Spring 2006
Principles of Food and Resource Economics
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0628 | Evan Drummond |
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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.
Politics, Law, and Inequality in Modern South Africa
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 9124 | Todd Leedy and Hunt Davis |
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This course is also listed as HIS3931, section 4349.
A dramatic transition took place in the course of South African politics in 1994 when that country's first democratic election elevated Nelson Mandela to the presidency and elected a parliament with an African majority. Thus ended the system of apartheid and the eras of conquest and segregation that had preceded it. The white minority that had dominated the country for its own benefit no were longer in control.
Yet though the old political system of inequality had disappeared, a legacy of inequality remained in the social, economic, and cultural spheres of South African life as well as in the legal realm. And new inequalities have appeared in the intervening years. The course will focus on the issue of inequality in modern South Africa, both past and present, and how the inequalities of the past continue to affect the present.
The approach will be an interdisciplinary one, with students reading works of literature, history, and political science. The format for the course will be that of a seminar, and the work for the course will consist of reading, discussion, and several short papers and one major paper. The course is being taught in conjunction with a major conference that the Center for African Studies is holding in early March 2006, under the title of "Law Politics, Culture, and Society in South Africa: The Politics of Inequality Then and Now." Students will have an opportunity to interact with conference participants and consult them about their research papers.
For further information about the course, contact either Dr. Todd Leedy (leedy@africa.ufl.edu) or Dr. Hunt Davis (hdavis@cns.ufl.edu).
Todd Leedy (Ph.D. History, University of Florida, 2000) is Assistant Director and Lecturer in the Center for African Studies. He completed his B.A. (honors) and M.A. degrees at Michigan State University. During his undergraduate training, he spent an academic year at the University of Zimbabwe which provided the motivation for his research on the intersection of religion and politics with agricultural improvement schemes. Leedy received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support his fieldwork in Zimbabwe during 1997-98. He presently coordinates the UF study abroad programs in Botswana and Tanzania. In 2005, he developed the first Lombardi Scholar summer enrichment program in South Africa with cooperation from the UF Honors Program.
R. Hunt Davis, Jr. (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) is Professor Emeritus of History and African Studies. Over the span of his long academic career at UF he has taught a wide range of African History and African Studies courses, but his special focus from the start has been South Africa. In 1999, he was a visiting Fulbright Professor of History at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and he has visited the country almost every year since then. He has written extensively about the South African past and present.
Biology and Natural History of Fireflies
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2262 | James E. Lloyd |
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NOTE: This class is located in the Entomology Building on Natural Area Drive near the Performing Arts Center. Please plan accordingly.
This course views the biology/natural history of an interesting family of beetles to present major aspects of organismic biology, including techniques and philosophy, and gives experience in field and lab with useful procedures in biology and natural history, and methods in biology instruction. Studies includes field identification, observation, and quantification of firefly signals; flash signal recording and analysis; basic electronics with circuit development and manufacture; collection and recognition of human and livestock parasites “whose” hosts firefly larvae prey upon; and museum practice including collecting and curating, and the use and development of identification keys.
The primary text is a firefly manual by the Prof, which is a collection of essays and field and lab-project texts and directions, and is distributed over the semester as required. Students purchase a "fireflyer's kit" as described on the first day of class. The kit includes an introductory field guide to insects, stop watch, thermometer, micro-pen, head lamp, and pen light. There will be afternoon and nocturnal field trips, an optional overnight weekend camping expedition, and other weekend trips, if appropriate. Attendance is required on about five evening field trips during the semester.
Final grade will take into account: attendance and punctuality; 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 subjects to be announced. Each student will have a portfolio in the Prof's lab, where quizzes, tests, term papers, and miscellaneous items are accumulated. At the end of the semester the Prof. will evaluate the portfolios for industry in and quality of scholarship, and will subjectively assign a grade. But, note, to quote from the student evaluation by one fireflyer, “Dr. Lloyd kicks ass.”
James E. Lloyd is a graduate of SUNY at Fredonia, University of Michigan, and Cornell University. He served four years in the US Navy as an electronic technician in a patrol squadron. He joined the UF faculty in 1966 and currently is Professor Emeritus of Entomology and Nematology. During his tenure at UF he has taught several undergraduate and graduate courses and served on the graduate committees of some 50 graduate students. He has studied fireflies in the field for 43 years in North America, Jamaica, southern Mexico, Thailand, Colombia, and New Guinea, and has published about 100 scientific papers and book chapters, and about 50 book reviews and editorials; has given 90 invited lectures at universities in the US and elsewhere; organized and edited several published symposia on behavioral ecology; identified about 15,000 preserved firefly research specimens for museums and other institutions and individuals; and his photographs of fireflies and other insects appear widely in text books and magazines. Prof. Lloyd has for several years been preparing a natural history/taxonomic monograph on fireflies, a study manual for firefly natural history/biology courses, and a field guide to North American fireflies.
E. coli, Vibrios and Other Good Foods to Enjoy
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6260 | Gary Rodrick |
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Food safety! Something that is on everyone’s list of major concerns. Topics such as the safety of genetically engineered foods, irradiated foods, mad cow disease, food additives, and food labeling issues will be addressed. In a post-9/11 world issues of food bioterrorism are relevant. The overall objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of current issues of public health importance in the fields of food science technology and food safety.
Requirements: Students will be expected to present several short presentations (20 minutes) and lead discussions on the topics.
Gary Rodrick is a professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition. He has been at UF since 1987 and was previously with the College of Medicine at USF. He has done extensive research on oyster and clam processing and other aspects of food safety. He is co-editor of Current Issues in Food Processing, and an avid pick-up basketball player.
Half the Horsemen
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4569 | Evan Drummond |
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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.
Honors History of the American Presidency
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3829 | David Colburn |
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Prerequisite: 3 hours of history
This course provides students with a historical introduction to the American Presidency. Special attention is given to the vision of the Founding Fathers for the office, the evolution of the office in the 19th and 20th centuries, and changing public expectations of the office and the people who hold it. The course is arranged both topically and chronologically so that students develop a broad perspective on the office and its increasing prominence nationally and internationally. Topics include: the role of the president in domestic and foreign affairs, the establishment of the party system, presidential campaigning, including the campaign leading up to the election of 2000, the relations between the president and the media, and the president and the legislature. Students are encouraged to take an active role in each class through dialogue, questions, and debate.
Dr. David Colburn is professor of history, director of the Reubin Askew Institute on Politics and Society, and provost and senior vice president emeritus. He is author or editor of thirteen books on politics, race and ethnicity in American society. He is currently a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians and has spoken widely in the United States and Europe. He has twice been named teacher of the year and also named outstanding graduate teacher in the history department. He contributes columns on a regular basis to the Orlando Sentinel on state and national politics.
