Spring 2005
AEB3103
Principles of Food and Resource Economics
Credits: 4
Instructor: Drummond, Evan
Meeting Time: MTWR 6, F 6
Meeting Location: CSE E121, CSE E119
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
AEB 3103 is a comprehensive, introductory economics course with emphasis on the economics of agriculture, the food industry and natural resources in a global context. The course includes both microeconomics and macroeconomics. The microeconomic portion of the course emphasizes production economics and the theory of the consumer. The macroeconomic portion of the course deals with the role of government in a domestic and global environment with particular emphasis on agricultural policy and trade. The Honors section of this course entails a weekly enrichment session that meets on Fridays at the regularly scheduled time slot. This seminar deals with current events, supplements to course topics, and a case study of a major agribusiness firm. There are no extra tests or exams associated with the seminar. Some extra reading is required. The grade from the seminar is based on attendance and participation. It constitutes 20% of the final course grade. Students in the Honors section are expected to complete all requirements of the regular section.
Evan Drummond (a.k.a. The Food Dude) is Professor of Food and Resource Economics and Senior Associate Director of the University Honors Program. His areas of interest include food policy and international economic development. He teaches introductory agricultural economics and is co-author of a book for that course. In his second year at UF he was selected Teacher of the Year by the students of the College of Agriculture and in his first year of eligibility was chosen as the national Teacher of the Year (with more than ten years experience) by the American Agricultural Economics Association.
AGR2612
Seeds of Change
Credits: 3
Instructor: Gallo-Meagher, Maria
Meeting Time: MWF 3, W 4
Meeting Location: MCCA 2196, MCCB G108
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
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. She teaches Seeds of Change (AGR 2612) in the Spring, as well as, Genetics (AGR 3303) during Summer Session C. Dr. Gallo-Meagher received her B.S. in Agronomy from Cornell University. From North Carolina State University, she received her M.S. in the field of Crop Science and her Ph.D. in the field of Genetics.
ALS2931
Biology and Natural History of Fireflies
Credits: 3
Instructor: Lloyd, James E.
Meeting Time: TR 8-9
Meeting Location: EYN 2216
Writing & Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: B
Please note that the Entomology building (Bldg 970) is located on Natural Area Drive near the Performing Arts Center. You are allowed an extra 15 minutes to get there from your previous class (i.e., firefly class begins at 3:15), and ends at the normal time of 4:55. Time lost from classes is painlessly made up on evening field trips during the semester. This course looks at the biology and natural history of an interesting group of familiar organisms to get a view of major aspects of organismic biological science and how one can approach natural philosophy as a "humanity" for personal satisfaction. Practical work includes field identification, observation, and quantification of firefly signals, flash signal recording and analysis, basic electronics with circuit development and manufacture, museum practice including collecting and curating, and the use and development of identification keys. Attention is given, through texts and discussion, to modern concepts in systematic and evolutionary biology, their historical development, and classical ecology. Texts: A firefly manual by the Professor, a free collection of essays and field and lab project texts and directions distributed over the semester, as required. Students will purchase a "fireflyer's kit" as described on the first day of class. The kit includes a small field guide to insects. There will be afternoon and nocturnal field trips, an optional overnight weekend camping expedition, and other weekend trips, if there is interest. Attendance is required on about five evening field trips during the semester. Grading: Final grade will take into account these elements: attendance, punctuality, and performance/industry/focus in the lab and on nocturnal and afternoon field trips to firefly habitats; several always announced and carefully described quizzes, both open and closed book as described beforehand; and two short term papers on topics that will be discussed, and may involve a variety of firefly topics, including art, poetry, and science, history, and personal biography. Each student will have a portfolio in the Professor's lab, where quizzes, tests, termpapers, and miscellaneous items are accumulated. At the end of the semester the professor will evaluate the portfolios, for industry in and quality of scholarship, and will subjectively assign a grade. (Grades in the past have ranged from C to A, with a couple of Is; about three-quarters received A's, and most of the rest B+'s, not an unreasonable spread for almost exclusively bright and motivated Honors Students!)
James E. Lloyd is Professor of Entomology and has studied fireflies for 40 years in North America, Jamaica, southern Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, and New Guinea. He is completing a natural history monograph and a study manual on North American fireflies, publishes a fireflyer’s journal/magazine, and is developing material and ideas for a firefly museum, for conducting workshops and studying firefly biology.
ALS2931
Half the Horsemen
Credits: 3
Instructor: Drummond, Evan
Meeting Time: MWF 8
Meeting Location: HUME 118
Writing & Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: S
Two of the chronic problems facing our global village are hunger and disease. This course will deal with these two topics in depth. Different points of view as to the causes and remedies will be explored. The main text for the course is Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Several smaller texts will also be used. Grades will be based on two exams, one paper, and one classroom presentation.
Evan Drummond (a.k.a. The Food Dude) is Professor of Food and Resource Economics and Senior Associate Director of the University Honors Program. His areas of interest include food policy and international economic development. He teaches introductory agricultural economics and is co-author of a book for that course. In his second year at UF he was selected Teacher of the Year by the students of the College of Agriculture and in his first year of eligibility was chosen as the national Teacher of the Year (with more than ten years experience) by the American Agricultural Economics Association.
ANT3140
Introduction to World Archaeology
Credits: 03
Instructor: Staff
Meeting Time: M 3-5
Meeting Location: TUR 2303, TUR 2303
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
The global study of human culture from its origins to the present through the recovery, description, and analysis of archaeological remains.
ANT4354
Anthropology of Modern Africa
Credits: 3
Instructor: Kane, Abdoulaye
Meeting Time: T 8, R 8-9
Meeting Location: MAT 12, MAT 12
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: I S
Modern Africa possesses a growing and diverse population facing substantial challenges as it enters the 21st Century. Africans respond to these challenges, in large part, through their cultures. In this class students are introduced to modern Africa via topics of concern to anthropology, such as health, kinship, identity, work, the nation-state, technology, and development. In each case, what are the most pressing issues to African communities today? How and in what ways are Africans coping with changing circumstances while expressing their thoughts, beliefs, and values? In what ways are they mediating ‘tradition’ and change through worship, work, and popular culture? What impacts do the cultures and political-economies of the international community have on Africa and how are Africans filtering these influences through African lenses? How are Africans ‘the same, but different’ today? Adaptation and resiliency as well as cultural expression and ingenuity are our primary foci. This course is broken into six sections. During Week 1 I introduce the concepts of ‘tradition’ and ‘modernity.’ Assigned readings deconstruct detemporalized conceptualizations of Africans, allowing explorations of African culture change. From Weeks 2-3 students study the effects of climate change, natural disasters, and health problems on Africans. The selected readings highlight cultural responses to challenges such as famine, drought, and AIDS. During Weeks 4-6 students read about resiliency and change in the beliefs and expressions of Africans as relates to language, gender, ethnicity, and religion. In section four (Weeks 7-9) the foci are development, the state, conflict, and work. Readings demonstrate the modern challenges to African states and their citizens, but particularly the responses of the citizenry through resistance, ingenuity, and labor. From Weeks 10-12 students explore popular culture through art, music, performance, and the press. These expressive media, some ‘non-traditional’ and introduced, provide a context for both African coping and cultural reformulation. Finally, during Week 13 we reconsider ‘tradition’ and ‘modernity’ and the importance of temporality in anthropological analyses of Africa, particularly as relates to culture change in an increasingly globalized world. This course, as outlined below, employs lectures, films, tapes, readings, and other resources. Students are expected to attend class, finish assigned readings in a timely fashion, and participate actively in class discussions. Required texts include Nuer Dilemmas: Coping with Money, War, and the State (Hutchinson), Remotely Global: Village Modernity in West Africa (Piot), and Fighting for the Rainforest: War, Youth, and Resources in Sierra Leone (Richards). Other readings are collected in a class reader to be purchased by all students. In addition to class participation (10%), students will be graded based on two paper assignments (40% total), a mid-term (20%), and a final (30%). An optional extra-credit project (5%) is offered to those interested. Students will select the topic for their first paper assignment (10-12 pages) from a list provided to them. The second assignment (5-7 pages) is a thoughtful summary and discussion of a pertinent work (preferably a fiction or non-fiction book) selected in consultation with the instructor. No assignment will be accepted late (after class on the due date) unless there is an extreme circumstance. Students are encouraged to attend my office hours or schedule an appointment to consult about readings and assignments.
Dr. Abdoulaye Kane is a professor in the Anthropology Department and in the Center for African Studies. He received his Ph.D. from the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2001.
ANT4740
Intro to Forensic Science
Credits: 3
Instructor: Staff
Meeting Time: MWF 3
Meeting Location: TUR B310
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
Forensic anthropology, an applied sub field 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 result of war, suicide, homicide, accidents, and mass disasters. Specifically, class lectures, assigned readings, and films will be used to enhance the students’ understanding of Forensic Anthropology.
