary text. Whereas in other courses you study a subject, in this course we study ourselves. Weekly essays will be graded rigorously for grammar and style. Students will also be asked to get physical exercise, at their own level and pace, for 30 minutes three times a week.
Vikram Rangala is the Honors Writing Coach. He received his B.A. from Rice University and his M.F.A. in creative writing from UF. He has been named Honors Professor of the Year and also teaches Professional Writing for the Warrington College of Business graduate programs.
Age of the Blockbuster
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3862 | Dana Peterson |
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This course examines American popular culture in the Age of the Blockbuster. Beginning in the mid-1970s--Steven Spielberg released Jaws on June 30, 1975; Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974; George Lucas launched Star Wars in May 1977--the Age of the Blockbuster heralded America's current obsession with bigger, louder, and richer. This section of IDH 3931 will ask students to think critically about American popular culture in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Students, therefore, should be interested in learning more about who "we" are, and in turn, be willing to consume as much "culture"--i.e., movies, books, TV, music, sports, advertising--as they can. Students will also be expected to share these experiences in classroom discussions and presentations. Course requirements include a series of reading responses/journals and a group project.
Dana H. Peterson is on parole for a variety of offenses committed on his (unfortunately under-publicized) nationwide 1985 crime spree that ended just outside Dollyland in Tennessee. He currently teaches at the University of Florida under his mother's maiden name, Staff. Highly regarded for the level of expertise he brings to a variety of subjects, Dr. Staff also directs the AIM Program, the university's initiative to help disadvantaged students succeed at UF. Though Dr. Peterson died at the end of 2004, he still continues to teach this course as part of his penance for how he lived his life. He also continues to answer e-mail, so feel free to contact him at peterson@clas.ufl.edu.
College--A Novel Idea
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2557 | Melissa Johnson |
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Have you ever felt that your life as a college student closely resembles something out of a book or movie? Chances are, it probably does! This course involves reading and writing about the college experience from the perspectives of students, parents, and faculty. Course participants will read several novels and watch a few movies related to the college experience, discuss and reflect on relevant themes in class and on the class blog, participate in a service-learning project, and attend out-of-class events on campus. Students will compare their personal college experiences to those found in novels, class discussions, movies and campus events. While course attendance and participation will play a major role in grading, students also will be graded on short reaction papers and a final project. The readings will include several novels, tentatively: I am Charlotte Simmons, The Lords of Discipline, A Hope in the Unseen, and one additional novel of your choosing, as well as smaller articles.
Melissa Johnson is an academic advisor with the Honors Program. Melissa has a BA in Classical Studies and History and an MEd in Higher Education Administration from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Since she’s been in Gainesville, she has volunteered for a local political campaign, served on the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board, participated in the Gainesville Citizens' Academy and chaired a major fundraiser for a local organization. Melissa enjoys mentoring and advising current and emerging student leaders and is looking forward to helping students get involved in the community. She’s currently a member of the Sunshine Steelers, one of UF’s steel drum bands. She also likes discussing fashion, sports, and good practical jokes. Feel free to contact her at mjohnson@aa.ufl.edu.
Contemporary Moral Issues in Biotechnology and Regenerative Medicine
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6279 | Gayle Brown |
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This course is designed to introduce students to some of the central issues of biomedical ethics. Ethics addresses questions such as:
How should I act?
How do I decide whether one way I could act is morally better than some other way?
Are different ethical systems equally acceptable, or are some people's values just wrong?
Biomedical ethics addresses these questions in the context of patient care and the distribution of medical attention, and seeks to determine which actions or options in medical practice are obligatory, which permissible, and which impermissible. By the end of the course students will be familiar with the major ethical theories relevant to medical practice, and be able to apply these theories to current issues in biomedical ethics. Specific topics include: abortion, physician-assisted suicide, genetic engineering, reproductive technology, patient confidentiality, HIV/AIDS, and race and gender issues in the allocation of scarce resources.