Introduction to World Archaeology
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4744 | Staff |
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The global study of human culture from its origins to the present through the recovery, description, and analysis of archaeological remains.
Anthropology of Modern Africa
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6289 | Anita Spring |
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This course studies African cultures, focusing on rural and urban societies in the modern period in terms of contemporary problems and trends. The course covers the following topics:
• Conceptions and misconceptions about Africa
• Classification schemes old and new (geographic, Africanity, civilizations, triple heritage)
• Kinship and family
• Rural and urban economies
• Environment and natural resource management
• Gender issues, women in development
• Religious and philosophical systems
• Ethnic conflict and the new states
• Bureaucracies and corruption
• Refugees, human rights
• South Africa: end of apartheid and contemporary problems
• Health, sexuality, HIV/AIDS
• Entrepreneurship and business
• Interconectivity and gloablization
To benefit from this course, it is necessary that students become fully involved in it. The course will be taught using multimedia techniques, lectures, audiovisual materials, and student participation. The reading assignments are an integral part of the course and should be completed before coming to class.
Anita Spring is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. For information about her professional experience and research interests, please see her website at http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/aspring/.
Introduction to Forensic Science
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4503 | Jason Byrd |
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This course addresses the various disciplines within the forensic sciences. Specifically, this course will focus on the application of the medical and natural sciences to forensics. The development of the medical examiner, coroner, and crime laboratory systems within the United States will be discussed as well as the scientific and non-scientific methods used to establish human identity, and the pathological conditions commonly found in forensic casework. This is a three-credit course designed to familiarize the student with the application of science to law and the courtroom.
Dr. Byrd is a Board-Certified Forensic Entomologist and is a past Chairman of the American Board of Forensic Entomology. He has conducted over 100 workshops specializing in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. He has published numerous scientific articles on the subject of forensic entomology, and has also published two books dealing with the use of insects in legal investigations.
Cosmology
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8122 | Stephen Gottesman |
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Cosmology is the study of everything, the science of matter on its largest and smallest scales. We will be concerned with questions about how the universe began, how it is evolving and how it will end. These are questions that have fascinated our ancient ancestors since they first looked at the starry firmament and recorded celestial phenomena. Great schools of philosophy and religion have incorporated cosmology in their speculations and explanations.
The modern era may be dated from Copernicus and set on a quantifiable course by Isaac Newton. Indeed, scientific cosmology in its most contemporary form is only slightly more than a century old. Our questions have left the realm of mythology and spiritual allegory. Modern methods and techniques have brought cosmology into the mainstream of astronomy and astrophysics and may enable us to answer those basic 'how, when, where' concerns. Our explications encompass great distances and time scales incorporating the very small into the very large. Our frontiers have advanced so rapidly since the second world war that this has been called the Golden Age of Cosmology. Some astrophysicists hope we can develop a theory of everything.
We will follow an essentially historical path to see how our understanding has grown and how developing technologies have enabled new and often unexpected knowledge. Our text is Conversational Cosmology, a manuscript written for this course by the late Professor Henry Kandrup. It is available from Target Copy.
Stephen Gottesman is a Professor of Astronomy. He trained as a radio astronomer at the University of Manchester in England. He has special interests in the properties of galaxies and their dynamics, structure and the extent of their dark matter. He has published extensively on these topics. Professor Gottesman has also taught Life in the Universe as a course in the Honors Program. In addition, he is a past chairman of the Department of Astronomy. If students have any questions concerning the course or the instructor, they are encouraged to e-mail Dr. Gottesman (gott@astro.ufl.edu).
History of Astronomy
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I, P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8129 | Haywood Smith |
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This course traces the development of astronomy from prehistoric beginnings through the Newtonian period. It includes the principal course of development from the Babylonians and the Greeks through Islamic astronomy to the Western Europeans. We will also briefly consider astronomy outside the mainstream, including the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Inca, and the Maya. The course necessarily includes some of the science of astronomy but is intended for non-science majors.
Haywood C. Smith, Jr., is an associate professor in the Department of Astronomy. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1972. His specialities are development of calibration methods for distance using trigonometric parallaxes.
Beginning Chinese 2
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3873 | Cynthia H. Shen |
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Prerequisite: CHI 1130 (grade of C or better, or S), or the equivalent
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.
Cynthia Hsien Shen is a native Chinese speaker. She grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She was awarded a B.A. degree from National Taiwan University. She pursued her graduate studies in the U.S. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Cornell University. She taught and served in various positions at the Gainesville Chinese School before she joined the Department of African & Asian Languages and Literatures as a lecturer.
Honors General Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7201 | Gardiner Myers |
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Corequisite: CHM 2046L. CHM 2051 is an Honors alternate to CHM 2046.
This course 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 that 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 a 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.
One-Semester Organic Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0779 | Nigel Richards |
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Prereq: CHM 2046, CHM 2047 or CHM 2051; CHM 2046L or CHM 2047L, or permission of instructor. Please contact Dr. Keaffaber in the chemistry department (Flint Hall room 251, jjk@chem.ufl.edu) if you would like to register.
CHM3217 is a relatively small class that focuses on problem solving based upon understanding of structure and reaction mechanisms. This course is the first part of a CHM 3217-3218 organic/biochemistry class. These two classes together satisfy both organic chemistry and biochemistry requirements for CLAS, IDS, and microbiology majors. It is not accepted by food science or pharmacy. It is accepted by the Junior Honors Medical Program, most Medical schools (State of Florida, Harvard, Chicago, Hopkins, etc.), graduate programs, Vet school, and Dental schools, except the Dental school at the University of Florida.
Nigel Richards is a professor in the Chemistry Department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.
Bioorganic Chemistry
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3523 | Jon D. Stewart |
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Prereq: CHM 3217 or CHM 2211, or permission of instructor.
An introduction to the basic concepts of biochemistry and molecular biology from the structural and mechanistic perspective of organic chemistry.
Jon Stewart is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry. For information about his research interests, please see his website: http://www.chem.ufl.edu/~jds2/.
Survey of Roman Literature
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4516 | Jennifer Rea |
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How do stories of fratricide, criminality, and immigration shape the Romans' sense of self-identity? What do tales of madness, slavery, and torture tell us about the Roman attitudes towards life, love, and death? What makes Roman literature distinctly Roman? Over the course of the semester, we will explore the answers to these and other questions by examining Roman poetry, history, satire, drama and oratory, and we will discuss the political and social development of the Roman people. This class is designed to cultivate your critical thinking abilities; particularly in the area of literary analysis, and to develop your skills as an expository prose writer. The course requirements will include regular attendance, willingness to participate in class discussions, three in-class exams and one paper.