AST2008
Introduction to Stars and Galaxies
Credits: 3
Instructor: Hunter, James
Meeting Time: MWF 6
Meeting Location: BRT 3
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
The goal of this course is to give the student a basic knowledge of the universe (including only a little bit about the planets in our solar system--that’s part of another course). We will start off by considering the universe that we see with our naked eyes--for example, the appearance of the night sky, the phases of the moon, and eclipses. At the same time we will develop an appreciation of many of the tools and concepts used by astronomers that form the practical basis for their work (for example, how positions and distances are measured, and some basic properties of light). The main emphasis of the course will be on gaining an understanding of stars--their births, lives, and deaths, with our own Sun being examined as a typical example of a star. We will then see how stars are the building blocks from which galaxies are formed, and we will examine the many shapes, sizes, and unusual properties of galaxies. Finally, we will survey the field of cosmology, which is the large scale structure of the universe. The course will follow the text closely. Many of the classes will focus only on particularly difficult or interesting concepts from the reading assignment, but the student will be responsible for the whole assignment even if it is not discussed in class. There will be three multiple-choice exams, and course grades will be based almost entirely on those exams. There may be some opportunities for extra credit.
James H. Hunter, Professor. Ph.D., University of California, 1964. Theoretical astrophysics, stellar formation.
CHI1121
Beginning Chinese 2
Credits: 5
Instructor: Shen, Cynthia
Meeting Time: MTWRF 3
Meeting Location: LIT 237
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
This is the continuation of Beginning Chinese 1. It teaches Chinese speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities with an emphasis on everyday spoken language. By the end of this semester students will have been introduced to most of the important grammatical structures of spoken Chinese. Aspects of Chinese culture will also be introduced in relation to the language taught in the class. The class will be conducted with a communicative approach with many interactions between students and the instructor. The instructor will create different situations guiding students to use the target language in conversation and role plays. The training is vigorous and provocative. There will be daily assignment, weekly quizzes and tests. Students will also be expected to present two Chinese skits in groups after the mid-term and final examinations, in which they will demonstrate their acquired Chinese competence in combination of interesting performance. Active and substantial participation is expected.
Dr. Cynthia Hsien Shen is a native Chinese speaker. She grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She was awarded a B.A. degree in Sociology from the 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 respectively. 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. She also currently serves as the undergraduate coordinator for the Chinese track.
CHM2051
Honors General Chemistry
Credits: 3
Instructor: Myers, Gardiner
Meeting Time: MWF 8
Meeting Location: LEI 207
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
Co-requisite: CHM 2046L. CHM 2051 is an Honors alternate to CHM 2046. It is available to any student who has an "A" midterm or final grade in CHM 2045 at UF. Many of the students in the course will be Honors Program students, but this is not a requirement. The course is open to any student who has demonstrated a high level of potential in Chemistry, as indicated by performance in CHM 2045. The Instructor for CHM 2051 will be Dr. Gardiner Myers, who has extensive experience teaching in the CHM 2045-2046 sequence. Questions concerning the course may be directed to him at gmyers@chem.ufl.edu. CHM 2051 will cover the same basic topics as are studied in CHM 2046, indeed using many of the same course handouts Dr. Myers uses in the regular course. The principal difference will be the smaller class size and an level of discussion appropriate to the audience. We will also complete several computer spreadsheet exercises which are designed to teach some of the data analysis skills that one needs to use in a life of science. In the latter few weeks of CHM 2051 we will replace some of the usual descriptive inorganic chemistry with several special topics: atmospheric chemistry, polymers, and proteins. Students who are qualified and wish to enroll for CHM 2051 may simply register for this as for any other course, using section number 7201. If the system gives you any difficulty contact the Honors Office (honors program students) or Dr. Myers (other students). Students in CHM 2051 should also register for any regular section of CHM 2046L.
CHM3217
One Semester Organic Chemistry
Credits: 4
Instructor: Richards, Nigel
Meeting Time: T R 2-3
Meeting Location: TUR L005
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
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.
Dr. Nigel Richards is a professor in the Chemistry Department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.
CHM3218
Bioorganic Chemistry
Credits: 4
Instructor: Stewart, Jon
Meeting Time: MTWF 5
Meeting Location: FLI 50
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
An introduction to the basic concepts of biochemistry and molecular biology from the structural and mechanistic perspective of organic chemistry.
Dr. Jon Stewart is a professor in the Chemistry Department. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991.
CLA3151
Pompeii Archaeology Lab
Credits: 03
Instructor: Eaverly, Mary Ann
Meeting Time: MWF 5
Meeting Location: MAT 10
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H I
Pompeii, preserved by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79, will form the focal point (laboratory) for an examination of life in an ancient Roman town. Archaeological evidence, including architecture, sculpture and monumental painting, will be stressed. We will explore such issues as social structure, roles of women and the economy. The physical remains of the town will be examined through slide lectures and readings. We will read a variety of sources, both ancient (in translation) and modern to gain an understanding of the daily life of Pompeii. Course requirements will include short papers about aspects of the city and Roman culture, and short essay exams, which will include slide identifications.
Mary Ann Eaverly is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Classics Department. She has excavated in Greece, Italy, Israel, Spain and Cyprus. She received her Ph. D. in Classical Art and Archaeology from the University of Michigan and is the author of Archaic Greek Equestrian Sculpture. Her current research involves the use of color to differentiate gender in ancient painting. In her spare time she is an avid professional football fan.
CLA3930
Greek and Roman Epic
Credits: 03
Instructor: Marks, Jim
Meeting Time: MWF 4
Meeting Location: LEI 242
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H I
The ancient Greek and Roman epic tradition preserves some of the earliest and best-known examples of Western literature, and continues to exert an influence on modern literature and popular culture. This course will examine the origin and development of the ancient epic tradition in the context of the political and social world of the Mediterranean region, in the first millennium BCE. Particular emphasis will be placed on Near Eastern influences and the relationship between oral traditions and written texts. Readings will include Homeric and Hesiodic poetry, the Roman epic of Virgil and Ovid, and earlier texts that contributed to the development of Greco-Roman literary forms, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Jim Marks received a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001, and was a Andrew Mellon Research/Teaching Fellow at the University of Chicago 2002-2004. He is currently a visiting assistant professor in the Classics Department at UF. His published work focuses on the relationship between literature and society in early Greece, and he is currently working on a book about the role of Zeus in the Odyssey and a classics-in-translation book covering the lost epics of early Greece.
CRW2100
Fiction Writing
Credits: 3
Instructor: Ciment, Jill
Meeting Time: T E1-E3
Meeting Location: AND 019
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
Prerequisite: CRW 1101. The goal of CRW 2100 is to provide student writers with an understanding of how inspiration and technique come together in the writing of fiction. We will examine various forms of fiction in order to understand craft and technique, and the ways in which form can lead to inspiration or inspiration to form. Readings will supply examples of how writers have used these forms to communicate significant experiences; exercises will allow students to experiment with these forms; and open workshops will provide students a place to share their fiction and offer and receive constructive criticism. Substantial participation in the classroom community is expected. For each story read in the workshop, students will prepare a written critique and be ready to offer verbal commentary. Students will write two full-length stories (10 to 15 pages), at least four exercises, and a revision of one of the full-length stories. In addition, readings will be assigned each week. There will be no final examination.
Professor Jill Ciment received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California, Irvine. She is the author of Small Claims, a collection of short stories and novellas, The Law of Falling Bodies and Teeth of the Dog, novels; and Half a Life, a memoir. “Astronomy,” one of the short stories in Small Claims was awarded the Discovery Prize by Chanticleer Films/Columbia Pictures. It was made into a film for American Playhouse. She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts, a NEA Japan Fellowship Prize, and two New York State Fellowships for the Arts.
CRW2300
Poetry Writing
Credits: 3
Instructor: Greger, Debora
Meeting Time: T E1-E3
Meeting Location: CBD 312
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
Prerequisite: CRW 1301. In this workshop you'll learn some matter-of-fact poetry writing techniques as well as some more fancy ones. You'll also write poems and read some difficult and thrilling poetry of the past and the present. By the end you may be able to say, with Humpty Dumpty, "I can explain all the poems that ever were invented - and a good many that haven't been invented just yet."
Debora Gregeris the author of seven books of poetry, and a professor of English.
EDF1005
Introduction to Education
Credits: 3
Instructor: Staff
Meeting Time: MWF 5
Meeting Location: NRN 278
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
The main purpose of the course is to familiarize prospective educators with historical, societal, and current issues in regard to the teaching profession. For students considering teaching, or wanting an idea of what teaching involves, this would be a very good opportunity to see up close what the profession involves. Students must volunteer 30 hours in a school system during the semester. The guidelines and expectations for this field experience will be provided. All oral and written work is expected to be exemplary. Students will have opportunity to earn bonus points.