G.M. Brown has taught a wide variety of courses in philosophy in both the Honors Program and the Philosophy Department at UF, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. She also teaches the popular Tao of Star Trek course. In addition to philosophy, her academic interests include poetry, literature, archeology, theology, theoretical physics and evolutionary biology.
Disease and Society
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7767 | Robert Kwong |
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This course examines diseases and epidemics have affected society. Famous disease and known outbreaks discussed include leprosy, Black Plague, anthrax, HIV/AIDS and SARS. Discussions will focus on how fear, misperceptions and mass hysteria impact healthcare education, healthcare delivery and societal or cultural norms. It is the goal of this course to provide insight and awareness about why healthcare providers need to be better educated about the social effects disease have; it is the hope students will become compassionate and sensitive to those individuals who suffer from discrimination or ridicule because of the disease for which they are affected. This will course will require significant student participation, a research paper and poster presentation is required at the end of the term.
Robert Kwong graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Biology and continued to get his M.S. in Biomedical Science at Barry University in Miami, FL. He has taught pre-health courses in the Biology departments at National-Louis University, North Park University and Loyola University of Chicago since 1995. While at Loyola University he was a Learning Assistance Counselor helping students learn the "right" study strategies for science coursework. Robert is now the Chief Pre-Health Professions Advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida.
Ethics: Theory and Practice
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0581 | Gayle Brown |
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The aim of this course is to help you reason more clearly and effectively about moral issues. The subject matter of the course can be divided roughly into two parts. First, we want to explore general issues about morality: what is morality? Is there a systematic way of understanding our moral judgments? What principles should we use to decide difficult moral issues? The second and main part of the course consists of an examination of difficult moral problems. Specific topics include as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, affirmative action, welfare reform and privacy.
Our focus shall be three-fold. First, we want to see how different moral theories may lead to different conclusions about what the right response is to these problems. Second, we shall aim to be as precise as we can about the arguments supporting these conclusions. Third, we want to critically evaluate these arguments--that is, we want to determine whether they are good arguments or bad arguments. It is important to realize that philosophy is not fundamentally about imparting information; it is about learning to reason more carefully and thoroughly. Thus, the main objective of the course is to improve students' skills in understanding and evaluating arguments.
G.M. Brown has taught a wide variety of courses in philosophy in both the Honors Program and the Philosophy Department at UF, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. She also teaches the popular Tao of Star Trek course. In addition to philosophy, her academic interests include poetry, literature, archeology, theology, theoretical physics and evolutionary biology.
Immigration, Race, Gender and Ethnicity in American Culture
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 5571 | Esther Romeyn |
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The goal of this course is to introduce the student to various social and cultural issues related to the experience of immigration and the place of ethniciy within American culture. The primary focus will be on the period between 1880 and the present. The class is structured around the reading of four autobiographies. We will explore the meaning of such concepts as immigration, ethnicity, ethnic identity, Americanization, acculturation, globalization, and transnationalism by drawing on social and cultural theory. We will examine how ethnicity is experienced, in particular in relation to such factors as language, memory, race, and gender. We will also discuss the tension between ethnic diversity/pluralism and national unity, and the parameters of contemporary debates about such issues as bi-lingual education and affirmative action.
Required Readings:
Abraham Cahan, The Rise of David Levinsky; Piri Thomas, These Mean Streets; Maxine Hong Kingston, Woman Warrior; Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of Memory
Esther Romeyn received her Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. She taught in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Program at Arizona State University from 1998 until 2005. Her main interests lie in Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, Jewish Studies, Urban Studies, and cross-cultural psychology. Her publications are concerned specifically with immigrant acculturation as a process of cultural “translation” (or “mistranslation”); the performance of ethnic identity (in daily life, festivals, parades, and theater); and the shifting boundaries of “race” in American culture.