Jennifer A. Rea is an Assistant Professor of Classics at UF. She received her Ph.D. in Classical Philology from the University of Wisconsin and her M.A. from Indiana University. Her areas of specialty are Augustan Age Literature and Roman Topography. She is currently writing a manuscript on community and cultural identity in Augustan Rome.
Ancient Greek Medicine and Literature
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2373 | Bruce Kraut |
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Ancient Greece, the birthplace of western civilization, gave us a foundation not only for democracy, law, mathematics and literature, but also for medicine. The medical treatises of Hippocrates offer a unique perspective on the emergence of rational medicine and are just now being fully appreciated as the great milestones of human thought which they represent. The literature of ancient Greece teems with material on death, disease, healing, and the human condition. The Hippocratic corpus helps to shed new light on these texts. This course will review some of the great literary works of ancient Greece, beginning with Homer, Hesiod, and Herodotus, then focusing on the fifth century B.C.E. (the Golden Age) with the dramas of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Students will also be provided with numerous excerpts from other contemporary writers, including dramatists, philosophers and historians. Our discussions will navigate back and forth between the works of these literary masters and the medical treatises in elucidating ancient perspectives on health, philosophy and life.
Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of Greek literature as well as of various aspects of ancient medical thought and medical practice. There's no need to have any preparation in classical languages or in science and medicine, but each student is expected first and foremost to keep up with reading assignments and also to participate fully in class discussions. There will be periodic short presentations by each student based on material from the readings and a term paper of the student's choice at the end of the course.
Bruce Kraut received his Ph.D. in Classical Philology from Princeton University and his M.D. from Emory University. He is a former Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Georgia and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Classics at the University of Florida and a Pediatrician in private practice. His special interests include Greek drama, Greek papyri, and ancient medicine.
Politics in Russia
Writing or Math Req: W - 4000
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8074 | Bryon Moraski |
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Prerequisite: CPO 2001 or POT 4414
What happens to a global superpower once it collapses? How does a European backwater become a global superpower in the first place? What will it take for democracy to take root in a country, like Russia, with such a long history of authoritarian and totalitarian rule?
As the core of the former Soviet Union, current problems in Russia highlight the various economic, political, and social difficulties that have accompanied transitions from Soviet rule. While Russia had made more progress toward establishing a democratic political system and a capitalist economy than several other Soviet republics during the 1990s, economic and political freedoms are currently in decline. This outcome highlights how much more difficult Russia's transition from communism has been than the transitions in many other post-communist states in Eastern Europe--including the three post-Soviet states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The course begins with an introduction to Soviet-era politics, the major political and social events that occurred during Soviet rule, and the economic and political reforms under Gorbachev. Following a discussion of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the course reviews the initial struggle for power in post-Soviet Russia and the continuing evolution of its political institutions. After establishing the framework in which Russian politics operates, the course addresses the various political issues facing post-Soviet Russia today as well as the governmental policies meant to address these issues.
Dr. Bryon Moraski is an Assistant Professor of Political Science. His specialty is politics in the former Soviet Union and he conducts research in Russia on a regular basis. The core focus of his research is the relationship between political institutions and political behavior, especially strategic relations between branches of government and the influence of short-term electoral incentives on the prospects for democratic consolidation. His first book, Elections by Design: Parties and Patronage in Russia's Regions, examines the politics behind the choice of subnational parliamentary electoral systems in Russia and provides new insight into factors that have shaped the current state of Russian federalism.
Fiction Writing
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2269 | Staff |
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Prerequisite: CRW 1101
This course will continue instruction in basic techniques of voice, plot and character, while also introducing advanced ones. Students read a lot of good stories and write a few themselves. Samuel Johnson said, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money." Juniors or seniors who have not taken CRW1101 or 1301 must have strong composition skills.
Poetry Writing
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1644 | Staff |
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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, "I can explain all the poems that ever were invented--and a good many that haven't been invented just yet."
Urban Economics
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7112 | David Denslow |
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Prerequisites: ECO and ES majors with ECO 2013 and ECO 2023, or B or better in ECO 2013 and ECO 2023
The course will consider the economics of various urban issues including housing, transportation, taxes, infrastructure, and schools. A standard text (yet to be selected) will be used, and a paper will be required. Below is a link to a typical course in urban economics, the one at Brown, which will give you an idea of the topics covered. But we’ll rely more on a text and less on articles.
http://www.econ.brown.edu/faculty/henderson/courses/ec241.pdf
Dr. David Denslow, Jr., Economic Analysis Program Director in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research and Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Economics, is best known at the University of Florida as the effective and popular professor of the televised course Basic Macroeconomics.
Introduction to Education
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6793 | Jeff Hurt |
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This course is intended to be an introductory exploration of the PreK-12 teaching profession. It presents issues and conditions currently relevant to teachers and the teaching profession, and examines standard practices, teaching environments, professional obligations and requirements, qualifications for entrance into the profession, certification, legal aspects of the profession, alternative and innovative programs, non-teaching educational positions, and the future of education. Students will participate in a variety of activities, including researching "current issue" topics, such as grades, classroom discipline, teacher tenure and promotion, extra-curricular activities and homework. As part of the requirements for successful completion of the course, all students will complete a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer work in a PreK-12 school system.
Dr. Jeff Hurt has been teaching for 35 years. He has been on the College of Education faculty at the University of Florida since 1985. He has experience in teaching and/or supervision at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. He has degrees in English Education, Social Science Education, Library and Information Science, and Educational Technology and Communication.
Speaking and Writing for Engineers
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8075 | Creed Greer |
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Note: This course will substitute for ENC 2210, Technical Writing.
This course has been expressly designed for engineering students to equip them for speaking and writing assignments associated with undergraduate coursework and careers in the field of engineering. Students will learn valuable techniques and tools that will help them become effective communicators of technical material, capable of organizing and expressing ideas to satisfy the demands of both general and specialist audiences. Writing and speaking assignments will mirror actual tasks in school and in the field. In the process, students will learn how to become critical evaluators of their own communication skills by commenting on and evaluating the spoken and written work of peers in class. The primary writing assignments include a résumé and a cover letter, a procedural manual, and a final team design proposal. Oral assignments include an interview supporting the cover letter and résumé, a presentation of the team proposal, and role-playing as peer reviewers of other team projects.