EIN4905
Introduction to Financial Engineering
Credits: 03
Instructor: Uryasev, Stanislav
Meeting Time: MWF 3
Meeting Location: WEIL 234
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
Prerequisites: Overall GPA exceeding 3.5. Course Mathematical Statistics I, STA 4321 or an equivalent course (topics: average value, variance, distribution, density function, normal distribution). Familiarity with Excel spreadsheet software. Course Objectives: To develop modeling skills necessary for solving real-life problems in risk management, financial evaluation of engineering projects, investments, portfolio selection, and to give the knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms driving today’s markets and financial institutions. Textbook: Investment Science, David G. Luenberger, Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-19-510809-4. This course will introduce you to the issues of contemporary financial engineering. You will learn the structure of the financial system, essential concepts of interest rate theory and time value of money, basics of risk management, portfolio optimization, and pricing of securities (including derivatives such as futures etc). The course will include standard topics of engineering economics (interest rates, taxes, inflation, depreciation), basic facts of financial engineering (CAPM, Markowitz mean-variance model, pricing of derivatives), and key facts from more advanced topics of risk management and portfolio optimization, including optimal dynamic strategies. This course significantly differs from an MBA course: it will be taught at the mathematical level of an engineering course (rigorous proofs, numerical issues and optimization). The emphasis in problem solving will be put on the use of Excel spreadsheet software. The course will be identified on transcripts as an honors course. This course is quite similar to the graduate Advanced Engineering Economics course EIN 6357. It can substitute for the undergraduate Engineering Economics Course EIN 4354 (required in several engineering departments). However, students who have taken EIN 4354 course can take this honors course as a technical elective.
Stan Uryasev is an Associate Professor, of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He is director of the Risk Management and Financial Engineering (RMFE) Lab (see, http://www.ise.ufl.edu/rmfe/index.htm). He chairs an interdisciplinary PhD program in Quantitative Finance (see, http://www.ise.ufl.edu/rmfe/qf/ ). His research is focused, mostly on Financial Engineering applications (portfolio optimization, trading strategies, credit cards scoring), Risk Management (Conditional Value-at-Risk, credit risk), and military applications.
ENC3254
Writing for Prelaw Students
Credits: 3
Instructor: Greer/Webster
Meeting Time: MWF 4
Meeting Location: ROL315
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
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 parliamentary debate.
Creed Greer is a lecturer in the Humanities and Associate Program Director 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
ENC3254
Speaking and Writing for Premed Students
Credits: 3
Instructor: Schafer/Arnold
Meeting Time: MWF 6
Meeting Location: ROL 315
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
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 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 America’s Outstanding Names and Faces. Students needing more information about this course can e-mail questions to carnold@cwoc.ufl.edu. Dr. Schafer’s specialities include medical professional communication, cross-cultural communication, and composition for professionals in various fields.
ENC3254
Speaking and Writing for Engineers
Credits: 3
Instructor: Greer, Creed
Meeting Time: MWF 2
Meeting Location: ROL 315
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
Note: This course will substitute for ENC 2210, Technical Writing. This course has been expressly designed for engineering students in order to equip you for speaking and writing assignments during your undergraduate coursework and in your future careers in the field of engineering. You will learn valuable techniques and tools that will enable you to become effective communicators of technical material, capable of organizing and expressing your ideas to satisfy the demands of both general and specialist audiences. Your writing and speaking assignments will mirror actual tasks awaiting you both in school and in the field. In the process, you will learn how to become a critical evaluator of your own communication skills by commenting on and evaluating the spoken and written work of your peers in class. Your primary writing assignments include a resumé and a cover letter; a procedural manual; and a final team design proposal. Oral assignments include an interview supporting both your cover letter and resumé; a presentation of your team's proposal; and role-playing as peer reviewers of other team projects.
Creed Greer is a lecturer in the Humanities and Associate Program Director 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.
ENC3310
Advanced Exposition
Credits: 3
Instructor: Nelson, Marie
Meeting Time: MWF 4
Meeting Location: LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
Expository writing is the kind of writing that explains, that lays it out so the reader can understand it. And what is this “it” that gets laid out? In this version of ENC 3310 the “it” that serves as subject for writing possibilities takes a variety of forms, all of which have to do with language, human and otherwise, and ways that language works. As the sequence of chapter titles below will suggest (the chapters are all included in Writing about Language, a single required text to be made available at University Copy and More), topics to be considered range from the acquisition of writing and of language itself to the sounds of language, to the ways words and sentences get put together, and to the use of language in particular social contexts. Selections included within chapters are taken from sources as diverse as Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring, Jane Goodall’s In the Shadow of Man, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Newsweek “My Turn” essays, and Bob Thaves’ “Frank and Ernest” series. 1: Writing: Invention and Discovery 2: The Sounds of Language 3: I Hear Americans Talking 4: Language: Hardwired and Acquired 5. Inter- and Intraspecies Communication 6. Naming and Un-naming 7. Words and Word-building 8. Words and Meanings 9. Who/What Drives the Sentence? 10. What Are You Doing with Words? 11. Metaphors We Think With 12. Language and Schools This is the plan: You will be writing short (2-3) page responses to one of the Writing Possibilities that appears at the end of each Writing about Language chapter (or to a possibility that you add to the list of choices). These responses will be read and promptly returned to you with comments intended to help you choose one of the twelve short end-of-the-chapter papers, or mini-papers, for further development. You can also expect to write occasional exercises in class, but there will be no quizzes or tests. Grades will be based on your short responses to Writing Possibilities, on your consistent readiness to participate in the work of the class, on your longer paper, and on an in-class presentation of the topic you choose for this paper.
Marie Nelson received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1973. She has published two books on Old English poetry and a number of essays on Old, Middle, and Modern English literature, and served from 1995 to 2000 as the Director of the University of Florida Linguistics Program. Her current research involves determining the significance of the names of plants used in herbal remedies.
ENG2935
Artists Who Work in Several Media
Credits: 3
Instructor: Homan, Sid
Meeting Time: T 4, R 4-5
Meeting Location: TUR 2303, TUR 2303
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C H
Harold Pinter has written novels, poetry, and film scripts; Samuel Beckett, poems, novels, short stories, television films and radio plays, and aesthetic criticism; Tom Stoppard works both on stage and in the cinema. These artists involved in several media are the focus of the course. We will study them in two ways. One is by staging scenes from their plays, with each student in the course having an acting partner; the partners are then responsible for performing five scenes during the semester. The emphasis here is on intent rather than finesse, and thus no previous acting experience is required. Students rehearse, perform, and then work with Professor Homan as their director so that all of us can experience the theatre not as something “literary” but as a distinct art form, in a production which is both visual and verbal, where the playwright’s text is sustained by sub-text (the dialogue and history of the character devised by the actor beneath the actual text on the page), movement, blocking, gesture, props, set, lighting, etc. Students will also assist Professor Homan in a production of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, which he will direct at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre in February. In this way, along with their experience confronting the text as actors, students will be involved in the actual mechanics and aesthetic of production itself. Plays to be thus studied are: Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot; Harold Pinter’s The Lover, Old Times, and No Man’s Land; and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.
An award-winning teacher, Sidney Homan is Professor of English at the University of Florida and the author of some eleven books on Shakespeare and the modern playwrights. His two most recent studies are Staging Modern Playwrights: From Director’s Concept to Performance and Directing Shakespeare: A Scholar Onstage. He also works in professional and academic theatres as a director and actor. Most recently he has directed productions of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, King Lear, and Julius Caesar. He has been co-author and co-director of two original works, More Letters to the Editor and Black Voices. He is director of the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre’s popular series, “An Evening with Playwrights,” and a member of its improv company “Yes, But...”
GEO2426
Pop Music and Cultural Perspectives
Credits: 3
Instructor: Fik, Timothy
Meeting Time: M 7-9
Meeting Location: TUR 3012
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
GEO 2426 is a course that highlights the geographic origins and diffusion of "pop music," focusing on historical underpinnings and the dynamics of popular music in American culture. Emphasis is placed on analyzing music innovation, trends, and movements in relation to social geopolitical change and the expressions and sounds of people and places. Discussions and Power Point presentations will trace the roots and lineage of various music styles/genres, identify pioneering artists and trend-setting regions and cities, and describe the diffusion of musical ideas over time and space -- across regions and geographic boundaries. The course will examine the importance of music and lyrics as modes of expression and the role of artists as agents of change. More importantly, the course will examine the broader social, economic and cultural implications of the evolution of popular music and alternative counterculture music scenes. Emphasis will be placed on the evolution of popular music and the emergence, development and proliferation of various musical styles and genres. For example, the course will examine the influence of folk, rockabillly, bluegrass, country and swing, blues, boogie-woogie, and rhythm & blues (R&B) in the manifestation of a musical genre that became known as "rock 'n roll." The course will highlight the importance of black music and the contribution of black artists (with emphasis on Delta and Chicago blues, Piedmont blues, R&B, urban soul and funk, big-city jazz, swing and jump blues, reggae, and Gospel). Discussions will also focus on the disco-dance phenomenon, the new age and world music scenes, heavy metal, punk and post-punk movements, cross-over artists, folk-rock and blues-rock revivals, the Latin influence, corporate rock, new wave, British-based goth and glam, American shock-rock, rap and hip-hop, techno and dance, and various musical hybrids. In addition, the course will examine the restructuring and organization of the music industry in spatial and economic terms. Discussions will include an analysis of the impact of technology, the effects of competition, the role of radio, the Internet and digital music, the rise of independent artists and labels (Indies), and the manufacturing and marketing of commercial artists.