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4259 | Jason Byrd |
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Forensic anthropology, an applied subfield of biological anthropology, is a science that utilizes methods developed in skeletal biology, archaeology, and other forensic sciences to solve cases of medico-legal significance. This course is a three-credit class designed to present how forensic anthropologists help resolve modern and historic crimes both in the laboratory and the field. Students will be introduced to the techniques that forensic anthropologists use to recover and identify individuals who died as a suicide, homicide, accidents and mass disasters.
Dr. Byrd is a Board-Certified Forensic Entomologist and is a past Chairman of the American Board of Forensic Entomology. He has conducted over 100 workshops specializing in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. He has published numerous scientific articles on the subject of forensic entomology, and has also published two books dealing with the use of insects in legal investigations.
Multicultural Communication
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4306 | Tim Fogarty |
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Multicultural Communications is a participatory experience in understanding how ethnocentricity keeps us from communicating effectively with a large percentage of our fellow Americans, not to mention millions of others around the world. But our learnings will not be solely theoretical, but will include actual experiences of cross-cultural communication. The basic text (one of two required readings for the course) will be Intercultural Communication by Everett M. Rogers and Thomas M. Steinfatt (1999).
Multicultural communication is not an optional skill in our pluralistic society and globalizing world; rather it may be the most important skill that a person can acquire both from the point of view of being a productive member of the economy and a productive national and world citizen. Lack of ability to communicate cross-culturally leads to such undesireable social outcomes as ethnocide, war, and so called "clashes of civilization". The diversity that we find in the classroom itself will serve as a microcosm of the campus, community and world around us. We will become personally involved in bridging differences of social class, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, etc. and in so doing we will be personally, emotionally as well as cognitively, changed. The theoretical fields that underlie the readings and class activities are those of socio-linguistics and anthropology, especially linguistic anthropology which has been applied to cross-cultural communication since the 1950s.
About Tim Fogarty: I have a BA in philosophy, an MA in Religion, and Ph.D. in Anthropology (2005 University of Florida). My research is in development anthropology, a sub-field of socio-cultural anthropology. My research program is to understand how solidarity forms between North Americans and Central Americans across national, social class, ideology and life style differences.
I have participated in over 20 different short term small group tours to Nicaragua and other countries in Central America, accompanied by North Americans who travel there to do something helpful in the midst of the second worst poverty in the Western Hemisphere. These trips have been hosted by small non-governmental organizations and often go to remote and isolated rural communities as well as the typical tourist attractions. I am planning to take UF honors students to Nicaragua for a summer experience of cross-cultural communication. Multicultural communication would be a good preparatory course for such a journey.
Music and Health
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1008 | Miriam Zach |
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We will explore the relationship of music and medicine via readings, recordings, lectures, discussions, and musical experiences, investigating the history, theory, and practice of the creative power of music in health care settings. In addition to reviewing music therapy research in the medical literature, we will study the work of musicians-physicians, medical problems of perfoming artists, medical histories of composers, and music in hospitals. Students are expected to listen to musical compositions of various styles and genres, be able to identify them by composer, historical context, stylistic and aesthetic characteristics, and their potential use as treatment in clinical application. There will be two tests and a research paper/creative project presentation. Required readings include: Joseph Machlis and Kristine Forney's The Enjoyment of Music, chronological version, 9th edition with accompanying CD's; and Randall McClellan's The Healing Forces of Music.
Miriam Zach, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, is a musicologist, concert organist, and Founding Director of the International Women Composers Library (PO Box 5566, Gainesville, FL 32627-5566). After completing her studies at the University of Chicago, she lived in Europe for five years teaching at the Universitat Bielefeld, Germany and performing. In 1992 and 1997 she was named International Woman of the Year by the International Biographical Center in Cambridge, England for her distinguished service to music. Dr. Zach can be reached by email at minerva@ufl.edu.
Neurotheology
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1256 | Lou Ritz and Gene Thursby |
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Are religious and spiritual experiences brain-based? If they are, what are the implications to understanding brain circuitry? If they are not, what are the implications to our understanding of who we are? Our course, Neurotheology, will investigate the neural correlates of religious and spiritual experiences and the implications of such relationships.