Creed Greer is Associate Program Director and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1989. Dr. Greer's specialties include professional and technical communication, composition, and recent literary theory. Since joining the Dial Center in 1995, he has conducted research in and developed disciplinary writing courses for undergraduate and graduate-level work in law, engineering, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and business administration.
Speaking and Writing for Premed Students
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2524 | Mickey Schafer and Christa Arnold |
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Medical professionals have a special obligation to communicate without ambiguity, either in the written or spoken word; they depend on their communication skills to interact productively with other medical experts, their colleagues, clients and their families, and the public at large. This team-taught course will provide students with the opportunity to participate in a range of activities: researching, processing, and sharing medical information with others. Students will learn to do research using medical databases and other research tools, as well as discovering how best to organize and present their findings to other medical professionals or patients. The physician must often act as intermediary between the specialized world of scientific research and the more pragmatic world of the general public; consequently, we will also investigate how best to present technical medical information to the layperson. This course is predicated on the idea that the ability to write and speak clearly are learned skills, not innate talents, which means that better communication can be learned by practice. Students will experiment with a range of communication strategies in class: lectures will be followed by focused written and oral activities that allow students to put theory and strategies into practice. We will read and dissect examples of both good and bad writing in order to learn from them, in addition to examining several types of medical writings: written patient instructions, technical/research papers, case reports, and patient records. Students will also participate in a variety of speaking assignments in class, ranging from impromptu to prepared presentations. We will discuss techniques for improving public speaking, interviewing and listening skills, and patient-doctor communication.
Christa L. Arnold, Ph. D. and Mickey Schafer, Ph.D. are faculty members in the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. Dr. Arnold's past positions include Assistant Professor in Speech Communication at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She has taught over ten different communication courses on the collegiate level but specializes in public address courses. Dr. Arnold has over 40 International, National, and Regional competitive research papers with several winning top paper awards. Her research in the area of Speech Communication includes publications in International, National, and Regional journals. Dr. Arnold also has skills in Forensics, having competed in Speech and Debate, as well as having coached Forensics teams. She has also been nominated to Americas Outstanding Names and Faces. Dr. Schafers background is in linguistics, applied and theoretical. Her specialities include medical professional communication, cross-cultural communication, and composition for professionals in various fields.
Writing for Prelaw Students
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2530 | Creed Greer |
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It is no exaggeration to say that in courts of law people's lives depend on the character of words. It is also true that the livelihood of lawyers depends on their ability to put language to its most productive ends. It is with these ideas that we take up the subject of writing and law. Lawyers are notorious for producing impenetrable documents. On the other hand, some of the most eloquent writing about our society has been set down by attorneys and judges. Our job will be to learn what we can from those well-stated arguments and opinions and to avoid what makes legal writing so notoriously difficult to read. This course is designed to be, in large part, a practical workshop on the most common forms of legal writing. It is also a consideration of the character of legal communication in general. To these ends, we will write three documents: a legal brief, a legal memorandum, and an analytical essay. In writing the first two, we will become familiar with legal research and law library resources. In the analytical essay we will examine how common perceptions of legal institutions are played out in popular venues, such as film or theater, as well as in the media. In all of the writing we will develop the rhetorical skills of argument and persuasion while mastering the basic elements of style. Several field trips, including at least one to the county court and one to the law school's moot court, will show how speaking is integral to this discipline. Hence, our course also has an oral communications component wherein students will learn the basic skills of legal debate.
Creed Greer is Associate Program Director and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities for the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 1989. Dr. Greer's specialties include professional and technical communication, composition, and recent literary theory. Since joining the Dial Center in 1995, he has conducted research in and developed disciplinary writing courses for undergraduate and graduate-level work in law, engineering, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and business administration.
Advanced Exposition
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2446 | Marie Nelson |
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Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and two 1000- or 2000-level English courses
Expository writing is the kind of writing that explains, that lays it out so the reader can understand it. In this version of ENC 3310 the “it” that serves as a source for writing possibilities takes a variety of forms, all of which have to do with language, human and otherwise. Writing about Language, a single required text to be made available at University Copy and More, presents topics that 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 social contexts. Selections included within chapters are taken from sources as diverse as Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct, 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, Gerald Graff’s Clueless in Academe, Newsweek “My Turn” essays, and Bob Thaves’ “Frank and Ernest” series.
This is the plan: Each of the twelve WL chapters ends with a short list of Writing Possibilities. You will be asked to choose one possibility from each list (or a possibility we add as we go along), write up your response, and turn it in. These responses will be promptly returned to you. You will also be writing two papers. The first, which will be due around the middle of the term, will be a further development of a Writing Possibility response from one of the first six WL chapters. The second, due at the end of the term, will be a further development of a topic introduced in WL chapters 7-12. 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 Writing Possibility responses, on the two papers, and on your general readiness to participate in the work of the class.
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.
Artists Who Work in Several Media
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8120 | Sidney Homan |
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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 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 Mr. 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 two plays he will be directing at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre spring semester: Suckerfish, by W. T. Underwood, about the encounter between a homeless man and a business executive who has just had a car accident--the play calling up Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Albee's Zoo Story; and John Cech's stage adaptation of Majorie Kinnan Rawlings's The Secret River, about a little girl who, through magical adventures in the forest, restores the depressed town of Cross Creek to prosperity. Students will attend some rehearsals, serve as "assistant directors," and assist in other aspects of the production.
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.
Sidney Homan is at home both on the campus and the stage. Several times an award-winning teacher, he is the author of nine books on Shakespeare and the modern theatre, where his interests range from metadramatic to performance criticism, from the ways in which the "triple play" can be executed from study to stage to classroom, to accounts of his own experience as actor and director in professional, experimental, and university theatres. On stage he has directed works as wide-ranging as The Comedy of Errors, Bogosian's Talk Radio, Stoppard's Dirty Linen / New-Found-Land, Brecht's Galileo, Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others, Pinter's No Man's Land, and even a production of The Merry Wives of Windsor in China.
He took his B.A. from Princeton University in 1960, and his M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. in English (1965) from Harvard University.
Pop Music and Cultural Perspectives
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2003 | Timothy Fik |
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|
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.
Intensive Beginning German 2
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: None
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2343 | Christina Overstreet |
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|
Prerequisite: GER 1130 (grade of C or better, or S), or the equivalent
This is a technology-driven language course. Your materials, texts, exercises, homework, quizzes, and tests are provided in form of web pages. This not only saves you money, but 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 a computer lab. During class time, we will work together to discover both the German language and the culture of its native speakers. We will engage in meaningful activities on-line 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 how to appropriately use language in specific situations. The teaching and learning resources are provided by WebCT.