Timothy J. Fik is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Florida (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). He earned a Master of Arts in Geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D in Geography & Regional Development from the University of Arizona (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences). Author of several books and numerous articles in the field of economic geography, his research interests include regional development, globalization, spatial statistics and quantitative methods, price competition, real estate and market area analysis, interaction models, and pop music culture. Dr. Fik’s e-mail address is fik@geog.ufl.edu.
GER1131
Intensive Beginning German 2
Credits: 5
Instructor: Overstreet, Christina
Meeting Time: MTWRF 3
Meeting Location: DAU 342
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
For the first time, the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies is offering a course for beginners that is radically different from traditional classroom instruction. First, this is an online course. Course materials, texts, exercises, homework, quizzes, and tests are provided in form of web pages. This not only saves you money, it also creates an unlimited flexibility for your instructor to provide you with the most current materials by using the Internet as a source of information. However, you are by no means learning the language in isolation. You will meet with your instructor and your classmates five times per week in the Computer Lab. During class time, we work together to discover both the German language and the culture of its native speakers. We will engage in meaningful activities online and off line to facilitate the acquisition of both linguistic and pragmatic aspects. In other words, it is not enough to know what is grammatically correct to effectively communicate with a native speaker. You will also learn what is ‘appropriate’ use of language in specific situations. The teaching and learning resources are provided by a software called WebCT. We will explain to you in class how to become a WebCT user and how to log on to this course. You will also learn that WebCT provides a chat room, a bulletin board, and private email, all means of communication that we will use. WebCT also allows students to present their research projects. WebCT is very user friendly and you will quickly become familiar with its features. Traditionally, beginning German courses have focused primarily on language skills and taught cultural content as a 5th skill. However, in this new course, culture learning is an integral part of the language learning process from the very beginning. Until now, beginning German courses ambitiously attempted to teach the whole of the German syntax, including subjunctive, indirect speech, all subordinate clauses, infinitive and participle constructions - all in one year's time! In this course, we will cover all elements and aspects of the German main sentence along with the relative clause and the 'daß'-clause. Nothing more! Students who intend to learn all the intricacies of German are able to do so by taking courses on the intermediate and advanced level. For this course, the Internet will serve as a means to discover Germany and German speaking countries. Through the Internet, you can watch German news shows, listen to German radio, read German newspapers, get information about train schedules and about local transportation in every German city. You access and use these services the same way native Germans do. The World Wide Web allows us instantaneous access to information on virtually any topic. The extensive use of the Internet does not replace the hands-on experience provided by studying abroad. The Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies at the University of Florida offers summer programs at the University of Mannheim and opportunities to study one semester or a whole year in Germany and Austria. If you aim to raise your language and intercultural skills to a level required for professional use, plan to study in Germany or a German speaking country -- and to continue study of German language and culture at the 2000 and 3000 levels.
Christina Overstreet is a native speaker of German and trained in Foreign Language Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition. She is the director of the Summer Program at the University of Mannheim and has extensive experience teaching German language and culture at beginning and intermediate levels. Her hobbies and interests include art, European history, philosophy, running and reading.
GET3580
Representations of War in Literature and Visual Media
Credits: 03
Instructor: Kligerman, Eric
Meeting Time: T 6, R 6-7
Meeting Location: TUR 2318, TUR 2306
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H I
This interdisciplinary course is designed to explore shifting cultural representations of war in the 20th century, focusing primarily on European history, culture and politics. Drawing upon poetry, drama, prose fiction, journalism, painting and film, we shall examine the crisis of representation surrounding war in the 20th century: World War One, World War Two, terrorism of the 1970s, Vietnam and the Gulf Wars.
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.
GEY2010
Introduction to Gerontology
Credits: 3
Instructor: McCrae, Christina
Meeting Time: T 8, R 8-9
Meeting Location: NZH 112, NRN 331
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: I S
This is an introductory course intended for all undergraduate students (any department) who are interested in learning more about aging. This course will approach aging from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on the physical, psychological, economic, and social changes that occur with age. The number of people over age 60, and particularly over age 80, is increasing not only in the United States, but also worldwide. The societal implications of this increase in the aged portion of the population will be reviewed. This course also explores personal and societal attitudes towards aging and focuses on the diversity that is present in the older population. This diversity is the result of differing experiences, behaviors, and cultural, ethnic or religious traditions. By the end of this course, students will have a deeper understanding of the kinds of lives that older adults lead and many stereotypes about the elderly will have been challenged. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes students gain as a result of this class will not only extend their academic understanding of aging but will likely also provide them with information that may be applicable to their own families, workplaces and larger communities. As a result of this course, students will also become acquainted with, and learn to critically evaluate, original scientific research in the field of aging.
Christina S. McCrae is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Gerontological Studies and the Department of Psychology. Her education is as follows: 1984-1987 B.S., Psychology, Pennsylvania State University 1993-1995 M.A., Clinical Psychology, Aging Specialty, Washington University 1995-1999 Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Aging Specialty, Washington University, APA-Approved 1998-1999 Clinical Geropsychology Internship, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, APA-Approved, San Antonio, Texas
GLY1073
Introduction to Global Change
Credits: 3
Instructor: Hodell, David
Meeting Time: TR 3, W 2-3
Meeting Location: WM 202, WEIL 412
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
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 Earth’s 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.
GLY2038C
Geology And Environment
Credits: 04
Instructor: Screaton, Elizabeth
Meeting Time: TR 3-4, W 6-7
Meeting Location: WM 210, WM 215
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
Humans are affected by geologic processes. We are impacted by geologic hazards and we depend on geologic resouces. In addiction, our actions change geologic systems. For example, human activities alter rivers, groundwater, slopes, and even the Earth's climate. An understanding of environmental geology will enhance students' ability to make decisions. For example, potential geologic hazards should be considered in the choice of where to live, and voting decisions on environmental issues may requir the assessment of complex geologic information. This course focuses on the aspects of geology that are most relevant to human lives. It will present a broad overview of earth materials and processes with emphasis on geologic hazards, resources, and human impact on the environment.
Dr. Liz Screaton received her PhD from Lehigh University in 1995. She specializes in hydrogeology. Much of her work focuses on the role of fluid flow in deformation of sediments at plate margins and the connection between fluid flow and earthquakes. She also investigates fluid flow in the Floridan Aquifer.
HIS3931
Exploring the American West
Credits: 03
Instructor: Confer, Clarissa
Meeting Time: R 6-8
Meeting Location: FLI 121
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
"Go West young man." This course is an historical exploration of peoples' fascination with the American West. Defined loosely as the region lying west of the Mississippi River, the West has long intrigued those living in North America. We will examine the forces of nature, romance, concepts of frontier, and other factors drawing humans westward. Diverse people ranging from indigenous nations (Plains Indians), through explorers like Lewis and Clark, to gold seekers will populate the course. Students should be prepared to read and discuss course books as well as write on related topics. Class participation is an integral component of the grade, in addition to exams, and a research topic yielding a class presentation and a 15-20 page research paper.
Dr. Clarissa Confer teaches American history and the history of indigenous peoples of North America. The bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition has provided opportunities to present at conferences and contribute to forthcoming books examining the impact of the Corps of Discovery which prompted this course topic.
HIS3931
Communism and Anti-Communism in 20th Century America
Credits: 03
Instructor: Zieger, Robert
Meeting Time: M 8-10
Meeting Location: FLI 121
Writing & Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: H I
Explores the role of Communism and other radical movements in the 20th century US, along with anti-Communist and other anti-radical responses. Strong emphasis on individual research and analysis, and on written work.
Robert H. Zieger, Distinguished Professor of History, University of Florida. Author of (among others): American Workers, American Unions: The Twentieth Century (2002); The CIO, 1935-1955 (1995); and America’s Great War: World War I and the American Experience (2000). Member, editorial board, American Communist History.
HUM2210
Western Humanities 1
Credits: 3
Instructor: Hodges, James
Meeting Time: MWF 5
Meeting Location: LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I
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, Professor of English, Emeritus, from the University of Florida. Professor Hodges, in addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, 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.
HUM2230
Western Humanities 2
Credits: 3
Instructor: Hodges, James
Meeting Time: MWF 6
Meeting Location: LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I
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, Professor of English, Emeritus, from the University of Florida. Professor Hodges, in addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, 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.