The course will consist of weekly presentations and discussions led by the course instructors. Student group dialogue and exchange will be emphasized. Topics to be explored include: organization of higher cortical function in the human brain; effects of cortical brain lesions on our perception of reality; the variety of religious experiences; modern brain imaging; meditation and spiritual experiences; brain correlates of meditation; eastern and western views of the mind; how the brain constructs reality; attention and awareness; mind-body medicine; psychedelics and mystical experiences; the neurobiology of emotions; and the God gene--the genetic basis of spiritual experiences.
The instructors are founding members of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health, and co-teach a well-received Honors course in Spirituality and Health Sciences. (For more information, see www.spiritualityandhealth.ufl.edu).
Dr. Lou Ritz is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience, within the College of Medicine and the McKnight Brain Institute. His research interests that have been funded by the National Institutes of Health are concerned with spinal cord injury and repair. He is the course director for Medical Neuroscience, taken by all first year medical students, and for Functional Human Neuroanatomy, taken by a diverse group of graduate students from around the University. Dr. Ritz is an Associate Director of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health. He is also a co-director of the John Templeton Spirituality and Medicine Award for incorporating spirituality, cultural diversity, and end-of-life issues into the UF medical school curriculum. Questions about the course can be sent to: ritz@mbi.ufl.edu
Dr. Gene Thursby is an Associate Professor of Religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has been a Fulbright Fellow in India and has participated in several international seminars and teaching institutes sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. He teaches courses on theories of religious experience and on new religious movements.
Newspapers for Nonmajors
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3076 | Angela Brammer |
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Learn the parts of a newspaper and what goes into putting it together each and every day. We will take a critical look at newspaper content and composition in the context of legal, ethical and financial constraints, as well as the almighty deadline. This course is for nonmajors with an interest but little to no experience in journalism.
The print edition of The Gainesville Sun will be discussed frequently in class. You will be expected to bring a copy of the daily paper to class, and you should be familiar with each day's paper before you arrive.
Major projects will include a final research paper/project and a clip book in which you will collect specific examples of journalistic principles in action. You will also be expected to complete a series of smaller weekly assignments, including short (one-page) response papers and other creative work. Attendance, participation and punctuality will be reflected in your final grade.
Angela Brammer advises high-school journalists at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School here in Gainesville. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism and her master's degree in entomology from UF. She has worked for The Seattle Times, the Winston-Salem Journal, and yes, even The Independent Florida Alligator.
Research Skills for Science Students
Writing or Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2659 | Sara Russell Gonzalez |
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Do you want to do research as an undergraduate? Are you planning on pursuing science in graduate school? Undergraduates often have the academic background to begin graduate-level research, but lack the opportunity to develop research skills. This course is designed to provide the research and information skills necessary for the student to succeed in scientific research.
We will explore in depth the literature databases, UF Library resources, and the academic publishing model. Faculty from UF departments will be invited to speak about their research, available research opportunities, and what skills they see are essential for new graduate students. Weekly assignments will introduce the students to scientific publications and writing styles. Other topics such as citation studies, publications formats, conferences, and funding will be discussed. A survey of the students' discipline interests will be conducted at the beginning of the semester and used to focus discussions and the databases examined. UF and outside undergraduate research opportunities will be presented to aid students in becoming involved in research at an early stage in their education.
Course Topics:
• Opportunities for undergraduate research at UF and outside institutions
• Scholarly communication (journals, pre-prints, conferences)
• Research Funding
• Academic integrity
• Critical evaluation of information resources
• Scientific writing
• Use of general and science-specific article databases
• Exploration of online datasets
Sara Russell Gonzalez is an Asst. University Librarian specializing in Astronomy, Physics, and Geology. Prior to joining UF in 2005, she conducted research as a seismologist into nuclear explosion monitoring and verification. She has a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a M.L.I.S. from Florida State. As an undergraduate at Caltech, she spent a summer conducting astronomy research at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
SKETCHBOOK/JOURNAL: Illustrating the Human Condition
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