Christina Overstreet, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Department of Germanic and Slavic studies. She is a native speaker of German and trained in Foreign Language Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition. Ms. Overstreet has directed the Summer Program at the University of Mannheim and has extensive experience in teaching German language and culture on the beginning and intermediate levels. She has been instrumental in developing and teaching web-based courses that present language in the context of culture. Her research interests include the effective integration of new technology into the foreign language classroom. In her free time, Ms. Overstreet enjoys walking at the beach and traveling.
Representations of War in Literature and Visual Media
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3776 | Eric Kligerman |
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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.
Introduction to Gerontology
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3620 | Peter Collings |
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|
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 become acquainted with and learn to critically evaluate original scientific research in the field of aging.
Peter Collings is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology. His research focuses on cross-cultural approaches to the study of adult development and aging, paying particular attention to Inuit living in the Central Canadian Arctic. Dr. Collings has worked in the Inuit community of Holman, in the Northwest Territories, since 1992. He has studied the economics of subsistence hunting among young adult men, the importance of organized recreation in mediating the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and Inuit conceptions of elderhood and aging. Current projects include an investigation of the impact of public housing policy on Inuit of different birth cohorts and an examination of Inuit elderhood in the context of culture contact.
Geology And Environment
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: P
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1149 | Elizabeth Screaton |
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|
Humans are affected by geologic processes. We are impacted by geologic hazards and we depend on geologic resouces. In addition, 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 require 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 Ph.D. 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.
Politics, Law, and Inequality in Modern South Africa
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4349 | Todd Leedy and Hunt Davis |
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|
This course is also listed as AFS4935, section 9124.
A dramatic transition took place in the course of South African politics in 1994 when that country's first democratic election elevated Nelson Mandela to the presidency and elected a parliament with an African majority. Thus ended the system of apartheid and the eras of conquest and segregation that had preceded it. The white minority that had dominated the country for its own benefit no were longer in control.
Yet though the old political system of inequality had disappeared, a legacy of inequality remained in the social, economic, and cultural spheres of South African life as well as in the legal realm. And new inequalities have appeared in the intervening years. The course will focus on the issue of inequality in modern South Africa, both past and present, and how the inequalities of the past continue to affect the present.
The approach will be an interdisciplinary one, with students reading works of literature, history, and political science. The format for the course will be that of a seminar, and the work for the course will consist of reading, discussion, and several short papers and one major paper. The course is being taught in conjunction with a major conference that the Center for African Studies is holding in early March 2006, under the title of "Law Politics, Culture, and Society in South Africa: The Politics of Inequality Then and Now." Students will have an opportunity to interact with conference participants and consult them about their research papers.
For further information about the course, contact either Dr. Todd Leedy (leedy@africa.ufl.edu) or Dr. Hunt Davis (hdavis@cns.ufl.edu).
Todd Leedy (Ph.D. History, University of Florida, 2000) is Assistant Director and Lecturer in the Center for African Studies. He completed his B.A. (honors) and M.A. degrees at Michigan State University. During his undergraduate training, he spent an academic year at the University of Zimbabwe which provided the motivation for his research on the intersection of religion and politics with agricultural improvement schemes. Leedy received a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support his fieldwork in Zimbabwe during 1997-98. He presently coordinates the UF study abroad programs in Botswana and Tanzania. In 2005, he developed the first Lombardi Scholar summer enrichment program in South Africa with cooperation from the UF Honors Program.
R. Hunt Davis, Jr. (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin) is Professor Emeritus of History and African Studies. Over the span of his long academic career at UF he has taught a wide range of African History and African Studies courses, but his special focus from the start has been South Africa. In 1999, he was a visiting Fulbright Professor of History at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and he has visited the country almost every year since then. He has written extensively about the South African past and present.
Western Humanities 1
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2623 | James Hodges |
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This section of Honors Humanities is a survey of Western culture from ancient Greece through the Renaissance, with readings from literature, philosophy, and religion. In addition to selections from the Bible, the course includes The Iliad, plays from Sophocles and Euripides, Plato's Republic, The Aeneid, Dante's Inferno, Machiavelli's The Prince, and Shakespeare's King Lear. Readings about and viewings from classical, medieval, and renaissance architecture, sculpture, and painting are also part of the curriculum. There will be a series of reaction papers required on the assigned readings and a cultural event report.
James Hodges is a Professor Emeritus of English. In addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, Dr. Hodges has also taught at the Sewanee Military Academy (Tennessee), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Tennessee State University. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.A. and M.A.) and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Western Humanities 2
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2627 | James Hodges |
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|
This section of Honors Humanities is a survey of Western culture from the Eighteenth Century to the present, with readings from literature, psychology, and philosophy. The course includes Voltaire’s Candide, Goethe’s Faust, Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, Dostoyevski’s Notes from Underground, Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and other plays, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and other poems, Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Sartre’s No Exit and other plays; also included are Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents and Jung’s Man and His Symbols. Readings about and viewings from architecture, sculpture, and painting are also part of the curriculum. There will be a series of reaction papers required on the assigned readings and a cultural event report.
James Hodges is a Professor Emeritus of English. In addition to his thirty-three years on the faculty at UF, Dr. Hodges has also taught at the Sewanee Military Academy (Tennessee), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and East Tennessee State University. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University (B.A. and M.A.) and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0899 | Elaine Turner |
|
|
Prerequisite or Corequisite: BSC 2007 or BSC 2010 or CHM 1025 or CHM 2045 or PET 2320C or PET 2350C or CHM 1020
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 written assignments.
Elaine Turner joined the UF faculty in July of 1996. She has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Purdue University, and has 20 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 and 2003 Honors Professor of the Year. Her special interest areas include computer applications to nutrition, regulation of foods and dietary supplements, and nutrition education for the public.
American Science Fiction
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 1169 | Andrew Gordon |
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|
We will survey twentieth-century American science-fiction (SF) literature and film. We will consider SF as the literature of science, technology, and change, and as perhaps the most characteristic American literature since 1945, a genre affecting all areas of our popular culture. The objectives are to develop critical skills in thinking about the role of SF within contemporary American culture and to develop analytical skills through writing about science-fiction stories and films. The readings include Starship Troopers, Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, Neuromancer, and stories by Asimov, Dick, Bradbury, Ellison, Delany, Butler, Tiptree, Le Guin, and many others. Films include The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing, 2001, Blade Runner, and Alien. We will also read some critical articles on SF literature and film. Requirements include ten short responses to the reading or viewing, an oral report (topics can include SF on TV, Japanese anime, SF videogames, or SF music), good attendance and participation, and two papers. You have the option to write an SF story in place of the second paper.