HUN2201
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
Credits: 3
Instructor: Turner, Elaine
Meeting Time: MWF 4
Meeting Location: MCCB 3124
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
Prerequisite or Corequisite: BSC 2007 or BSC 2010 or CHM 1020 or CHM 2040. How do you decide what foods to eat each day? Your body requires a variety of nutrients, but it is unlikely that you begin a day or a meal considering how much vitamin C you need! Understanding the principles of nutrition science allows us to incorporate this information into eating behavior that will promote long-term good health. Join us for an exploration of the science of nutrition: the functions of nutrients, food sources of nutrients, energy metabolism, consequences of too much or too little of a substance in the diet, changes in nutrient requirements throughout the life cycle, and the role of diet in health and disease. Application of these principles will take the form of in-class discussion and critical thinking exercises, and a project involving analysis of current dietary habits and plans for the future. An underlying theme of this course will be the evaluation of nutrition information from various sources, including the popular press and the Internet. Regular attendance will be necessary for discussions and activities. Grades will be based on exams, class participation, and three written assignments.
Elaine Turner joined the UF faculty in July of 1996. She has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Purdue University, and has 15 years of experience teaching a variety of nutrition courses. She was named 2000-2001 Undergraduate Teacher of the Year by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Her special interest areas include computer applications to nutrition, regulation of foods and dietary supplements, and nutrition education for the public.
IDH2931
Business & Leadership Writing
Credits: 3
Instructor: Rangala, Vikram
Meeting Time: T 8-10
Meeting Location: HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C H
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 BA from Rice University and his MFA 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.
IDH2931
History of Rock and Roll
Credits: 3
Instructor: McKeen, William
Meeting Time: M 5, W 5-6
Meeting Location: HUME 118, HUME 118
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
This is not a music course. It studies the role rock and roll music has played in American society during the last 50 years. We will study the origin and growth of the recording industry and integrate that story into the general social and intellectual history of the times. Students write short papers on two works of popular-music literature and an extensive research paper about a rock and roll artist. There will also be two multiple-choice exams. Students also keep a journal about their in-class and at-home music listening. Text: William McKeen's Rock and Roll is Here to Stay (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000). The URL for the online syllabus is http://www.jou.ufl.edu/people/faculty/wmckeen/idh2931_01.htm .
William McKeen is chair of the Department of Journalism. He teaches courses in literary journalism, media history and mass media effects in addition to writing and editing classes. He is the author of The Beatles: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1989), Hunter S. Thompson (Simon and Schuster, 1991), Bob Dylan: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1993), Tom Wolfe (Simon and Schuster, 1995), Literary Journalism (Wadsworth, 2000) and Rock and Roll is Here to Stay (W.W. Norton, 2000). His latest book is Highway 61: A Father-and-Son Journey Through the Middle of America (W.W. Norton, 2003), based on a 6,000-mile road trip with his 19-year-old son. Before beginning his teaching career, he worked for newspapers in Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and was an editor for The American Spectator and The Saturday Evening Post. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in mass communication from Indiana University, and a Ph.D. in education from the University of Oklahoma.
IDH2931
Spirituality and the Health Sciences
Credits: 3
Instructor: Ritz, Lou
Meeting Time: W 10-E1
Meeting Location: LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
This course is intended for undergraduate health science majors, particularly pre-medical students, who are interested in exploring the interface of spirituality and the health sciences. Interest in the intersection of spirituality and health is rapidly growing in our society, as we seek deeper meaning in our lives and a more holistic approach to our health challenges and wellness. The instructors are founding members of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health. (For more information on this program, see http://www.spiritualityandhealth.ufl.edu) The course will consist of weekly presentations and discussions led by the course instructors and by members of the UF Spirituality and Health group. Student group dialogue and exchange will be emphasized. Topics typically include: Spirituality: Its Nature and Varieties; Health: An MD's Perspective; Health: Viewpoints from Religions; Alcoholism and the AA Program; Research on Prayer and Health; Meditation and Wellness; Stress Management; Wisdom in Aging; Death and Dying; Care for the Soul:Living the Healthy and Spirited Life. Students will write six 3 page papers, chosen from the 7 different class topics. In addition, a final paper (5 pages) and a final class presentation (10 minutes) will reflect your understanding and appreciation of the relationship between spirituality and health sciences.
Dr. Lou Ritz is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience, within the College of Medicine and the McKnight Brain Institute. His research interests, that are 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. Dr. Ritz is 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
IDH2931
Magic and Witchcraft
Credits: 3
Instructor: Turner, Judy
Meeting Time: MWF 4
Meeting Location: LIT 117
Writing & Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: H I
"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 profoundly than did the Olympian or “civic” gods. Yet this significant feature of ancient Greek and Roman religious practices receives little or no attention in scholarly studies. This course is an effort to lessen the void in topics of ancient religion available to students. Through the use of films, lectures, reading of ancient sources in translation, and other resources, the course will study origins and practices of ancient magic, witchcraft, shamanism, miracle cures, demonology, necromancy, astrology, alchemy, selected mystery religions, forms of “possession,” and religious ecstasy. We will analyze continuity of and/or modern resurgence of some ancient occult practices and examine some contemporary aboriginal societies which have not abandoned their world of magic, daemons, and spirits. If scheduling can be arranged, expert guest-speakers on topics of the occult, witchcraft, and supernatural phenomena will visit our class. Students' course work will include class discussion, take home quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam (essay style and brief identifications), an oral presentation (5-7 minutes) summarizing the student’s term paper research results, and a 15 page term paper on a relevant topic which the student chooses to explore in depth.
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 has taught at SFCC (Humanities). She taught for College Year in Athens, summer 1997. At U.F. since 1993, she teaches in the Honors Program and the Classics Dept. An active member of the Archaeological Institute of America, she has served as an officer of the Gainesville Society for ten years. Her publications include an article on sacerdotal women in the Linear B tablets and an article on Greek Priesthoods. She is writing a book on Greek priestesses and ancient cults.
IDH2931
Writing & Love
Credits: 3
Instructor: Rangala, Vikram
Meeting Time: M 6-8/W 6-8
Meeting Location: HUME 119/HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C H
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 BA from Rice University and his MFA 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.
IDH2931
No Man's Land
Credits: 03
Instructor: Homan, Sid
Meeting Time: T 7-8
Meeting Location: LIT 117
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
In the past, Honors students have worked with Professor Homan on productions of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and As You Like It, the musicals Cabaret and The Threepenny Opera, and even staged the premier of The Jesus Spiders of Central Park, by the New York playwright Caroline Thomas. In the spring semester of 2005 Honors students are invited to apply for a course in which they will work on the production of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, perhaps the most challenging play of one of most important and exciting playwrights of the modern theatre. In No Man’s Land a man called Spooner comes into the strange house of an aged writer, Hirst, who is attended by two companions, Briggs and Foster, and there undergoes an experience, which ranges from the graphic and comic to the surreal and nightmarish. Interested students should e-mail Professor Homan early in the fall semester (shakes@ufl.edu); those seeking a role in the play will be asked to arrange an audition, and those wanting to work in some other capacity in the production (from stage manager to crew to publicity to design) will be asked to submit a resume. All students will attend several evening rehearsals, where they will advise the director on the production. There are no formal class meetings; rather, one’s hours depend on the nature of the role in the production, which will be at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre. Again, those interested must make an application by e-mail to Professor Homan early in the fall semester.
An award-winning teacher, Sidney Homan is Professor of English at the University of Florida and the author of some eleven books on Shakespeare and the modern playwrights. His two most recent studies are Staging Modern Playwrights: From Director’s Concept to Performance and Directing Shakespeare: A Scholar Onstage. He also works in professional and academic theatres as a director and actor. Most recently he has directed productions of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, King Lear, and Julius Caesar. He has been co-author and co-director of two original works, More Letters to the Editor and Black Voices. He is director of the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre’s popular series, “An Evening with Playwrights,” and a member of its improv company “Yes, But...”
IDH3931
Epidemics, Endemics, and the Social Fabric
Credits: 3
Instructor: Emch-Deriaz, Antoinette
Meeting Time: MWF 2
Meeting Location: LIT 117
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I S
A lecture course with discussions on the impact epidemic diseases had, and still have, on individuals and their community. From Antiquity to the present, diseases such as leprosy, smallpox, bubonic plague, tuberculosis, syphilis, cholera, typhus, poliomyelitis, malaria, and AIDS have played havoc in people's lives and in society's organization. The scourge of epidemics and endemics will be studied in its medical, ecological, social, and political dimensions. Grading: two in-class exams, one final exam, four book-reviews, one in-class presentation on a specific disease as part of the preparation for a ten-page term paper.
Texts: Man and Microbe (1995); Pox Americana (2001); Breakout (1996); Silent Travelers (1994).
An intellectual historian, Antoinette Emch-Dériaz received her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 1984. She has published a book, Tissot: Physician of the Enlightenment (1992), numerous articles on 18th-century medical and intellectual history, and contributed chapters to several books. Dr. Emch-Dériaz’s research interests include the study of mentality in Europe and of the concept of health and disease in the evolving milieu of absolutist and enlightened societies. She is currently working on the edition of the correspondence between the 18th-century physicians Tissot and Zimmermann to be published by Slatkine Edition in 2005. She has been nominated several times as an Anderson Scholar Faculty.