Andrew M. Gordon specializes in American fiction since WW II, Jewish-American fiction, and science fiction literature and film. He has published many articles and reviews on contemporary American science fiction and film, including the SF of Samuel Delany, Robert Silverberg, and Ursula Le Guin, and the SF films of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and the Wachowski brothers. He served as an editorial consultant on SF film for the journal Science-Fiction Studies and directs the Institute for the Psychological Study of the Arts. Currently he is completing Wish Upon a Star: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Films of Steven Spielberg.
Business & Leadership Writing
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4428 | Vikram Rangala |
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|
Writing in the world of work is not done for a grade or praise, but to inspire action and create relationships. Therefore, a professional writing course cannot focus only on technique. It must also consider the processes and contexts within which an individual document gets written. Much of leadership, in business or anywhere, consists of creating or altering perceived contexts, and guiding others along healthy, meaningful processes. For example, a manager who has repeatedly acted in ways that lessen trust and create resentment cannot write a peppy memo to the troops and reasonably expect it to unite and cheer them. It is likely to backfire unless she remains aware of the other ways in which she has influenced them. Writing assignments will include personal and analytical essays, as well as business documents such as memos. While this is not a technical writing course, careful attention to grammar, word choice, and spelling are ways in which writers show care, professionalism, and competence. I will therefore grade written assignments both for technical excellence and for the way in which they show understanding of people, situations, and likely results. Our readings will include topics such as the psychology of persuasion, ethics, and how organizations foster excellence, as well as the writings of successful leaders in a variety of positions and times.
Vikram Rangala is the Honors Writing Coach. He received his B.A. from Rice University and his M.F.A. in creative writing from UF. He has been named Honors Professor of the Year and also teaches Professional Writing for the Warrington College of Business graduate programs.
Magic and Witchcraft
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6668 | Judy Ann Turner |
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"Magic and witchcraft, the fear of daemons and ghosts, the wish to manipulate invisible powers--all were very much a part of life in the ancient world." --Georg Luck, Arcana Mundi, p. xiii. The occult, folklore, mystery cults, oracles, and superstition--the 'darker side' of religious experience--impacted the lives of average Greeks and Romans much more than did the Olympian or 'civic' gods. Yet this significant feature of ancient religious practices receives little attention in scholarship. This course is an effort to lessen the void in topics of ancient religion available to students. Through the use of film, lecture, reading of ancient (in translation) and modern sources, the course will examine origins and practices of ancient magic, witchcraft, mystery cults, demonology, astrology, alchemy, religious 'possession'and other occult subjects. We will explore continuity or resurgence of some ancient occult practices, and if schedules permit, there will be some guest speaker talks on course topics.
Judy Ann Turner (Ph.D. in Ancient History, University of California) was the Andrew Mellon Research/Teaching Fellow at the University of Southern California '84- '85 and taught at Cal Poly State University '85-'89. In Florida, she taught at SFCC (Humanities, '90-'93) and at U.F. (Honors Program and Classics Dept.) since '93. She has been an officer in the Archaeological Institute of America, Gainesville Society for more than a decade. Her publications include articles on sacerdotal women in the Linear B tablets and and articles on Greek Priesthoods. She is writing a book on Greek priestesses and ancient cults.
Rock 'n' Roll and American Society
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2516 | William McKeen |
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|
This mass-media-and-society course studies the role of popular music in American culture. It is not a music course, but a look at the effects of recorded sound on popular culture. We study the origin and growth of the recording industry, focusing our energies on American mainstream music during the last half of the 20th century. We will attempt to integrate the general social and intellectual history of the country into this story. Our emphasis on is on rock'n'roll and its impact 1954-1970.
William McKeen worked for newspapers and magazines before beginning his teaching career. He often wrote about music and so it was only natural that he continued doing that after becoming a professor.
He earned his bachelor's degree in history and his master's in journalism from Indiana University and his Ph.D. in education from the University of Oklahoma.
His books include Highway 61 (a memoir of a 6,000-mile road trip with his oldest son), the anthology Rock and Roll is Here to Stay, and five other books, including books on The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Tom Wolfe. Professor McKeen is working on a biography of Hunter Thompson to be published in 2008 and titled American Dreamer. Other works in progress include a book about childhoods in Florida called Paradise Recalled and a book about rock concerts called Rip This Joint.
Professor McKeen is married and has seven children, most of whom have good taste in music.
Spirituality and the Health Sciences
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 0915 | Lou Ritz and Gene Thursby |
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|
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
• Mindfulness and Stress Management
• Wisdom in Aging; Death and Dying
• Care for the Soul: Living the Healthy and Spirited Life
• Stories that Heal
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 have been funded by the National Institutes of Health are concerned with spinal cord injury and repair. He is the course director for Medical Neuroscience, taken by all first year medical students, and for Functional Human Neuroanatomy, taken by a diverse group of graduate students from around the University. Dr. Ritz is an Associate Director of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health. He is also a co-director of the John Templeton Spirituality and Medicine Award for incorporating spirituality, cultural diversity, and end-of-life issues into the UF medical school curriculum. Questions about the course can be sent to: ritz@mbi.ufl.edu
Dr. Gene Thursby is an Associate Professor of Religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has been a Fulbright Fellow in India and has participated in several international seminars and teaching institutes sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. He teaches courses on theories of religious experience and on new religious movements.
Working on SUCKERFISH and a second new play by the "mysterious" Underwood
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| DEP-X | Sidney Homan |
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|
NOTE: Students interested in this course should see Professor Homan during Fall Semester in order to be registered and to discuss what role they'll have in the productions.
Students will assist Professor Homan in two plays he will be directing at the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre in the spring: Suckerfish, by W. T. Underwood, about the encounter between a homeless man and a business executive who has just had a car accident--the play calling up Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Albee's Zoo Story; and John Cech's stage adaptation of Majorie Kinnan Rawlings's The Secret River, about a little girl who, through magical adventures in the forest, restores the depressed town of Cross Creek to prosperity. Students will also perform in an evening of characters sketched by Underwood. Students will attend some rehearsals, serve as "assistant directors," and assist in other aspects of the production. Underwood will be in Gainesville for the production and will conduct workshops for students in the course.
In the past, Honors students have assisted professor Homan in productions of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Pinter's No Man's Land, and the premier of Carolyn Thomas's The Jesus Spiders of Central Park.
Sidney Homan is at home both on the campus and the stage. Several times an award-winning teacher, he is the author of nine books on Shakespeare and the modern theatre, where his interests range from metadramatic to performance criticism, from the ways in which the "triple play" can be executed from study to stage to classroom, to accounts of his own experience as actor and director in professional, experimental, and university theatres. On stage he has directed works as wide-ranging as The Comedy of Errors, Bogosian's Talk Radio, Stoppard's Dirty Linen / New-Found-Land, Brecht's Galileo, Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others, Pinter's No Man's Land, and even a production of The Merry Wives of Windsor in China.
He took his B.A. from Princeton University in 1960, and his M.A. (1962) and Ph.D. in English (1965) from Harvard University.
Writing & Love
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, C
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2540 | Vikram Rangala |
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| 2552 | Vikram Rangala |
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Writing and loving are similar disciplines requiring similar decisions: a willingness to put aside one’s self, careful attention to detail, a willingness to see people and things as they are and value them, relentless sincerity, a modicum of grace, a sense of humor. Writing and love are both sometimes painful. Both must be done even when we don’t feel like it, even without inspiration. Both are likely to make us embarrass ourselves. This is not a lightweight course, not a support group, not a course in romance fiction, not really about romance at all. Love, in this definition, is not romantic love. It is not a feeling, not something to fall into. It is a verb, a practice, a way of engaging the world; it is a willful action. Most of the problems we face, together and individually, are ultimately problems of how to love: they require us to make better decisions about what to say to each other, how to see each other and ourselves, about what is important, about how to better give of ourselves. Writing is about precisely those decisions. Students will write personal essays weekly. They will also be required to practice writing every day for 10 to 30 minutes. There will be regular, though short, reading assignments, but in this course, the students themselves are the primary text. Whereas in other courses you study a subject, in this course we study ourselves. Weekly essays will be graded rigorously for grammar and style. Students will also be asked to get physical exercise, at their own level and pace, for 30 minutes three times a week.
Vikram Rangala is the Honors Writing Coach. He received his B.A. from Rice University and his M.F.A. in creative writing from UF. He has been named Honors Professor of the Year and also teaches Professional Writing for the Warrington College of Business graduate programs.
Creativity and the Journey Towards Yourself: a Hands-on Seminar
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 2249 | Lola Haskins |
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The Resolution:
Whereas
undergraduate education in research universities like UF tends to be disciplinary rather than multidisciplinary, and
Whereas
with the best intentions in the world, this approach to learning can stifle the free-ranging thought that is necessary in order to break through the predictable into something really new, and
Whereas
in both art and science being open to the unexpected is the sine qua non
Therefore be it resolved
that it is useful to re-engender a sense of play in both the arts and the sciences.
The Seminar:
Although most of the course will focus on the arts, attention will also be given to creative ways to solve physical/logical problems. As to the second, you’ll be introduced to techniques to help you past the predictable when confronted with objective issues. As to the first, you’ll sharpen your five senses (including synaesthesia), expand your understanding of the relationship of your body to space, and deepen your self-knowledge (to be more precise, break out of your “self”) through writing, drawing, music, creative movement, and acting exercises. Most sessions will be led by the instructor, but some will be led by guest artists. Evaluation will be based on effort, but critiques will be forthcoming if requested.
Finally, since the instructor believes not enough educational time is devoted to thoughtful consideration of the large issues, there will be two projects devoted to discerning the meaning of life and your place in it.
An important note: all classes will be participatory and some will involve teamwork.
Lola Haskins graduated from Stanford in Social Thought, an interdisciplinary major. Since then, though writing has always been her primary career, she has had at least two others—in social science (Research Associate at Stanford Research Institute) and Computer Science (she retired from UF in May 2005 after 28 years). Perhaps three, if you consider that for several years early on she made her living singing folk and jazz.
She has published eight collections of poetry, most recently Desire Lines, New and Selected Poems (BOA, 2004), The Rim Benders (Anhinga, 2001) and Extranjera (Story Line, 1998). In addition to writing poetry, Ms. Haskins has published essays about natural Florida in Visions of Florida and The Wild Heart of Florida, both published by the University Press of Florida.
For some of Ms. Haskins’ work, please see www.lolahaskins.com.
Age of the Blockbuster
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 7082 | Dana Peterson |
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This course examines American popular culture in the Age of the Blockbuster. Beginning in the mid-1970s--Steven Spielberg released Jaws on June 30, 1975; Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974; George Lucas launched Star Wars in May 1977--the Age of the Blockbuster heralded America's current obsession with bigger, louder, and richer. This section of IDH 3931 will ask students to think critically about American popular culture in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Students, therefore, should be interested in learning more about who "we" are, and in turn, be willing to consume as much "culture"--i.e., movies, books, TV, music, sports, advertising--as they can. Students will also be expected to share these experiences in classroom discussions and presentations. Course requirements include a series of reading responses/journals and a group project.
Dana H. Peterson is on parole for a variety of offenses committed on his (unfortunately under-publicized) nationwide 1985 crime spree that ended just outside Dollyland in Tennessee. He currently teaches at the University of Florida under his mother's maiden name, Staff. Highly regarded for the level of expertise he brings to a variety of subjects, Dr. Staff also directs the AIM Program, the university's initiative to help disadvantaged students succeed at UF. Though Dr. Peterson died at the end of 2004, he still continues to teach this course as part of his penance for how he lived his life. He also continues to answer e-mail, so feel free to contact him at peterson@clas.ufl.edu.
American Cultures: Constructing the American Nation
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 6200 | Esther Romeyn |
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Ever since the United States became a separate nation, writers, intellectuals and artists have attempted to define the distinctiveness of American culture. Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th century, many considered the frontier a key factor in the shaping of a unique American national character. The frontier evokes a number of images: Native Americans, Cowboys; the West; desert landscapes; wilderness; savagery. In this course we will examine various texts, dating from various periods, in which the frontier has an important place. These texts range from 19th century historical romances (such as J.F. Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans), to Native American novels (such as Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony), to landscape painting and photography and films (the Western; Pocahontas; Dances with Wolves). We will discuss how these texts imagine the American nation, or national character, in relation to the frontier, the West, Native Americans, race, the natural landscape, and new immigrants.
Esther Romeyn received her Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota. She taught in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Program at Arizona State University from 1998 until 2005. Her main interests lie in Ethnic Studies, Cultural Studies, Performance Studies, Jewish Studies, Urban Studies, and cross-cultural psychology. Her publications are concerned specifically with immigrant acculturation as a process of cultural “translation” (or “mistranslation”); the performance of ethnic identity (in daily life, festivals, parades, and theater); and the shifting boundaries of “race” in American culture.