IDH3931
Survivor: Tribal Experiences and Cultural Relativity
Credits: 3
Instructor: Curtis, Matthew
Meeting Time: T 2-3, R 2
Meeting Location: LIT 119, LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: I S
In recent years the CBS television series, Survivor, has received high viewer ratings and much commercial (and some critical) success. Many viewers eagerly await each week’s episode to see how the contestants of different genders, personalities, ethnic backgrounds, life histories, ages, and occupations interact and communicate with each other. How will they negotiate their individual identities as well as their group “tribal identities”? How will they make decisions, what rules will they create, and who will lead in making the decisions? What secret societies and bonds will develop, and how will the contestants use these relationships to their advantages? How will they divide up daily tasks, and acquire and distribute food and shelter? When anthropologists study human groups, they ask these same questions. Survivor, provides a starting point for examining basic aspects of small-scale human social organization. This course incorporates episodes of Survivor 3 Africa with topical lectures, readings, films, and discussions focused on Africa and more particularly relating to issues such as gender, age, group identity, non-kinship alliances, value of non-kinship ties, food acquisition, human-environmental issues, and health. Survivor provides a forum in which to critically assess the concept of “tribe” as a useful (or not useful) construct to describe social organization among some societies in Africa. In addition, aspects of African archaeology, history, geography, religions, music, art, and popular culture are explored. The course requirements include a map quiz, two non-cumulative exams, and a short research paper.
Matthew C. Curtis is an anthropological archaeologist and Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Florida with a specialization in later Holocene African archaeology. Curtis received a Bachelor of Arts in cultural anthropology with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1992 and a Master of Arts in anthropology and Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida in 1995. His research interests include the archaeology of ancient complex societies and urbanism in eastern Africa, regional settlement analysis in archaeology, culture contact and interaction, and cultural resource management and education in Eritrea. Since 1997, Curtis has conducted archeological research in the highlands of Eritrea, northeast Africa. During 1999-2000, Curtis was a Fulbright fellow to Eritrea, served as a lecturer in the University of Asmara Department of Archaeology, and directed the Greater Asmara Regional Archaeological Survey Project (GARASP). Curtis returned to Eritrea in 2001 to co-teach the University of Asmara’s archaeological field school and continue regional archaeologocial research with the University of Asmara and National Museum of Eritrea. He is co-author of a recent Antiquity article (Schmidt and Curtis 2001) concerning regional archaeological investigations and the ancient Ona culture of Eritrea.
IDH3931
Research in the Virtual Library
Credits: 3
Instructor: Ochoa, Marilyn
Meeting Time: T 7, R 7-8
Meeting Location: MSL L107, MSL L107
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
A research library can be a bewildering place. Indeed, the question of the "place" of the library is one that researchers increasingly raise as more and more of the library's collections are in electronic formats. Through a combination of lectures, discussion, and "hands-on" instruction, students will be introduced to search tools in the "virtual" library, where many of the tools and much of the content are electronically available. Resources and topics include electronic indexing and abstracting services; full-text database services; federated searching and OpenURL; subject guides, information portals, digital collections, search engines and other Web-based resources. The searching skills students acquire will span many disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences and will serve as a foundation for many of their academic courses. Students will also learn basic HTML code which forms the basis of materials published and searched on the World Wide Web. Students' grades will be based on assignments and projects, some of which may be completed in class. In a final project, students will use their search skills and creativity to produce a subject based virtual library Web page.
Marilyn Ochoa is an Assistant University Librarian for UF's Smathers Libraries' H&SSS Reference Department. Marilyn graduated from La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and English. She received her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She currently holds committee appointments with the American Library Association and is researching user behavior in relation to information technologies in libraries. She teaches the Honors course "Research in the Virtual Library" and provides library instruction sessions for other faculty on campus when invited. She can be reached by email at mnochoa@ufl.edu
IDH3931
Ancient Greek Literature and Medicine
Credits: 3
Instructor: Kraut, Bruce
Meeting Time: W 9-11
Meeting Location: HUME 118
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I S
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. The 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. The student will gain an understanding and appreciation of Greek literature as well as of various aspects of ancient medical thought and medical practice. The student is not expected to have any preparation in classical languages or in science and medicine, but each student is expected first and foremost to keep up with the 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.
IDH3931
Leadership Themes in Literature
Credits: 3
Instructor: Mastrodicasa, Jeanna
Meeting Time: R 9-11
Meeting Location: LIT 117
Writing & Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: I S
This course will discuss various lessons about leadership, including roles, development, organizational structure, power, conflict, community, motivation, ethics, and effectiveness. Whether an elected government official, a wise parent or teacher, or merely an individual who caused change, leadership comes from anticipated and unexpected sources utilizing different methods and styles. Any student interested in serving the community in the future in any capacity, whether it is in politics, education, business, philanthropy, or another area, should consider taking this course. The class will vary between lectures and discussions, with the requirement that students participate heavily and sometimes lead the discussions. A very heavy reading schedule will accompany this course, including books such as the Autobiography of Malcolm X, Schindler’s List, and Tuesdays with Morrie. In addition, interactive exercises will also be part of this class. Course requirements will include short reaction papers about the readings, class discussion, a test on leadership concepts, quizzes on the readings, and a final paper on a fiction literature source of the student’s choice. There will be no final examination. In the past, books such as Star Wars, Beloved, Pride and Prejudice, and A Prayer for Owen Meany have been utilized by the students to examine leadership traits of the characters. Students are not expected to have any particular major or background, but enthusiasm, interest, and a desire to lead are all necessities for this course.
Jeanna Mastrodicasa is the Associate Director of the Honors Program at UF. An avid old school hip hop fan, Jeanna enjoys hearing herself pontificate about higher education and many other unrelated topics such as politics, travel, and cooking. She finished her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at UF in spring 2004. While at UF, she has served as the Assistant Dean of Students for Orientation and as an academic advisor/pre-law advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She earned a Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel from the Leadership Studies Unit in the College of Education at the University of Tennessee. She also holds a J.D. and a A.B.J. from the University of Georgia. Interested students can e-mail Jeanna at jmastro@ufl.edu with questions, or can argue the historical significance of the Beastie Boys.
IDH3931
Things to Do with Poems
Credits: 3
Instructor: Murchek, John
Meeting Time: T 7, R 7-8
Meeting Location: HUME 119, HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: H
What’s one to do with poems? In what ways can we attend to them? What kinds of relations can we establish with them? What uses can we find for them? What places might they occupy in our lives? Such are the questions this course invites you to address. And while I suppose that anyone with experience of literary study might rather briskly say that we read poems, interpret them, and write about them, that still leaves the questions I pose barely answered. After all, we attend to poems differently for different purposes: if I read a poem in order to prepare for a class discussion, I read it in minute detail; whereas, if I come upon a poem in The New Yorker, I might start by skimming it, searching for a phrase, an image, or a sound-effect that suggests the poem will reward further attention. Similarly, we may interpret a poem, but to what ends? And, of course, we read and write about poems not only in order to interpret them, but also to evaluate and emulate them. One can use poems to prompt meditation (I.A. Richards famously declared a well-made poem “inexhaustible to meditation”), to trigger critical reflection, or to stimulate creative rejoinders. We will spend the semester reading a wide assortment of poems written in English from the Renaissance to the present. I have not yet selected an anthology, but I suspect we will use the Norton Anthology of Poetry (4th ed.) in either its full or abridged form. We will read both widely and deeply in poetry. So, while numerous new poems will be assigned each week, each student will be assigned a few, and be permitted to choose a few, “companion poems.” Students will be asked to return to these “companion poems” over the course of the semester, to know them thoroughly, to reflect upon them, to write about them on more than one occasion, to try to weave them through the fabric of their daily lives. Alongside the poems, we will read about metrics and versification in order to prepare ourselves to be detailed readers of the poems we encounter. We will also read essays by philosophers, theorists and critics who will help us to think about how to do things with poems. Students will write a number of short essays.
John Murchek received his Ph.D. in English from Brown University in 1993. He taught in the English Department at UF between 1990 and 1999, and has recently returned to the English Department, where his responsibilities as Coordinator of Student Affairs include advising English majors. If you have questions about the course, you can e-mail him at jmurchek@english.ufl.edu.
IDH3931
Ethics: Theory and Practice
Credits: 3
Instructor: Brown, Gayle
Meeting Time: T 11-E2
Meeting Location: HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
The aim of this course is to help students 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 judgements? What principles should we use to decide difficult moral issues? Rachels' book provides a description of the ways in which different moral theories have answered these questions. The second and main part of the course consists of an examination of difficult moral problems such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and affirmative action. 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.
Required Texts:
James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999), third edition.
James E. White, Contemporary Moral Problems (New York: West, 1997), sixth edition.
G.M. Brown was born in the South Pacific in the late 1960s. She traveled widely throughout the United States and Europe in her youth. She spent her undergraduate years at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., graduating in 1991 with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and psychology. She later moved to Gainesville, where she began graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Florida. She received her Ph.D. in philosophy in 1999, specializing in epistemology and metaphysics. That same year, she was named Graduate Student Teacher of the Year. She 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.