Civic Engagement in Gainesville
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 3405 | Melissa Johnson |
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Gainesville encompasses much more than the area between 13th and 34th streets. This course will focus on how to get civically involved within the greater community of Gainesville and Alachua County. According to Michael Carpini, Director of Public Policy for the Pew Charitable Trusts, civic engagement may take many forms from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy.
Course topics will include local government, education, housing, health care, cultural arts, recreation, and more. The course will focus on class discussions with local experts, field trips within the county, reflective writings, volunteer work with a community agency or department, and a research project based on a community issue of choice (e.g. Walmart, homelessness, road conditions, parks and recreation). By the end of this class, students will be prepared not only to think locally, but to act locally. This class is especially meant for students with little or no knowledge about Gainesville/Alachua County but who have an interest in getting more involved beyond the borders of the University of Florida.
Melissa Johnson is an academic advisor with the Honors Program. Melissa has a BA in Classical Studies and History and an MEd in Higher Education Administration from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Since she’s been in Gainesville, she has volunteered for a local political campaign, served on the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board, participated in the Gainesville Citizens' Academy and chaired a major fundraiser for a local organization. Melissa enjoys mentoring and advising current and emerging student leaders and is looking forward to helping students get involved in the community. She’s currently a member of the Sunshine Steelers, one of UF’s steel drum bands. She also likes discussing fashion, sports, and good practical jokes. Feel free to contact her at mjohnson@aa.ufl.edu.
Contemporary Moral Issues in Biotechnology and Regenerative Medicine
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 8905 | Gayle Brown |
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This course is designed to introduce students to some of the central issues of biomedical ethics. Ethics addresses questions such as:
How should I act?
How do I decide whether one way I could act is morally better than some other way?
Are different ethical systems equally acceptable, or are some people's values just wrong?
Biomedical ethics addresses these questions in the context of patient care and the distribution of medical attention, and seeks to determine which actions or options in medical practice are obligatory, which permissible, and which impermissible. By the end of the course students will be familiar with the major ethical theories relevant to medical practice, and be able to apply these theories to current issues in biomedical ethics. Specific topics include: abortion, physician-assisted suicide, genetic engineering, reproductive technology, patient confidentiality, HIV/AIDS, and race and gender issues in the allocation of scarce resources.
G.M. Brown has taught a wide variety of courses in philosophy in both the Honors Program and the Philosophy Department at UF, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. She also teaches the popular Tao of Star Trek course. In addition to philosophy, her academic interests include poetry, literature, archeology, theology, theoretical physics and evolutionary biology.
Ethics: Theory and Practice
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4951 | Gayle Brown |
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The aim of this course is to help you reason more clearly and effectively about moral issues. The subject matter of the course can be divided roughly into two parts. First, we want to explore general issues about morality: what is morality? Is there a systematic way of understanding our moral judgments? What principles should we use to decide difficult moral issues? The second and main part of the course consists of an examination of difficult moral problems. Specific topics include as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, affirmative action, welfare reform and privacy.
Our focus shall be three-fold. First, we want to see how different moral theories may lead to different conclusions about what the right response is to these problems. Second, we shall aim to be as precise as we can about the arguments supporting these conclusions. Third, we want to critically evaluate these arguments--that is, we want to determine whether they are good arguments or bad arguments. It is important to realize that philosophy is not fundamentally about imparting information; it is about learning to reason more carefully and thoroughly. Thus, the main objective of the course is to improve students' skills in understanding and evaluating arguments.
G.M. Brown has taught a wide variety of courses in philosophy in both the Honors Program and the Philosophy Department at UF, including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science. She also teaches the popular Tao of Star Trek course. In addition to philosophy, her academic interests include poetry, literature, archeology, theology, theoretical physics and evolutionary biology.
Historical Archaeology of the African-Caribbean Diaspora
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S, I
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4456 | Cheryl White |
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This course offers a perspective on Historical Archaeology by taking an in-depth look at the practice of Maroon Archaeology in the New World. Students will learn about contemporary Maroons throughout the New World as well as their 16th and 17th century settlements. We will consider the working theories and methods applied in archaeological cases from the Inter & Circum-Caribbean as well as the American southeast. The course will be taught from an archaeological perspective; particular focus will be placed on the dichotomy of Maroon archaeology as a burgeoning field within Historical Archaeology.
A lecture format will inform students of the historical condition that created these communities of runaway slaves and their descendents. A seminar format will allow students to offer the class a critical analysis of selected course material. Supplemental learning material will be in the form of videos and ethnographic case studies.
Cheryl White received an M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Florida and is currently completing her Ph.D. at UF. Her area of specialty is Historical Archaeology of the African-Diaspora. Her current research focus is The Material Beginnings of Saramaka Bush Negroes: An Archaeological Investigation of an 17th century Maroon Settlement in Suriname, South America.
Introduction to Forensic Anthropology
Writing or Math Req: None
Gen Ed: S
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4505 | Jason Byrd |
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Forensic anthropology, an applied subfield of biological anthropology, is a science that utilizes methods developed in skeletal biology, archaeology, and other forensic sciences to solve cases of medico-legal significance. This course is a three-credit class designed to present how forensic anthropologists help resolve modern and historic crimes both in the laboratory and the field. Students will be introduced to the techniques that forensic anthropologists use to recover and identify individuals who died as a suicide, homicide, accidents and mass disasters.
Dr. Byrd is a Board-Certified Forensic Entomologist and is a past Chairman of the American Board of Forensic Entomology. He has conducted over 100 workshops specializing in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys, and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. He has published numerous scientific articles on the subject of forensic entomology, and has also published two books dealing with the use of insects in legal investigations.
Lepidoptera Biology
Writing or Math Req: W - 2000
Gen Ed: B
| Section | Instructor | Times | Locations | ||||||
| 4508 | Mirian Hay-Roe |
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NOTE: This course meets in the far southwest corner of campus near 34th street. Please plan accordingly.
This course will be taught in the conference room of the McGuire Center of Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum. The course covers the biology of an interesting group of insects from the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. Various aspects of their biology will be presented including their general taxonomy, their interactions with their host plants and their natural enemies, predators, parasitoids, chemical defenses, communication mechanisms, migration and conservation. Some collecting and curating practices will also be discussed. Grades will be based upon completion of assigned readings, class attendance, small quizzes and a final term paper.
Dr. Mirian Medina Hay-Roe is a postdoctoral fellow at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. Her research interests include the ecology and biodiversity of butterflies from Central and South America, with special emphasis on insect-plant interactions, as well as behavioral and chemical components involved in this interaction. She has worked with Museum collections for many years and has travelled to Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama to conduct research.
Music and Health
Writing or Math Req: W - 6000
Gen Ed: H, I
| Section | Instructor | Times |