IDH3931
Music and Health
Credits: 3
Instructor: Zach, Miriam
Meeting Time: T 6, R 6-7
Meeting Location: MUB 144, MUB 144
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I
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 reseach 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 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.
IDH3931
People of the Pueblos: Prehistory of the American Southwest
Credits: 3
Instructor: Curtis, Matthew
Meeting Time: T 4-5, R 3
Meeting Location: LIT 119, LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: I S
This course surveys the archaeology and early history of Native American cultures of the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Colorado, Southern Utah, and adjacent regions, including Northern Mexico, Baja California, Southeastern California, Southern Nevada, and West Texas). During the first six weeks of the course we will discuss the historic-period Native American cultures of the Southwest from an anthropological perspective, concentrating on aspects of sociopolitical and socioeconomic organization, kinship, and religion. We will focus on the following living/historic cultures: Hopi, Zuni, Taos, Cochiti, Walapai, Yavapai, Havasupai, Mohave, Seri, Mayo, Maricopa, Quechan, Cocopa, Tarahumara/Raramuri, Navaho, and Apache groups. During the last ten weeks of the course we will move back in time, exploring the archaeology of Native American cultures of the Southwest from earliest times to the beginning of the nineteenth century AD. We will examine the major cultural developments and debates concerning the archaeological record, with examples from archaeological sites throughout the Southwest. We will discuss Clovis, Folsom, Archaic, Fremont, Patayan, Hohokam, Mogollon, Sinagua, Casas Grandes, Anasazi, Mimbres, Salado, and other prehistoric culture groups/periods and explore the archaeology of such intriguing sites as Olsen-Chubbuck, Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly, Bandelier, Montezuma Castle, Aztec Ruins, Hovenweep, Snaketown, Grasshopper Pueblo, and Paquime/Casas Grandes, among others. Course requirements include two non-cumulative exams and one short research paper.
Matthew C. Curtis is an anthropological archaeologist and Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Florida with a specialization in later Holocene African archaeology. Curtis received a Bachelor of Arts in cultural anthropology with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1992 and a Master of Arts in anthropology and Certificate in African Studies from the University of Florida in 1995. His research interests include the archaeology of ancient complex societies and urbanism in eastern Africa, regional settlement analysis in archaeology, culture contact and interaction, and cultural resource management and education in Eritrea. Since 1997, Curtis has conducted archeological research in the highlands of Eritrea, northeast Africa. During 1999-2000, Curtis was a Fulbright fellow to Eritrea, served as a lecturer in the University of Asmara Department of Archaeology, and directed the Greater Asmara Regional Archaeological Survey Project (GARASP). Curtis returned to Eritrea in 2001 to co-teach the University of Asmara’s archaeological field school and continue regional archaeologocial research with the University of Asmara and National Museum of Eritrea. He is co-author of a recent Antiquity article (Schmidt and Curtis 2001) concerning regional archaeological investigations and the ancient Ona culture of Eritrea.
IDH3931
Age of the Blockbuster
Credits: 3
Instructor: Peterson, Dana
Meeting Time: T 4-6, R 5
Meeting Location: HUME 119, HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
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 assist disadvantaged students achieve at UF. Please feel free to e-mail your questions to peterson@ufl.edu.
IDH3931
The Tao of Star Trek
Credits: 3
Instructor: Brown, Gayle
Meeting Time: M 11-E2
Meeting Location: HUME 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I
Our general aim in this course is to explore various philosophical issues through the medium of science fiction. We will be spending the semester in the place where philosophy and science fiction intersect. Science fiction affords us an excellent venue for philosophical exploration. Some of the best philosophy is driven by thought-experiments-imaginary scenarios that are designed to illuminate some difficult philosophical question. For example, we might imagine that you and I were to switch brains, or that a transporter mishap results in the fusion of two people into a single person, and then we might ask ourselves what our thoughts about such bizarre circumstances contribute to our understanding of who and what we are.
Philosophy is the exploration of the concepts we employ to understand ourselves and the world around us. We want to examine how we think. Sometimes, upon examination, our pre-theoretical notions turn out to be inadequate. How then shall we respond? What are we to say? Science fiction writers have always looked to philosophy as a fertile source of ideas. Many episodes of the various incarnations of Star Trek are inspired by issues in philosophy, while films such as "A Clockwork Orange," "The Matrix," "12 Monkeys" and others borrow from philosophy in more ways than can easily be counted. Philosophy and science fiction are kindred spirits, for they are both animated by a sense of wonder and by the seemingly limitless possibilities that lie before us.
The course is divided into four main sections: social and political philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of religion and the theory of knowledge. We begin the term with an examination of Starfleet's Prime Directive, which is basically a mandate of non-interference. Philosophers call this view "Cultural Relativism," for it holds that what a given culture says is right is right for that culture. We want to know if it's true that we ought to never interfere with the moral practices of other cultures. We will then move on to an examination of Plato's Republic. We examine a thought experiment posed by a character in the dialogue-imagine that you came across a magical ring that gives you the power to disappear at will. Question: Would you use the ring to suit your own purposes? Sound familiar? This was J.R.R. Tolkien's impetus for The Lord of the Ring trilogy. We will analyze Plato's theory of justice and evaluate his claim that only the philosopher is qualified to rule the state.
The second main part of the course deals with the study of metaphysics. We begin with an analysis of the notion of consciousness. We want to know if it is possible to prove that another being is conscious-a central question in the debate about artificial intelligence. Next, we will take up the issue of personal identity: Am I one and the same person that I was 10 years ago? Do persons persist over time? If a duplicate of me were created through a transporter mishap, would I still be me? We will also explore the implications of personal identity for evaluating our common-sense conception of morality. For example, consider a case in which two separate individuals are "fused" into a single person. Suppose, further, that authorities discover a way to reverse the fusion process thus restoring the two original persons, but the procedure would kill the newly created person. The question is whether it is morally permissible to go through with the separation procedure. We will then turn to the classical problem of freedom of the will. Do we really possess free will? Is free will compatible with scientific determinism? Is free will compatible with the existence of an omniscient God?
The third part of the course deals with issues in the philosophy of religion. We will examine two of the classical arguments for the existence of God, the Ontological Argument and the Argument from Design. Our question is this: Is reason capable of establishing the existence of God? Next, we will turn to the problem of evil: Why would a supremely perfect, all-loving God allow pain and suffering to exist in the world?
The fourth and final part of the class deals with issues in the theory of knowledge. We will examine Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, where Descartes proposes his famous Dream Argument. How do you know you are not currently dreaming? In contemporary terms, how do you know that you are not currently trapped in virtual reality? How do you know you are not in the position of Keanu Reeves from the movie The Matrix-that is, how do you know that you are living in the "real world" and not simply a body stuck in a vat of nutrients being fed information making it seem to you as though you are living in the real world? We will take a look at George Berkeley's response to these sorts of worries. Berkeley argues that there is no such thing as an "independently existing material world." He thinks everything that exists is simply and idea in the mind of God. Berkeley's view seems disturbing. It is disturbing to be told your spouse is merely an "idea" in the mind of God. Our question is this: Are there any non-arbitrary reasons to prefer living in the "real world" over and about some phenomenologically indistinguishable world? Finally, we will examine David Hume's skeptical solution to the problem of skepticism. Hume argues that we really don't know much of what we ordinarily take our selves to know. He claims we don't even know whether the sun will rise tomorrow. Our question is this: Could Hume possibly be right?
Grades for the course will be based on a series of take-home essay exams. There will be no mid-term or final. The books for the course will be available at Gator Textbooks.
Required Texts:
Daniel Kolak, Questioning Matters (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 2000).
Plato, Republic (G.M.A. Grubs, trans., Indianapolis: Hackett, 1992).
G.M. Brown was born in the South Pacific in the late 1960s. She traveled widely throughout the United States and Europe in her youth. She spent her undergraduate years at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., graduating in 1991 with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and psychology. She later moved to Gainesville, where she began graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Florida. She received her Ph.D. in philosophy in 1999, specializing in epistemology and metaphysics. That same year, she was named Graduate Student Teacher of the Year. She 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.
IDH3931
African Pop Culture
Credits: 03
Instructor: McLaughlin, Fiona
Meeting Time: T 4, R 4-5
Meeting Location: LIT 117, NSC 227
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H I
This course will examine popular forms of contemporary African cultural expression and how they reflect people's views on topics that range from political oppression and economic crises to religion and gender within an increasingly globalized postcolonial context. The course will have a special focus on popular Islamic religious expression in Africa, and will be taught in conjunction with the Harn Museum exhibit, " A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal." Genres to be studied include music and dance, fashion, popular painting, literature, and film, as well as mixed fonns that defy categorization. Students will become familiar with theoretical approaches to popular culture and modernity, especially Islamic modernity, and will engage in critical thinking about problematic terms such as 'popular,' 'traditional,' and 'modem,' especially with regard to the study of African and Islam. If there is enough interest, we will organize a two-week long study abroad trip to Senegal as soon as the semester ends.Students will be required to write three critical papers of 8-10 pages in length over the course of the semester. There will be no exam. Please note: This course is being taught in conjunction with the Ham Museum exhibit, " ASaint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal." This is a unique opportunity to take a close look at the popular dynamics of a contemporary Muslim society.Depending on student interest, there will be an additional study abroad in Senegal component to the course.
Dr. Fiona McLaughlin (PhD in Linguistics, University of Texas at Austin, 1992) is Associate Professor of African Languages and Linguistics at the University of Florida. She has worked extensively in west Africa, spending approximately five years teaching and doing research in Senegal. She has taught at the Gaston Berger University in Saint- Louis, Senegal, and was a Fulbright professor at the Abdou Moumouni Dioffo University in Niamey, Niger. In addition to working on the morphology and phonology of Senegalese languages and the sociolinguistics of urban Africa, she is also very interested in Islam and popular culture in Africa and has published articles on Islam and popular music in Senegal. These include "Islam and Popular Music in Senegal: The Emergence of a 'New Tradition."' Africa 67(4):560-581. [1997]; and "'In the name of God I will sing again, Mawdo Malik the good': Popular music and the Senegalese Sufi tariqas." Journal of Religion in Africa, 30(2):191-207. [2002]. She is currently completing an article entitled "Youssou N'Dour's Egypt: a musical experiment in (supra)local Islam."
IDH3931
Global Environment
Credits: 03
Instructor: Nation, James
Meeting Time: T 3-4, R 4
Meeting Location: HUME 118, HUME 118
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
The focus of the course is on scientific explanations that lead to understanding environmental problems, as well as understanding some of the procedures that are used to obtain environmental data. The approach fosters a global environmental outlook. Students are required to write a short 1-2 page paper in the first month about a local environmental issue in their hometown. During the second month they write a slightly longer paper about a Florida environmental issue. During the third month they write a 8-10 page paper on a world-wide environmental issue, which may also have local and state relevance. Each student is expected to read one book, on an environmental problem and make a written and oral report to the class. There is a midterm exam and a non-cumulative final exam. Grades are based on the papers, oral reports, exams, and participation in class.
James Nation has taught at the University of Florida since 1960, and is currently a professor in the Department of Entomology &Nematology. He has taught in Zoology (general animal physiology and core biological sciences) and in Entomology & Nematology, and currently teaches a graduate course in the physiology and biochemistry of insects.
IDH3931
Rocking the Epic
Credits: 03
Instructor: McDougall, James
Meeting Time: T 6-7, R 6
Meeting Location: LIT 119, LIT 119
Writing & Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H I
This course will explore the world of critical theory in general, and cultural studies in particular. The course will focus on assessing two events in American Culture: the concept album and twentieth century “long poem.” Our entry into the class will be 1922, the year of the Wasteland, and it will end in 1986 with the concept album and film True Stories. The class will focus around ways these different musical, and literary texts generate meaning and their relevance to the political, economic, social, and religious significance of their moment in history, and what they say to us now. We will also look at critical interventions that look to understand not only the meaning within a test, but also the meanings inherent in cultural production itself. In the process of leaning different approaches to Cultural Studies methodology we will evaluate the literary texts of Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, John Berryman, HD, Allen Ginsberg, and Vikram Set. We will then juxtapose these documents of “High Culture” with the literary aspects of “Low Culture” (i.e. the concept album). The juxtaposition of these two cultural products reveals not only issues of content and form, but also the difficulty in assigning meaning to aesthetical judgments. Such indeterminacy returns us to the importance of cultural studies as a way of exploring the world of culture.
James McDougall is a PhD. student in the department of English who specializes in international modernism, twentieth century poetry, and postcolonial theory. He is writing a dissertation on “Orientalism in Modernism.” Currently, he is a junior editor for the journal Early Medieval China. He is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served two years in China. In the recent past he has worked as a technical editor for an HF Radio company, an ESL instructor in Korea, a tree planter in northern Ontario, and a sailor on the Mediterranean and Great Lakes. In addition to playing bagpipes, and guitar, he spends his spare time working on a novel Our Lonely Days of Revolution.
IDH4715
Professional Development Strategies
Credits: 1
Instructor: Barnes, Fiona and Kellie Roberts
Meeting Time: M 5, W 5
Meeting Location: LIT 117, LIT 117
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
This S/U course will help you identify and targest scholarships and fellowships among the myriad available to undergraduate students. It will also provide you with opportunities to perform a variety of self-assessments, including the Myers-Briggs test, so that you may identify your own strengths, weaknesses and motivations in applying for these scholarships and awards. In particular, this course aims to help you compete for the most prestigious career-making scholarships, helping you to determine the activities, and ideas you should pursue during your undergraduate years to make you a highly-attractive candidate for lucrative, high-profile scholarships and awards. The course will address the criteria evaluators use in screening applicants and the kinds of on-campus and community-wide activities that tend to make you an appealing candidate. We will also focus on writing resumes/cvs, research and personal statements, integral to the fellowships/scholarship search, as well as to job searches and applications to prestigious graduate programs. We will end by focusing on oral communication skills needed in the interview and social settings. Students interested in taking this course must send an email to Jeanna Mastrodicasa at jmastro@ufl.edu and explain which scholarship(s) you will apply for. This course is not designed for students simply applying to law, medical, or graduate school; it is for students who are seriously preparing to apply for one of the prestigous national scholarships. The class is limited to 15 students, and will be prioritized based on the immediacy of the application (e.g., Spring 2005 is best for students applying for Rhodes, Marshall, Churchill, and Gates-Cambridge awards in early fall as seniors) and the caliber of the student's academic and extracurricular experiences. Students will be added to the course shortly before Spring semester begins.
Fiona Barnes is the Director of Business Communication in the Warrington College of Business’s MBA Program, and Kellie Roberts is the Interim Director for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. Together they have taught the courses Speaking and Writing for Engineers, Speaking and Writing for Premed Honors Students, and Professional Communication for Business Graduate Students. They believe that effective communication is the foundation for success in the professional world, and have developed a number of successful courses in a variety of disciplines based on this premise.
IDH4905
Individual Work
Credits: VAR
Instructor: Staff
Meeting Time:
Meeting Location:
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
Your project cannot duplicate a regularly offered course in the UF curriculum. You may use this course for elective credit. You will receive credit for IDH 4905, "Honors Individual Work" on your transcript if you undertake an independent project but do not participate in any documented research. You can get the application form in the Honors Office, 140 Tigert Hall, or on the Honors webpage, www.honors.ufl.edu.
IDH4917
Undergraduate Research
Credits: VAR
Instructor: Staff
Meeting Time:
Meeting Location:
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
If you have found a faculty member who is willing to do a research project with you, you may sign up for this course. For approval you will need to provide a cogent plan of study and a faculty signature indicating approval of your course of study. Your project cannot duplicate a regularly offered course in the UF curriculum. You may use this course for elective credit. You will receive credit for IDH 4917, "Honors Undergraduate Research" if your project involves research. You can get the application form in the Honors Office, 140 Tigert Hall, or on the Honors webpage, www.honors.ufl.edu. Note: For a list of UF faculty who have research opportunities for undergraduates, please consult the Undergraduate Research Database on the Honors Program world wide web page at http://www.honors.ufl.edu/researchdatabase.html. Faculty are under no obligation to work with you or employ you under their grant. With perseverance you may find someone who is willing to have you get involved.
IDH4932
Honors Tutorial for the CHM2047 course
Credits: 01
Instructor: Duran, Randy
Meeting Time: TO ARRANGE
Meeting Location:
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
This course is designed to give for students in CHM2047 an integrated and personalized follow-up experience in an area related to chemistry, often multidisciplinary, that they show strength and interest in. The tutorial is typically a set of one-on-one, regularly scheduled meetings with a faculty member to investigate a specialized topic or theme. Dr. Duran coordinates this course, but participating students work with a variety of faculty from different departments; recent examples include chemistry and science journalism, chemistry and HIV, and chemistry and K-12 science education.
Dr. Randy Duran is a professor in the Chemistry Department, an Honors Program science and engineering advisor, and director of UF's beckman Scholars program. He received his Ph.D. from the University Loius Pasteur , Strasbourg France in 1987.
IDH4940
Internship
Credits: VAR
Instructor: Your internship supervisor
Meeting Time: TO ARRANGE
Meeting Location:
Writing & Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
For information about the benefit of internships and how to find them, go to the Career Resources web page at http://www.crc.ufl.edu. That office will also be able to help you find information regarding internships in the Gainesville area. You should also check the Honors home page at http://www.honors.ufl.edu for more information. In the past, students have worked for a local legislator, shadowed a doctor, or interned in a variety of other locations. You can obtain the application for this credit in 140 Tigert Hall or on the Honors home page in the Internship section.