June 19, 2015

Fall 2015 Collegium Seminar course descriptions

What do you get when you combine unique courses, exceptional faculty and small, freshmen-only classes? Collegium Seminars!

Start your first quarter at the UW with a drive to discover something new and different. Topics this fall range from super heroines in comics, the convergence of art and math, science in the courtroom, medical ethics, leadership, time travel, music of the Pacific Northwest and, yes, sex.

Meet other people, get to know the professor and explore a topic that interests you. Collegium Seminars are offered at credit/no credit, so you don’t have to worry too much about the final grade.

Check out the course descriptions below and learn more about the Collegium Seminars here.

Collegium Seminars offered in fall quarter 2015

• Don’t wait to register: These classes fill up! For registration and class availability, check MyPlan.
• Check MyPlan for the days and times courses are offered.

Diversity in Comics: Superheroines

Jose Alaniz, Slavic Languages and Literature

• GEN ST 197 A

In 2012, Marvel Comics writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Dexter Soy crafted a new superheroic identity for longtime character Carol Danvers, who became the new Captain Marvel. In 2014, Danvers’ previous Ms. Marvel identity was assumed by a new character, Kamala Khan, a Muslim Pakistani-American teenager, in a new Ms. Marvel series written by G. Willow Wilson (herself a Muslim American) and drawn by Adrian Alphona. Our Collegium Seminar examines these two prominent examples of an emergent new diversity in superhero comics and US popular culture in the 21st century. What changes — demographic, gender, socio-cultural — do they signal? What specific qualities of comics as a mass medium enhance, complicate or blunt these messages of diversity? How have DeConnick and Wilson, the two women authors at the forefront of this movement, negotiated the traditionally male-dominated terrain of superheroes, and how do their visions redefine the genre?

 

Out of Eden: What is the “Natural” Human Mating System?

David Barash, Psychology

• GEN ST 197 B

Are people “naturally” polygamous, monogamous or promiscuous? In this seminar, we’ll read the text of a not-yet-published book by the instructor, and students will have the opportunity to critique, comment on, or otherwise discuss the ideas and the presentation.

 

(Why) Does Michelangelo Still Matter?

Ann Marie Borys, Architecture

• GEN ST 197 C

The iconic image of the creation in the central panel of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel still permeates our culture; like Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, its reproduction in popular media has separated it from its fundamental meaning, but has also propagated new meanings. This course is a chance to re-contextualize the image and explore the full body of Michelangelo’s work. We will be crossing the boundaries of drawing, painting, sculpture, poetry, and architecture. After a focus on his work, we will take up the biography of the artist and question the extent to which it is meaningful in the appreciation of his work. By reading the most recent scholarship on this 15th century artist as well as classic interpretations from across the 20th century, we will attempt to find our own answer to the question.

 

Playing with Curves: Art and Mathematics

Matthew Conroy, Mathematics

• GEN ST 197 D

The orbit of a planet, the spiral of a snail, the arc of a rocket, the cardioid in the bottom of a cup of coffee — all examples of plane curves. In this seminar, we will look at the rich variety of plane curves, and work with many tools for their investigation, visualization, and creation.

 

Sexuality and Society

Vivek Datta, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

• GEN ST 197 E

What drives us to have sex? Why do some people have same sex attraction and why was this seen as perversion or disease for so long? What is pedophilia and how does it differ from childhood sexual abuse? Why is there no oral contraceptive for men? Why is there stigma associated with HIV/AIDS? How do universities approach the problem of sexual assault on campus? How does the market place influence our attitudes towards sexuality and society? Why do people buy sex? We will consider these questions and more from psychological, sociological, anthropological, public health, medical, legal and psychiatric perspectives.

 

Technology on Trial: How Science Is Changing Courtroom Justice

Maureen Howard, School of Law

• GEN ST 197 F

In this seminar, we will examine how scientific and technological advances have changed forever the discovery, collection, analysis, preservation and presentation of evidence, before and during trial. We will also discuss how these changes impact bias and discrimination in the trial process. Students will learn how a judge determines whether expert scientific opinions are admissible, how social media has influenced jury selection, how advanced technological presentation options have presented both opportunities and obstacles to trial lawyers, how juror access to information on the internet has created invisible avenues of digital “evidence” that can influence jury deliberations, and how mass media coverage of trials can influence the outcome and threaten juror privacy. In addition, we will discuss the impact on jurors of the prevalence of CSI-type television shows and movies that may mislead jurors as to the current state of science, affecting jurors’ assessment of evidence presented.

 

Resolving Communication Breakdowns: What to do When Your Message Is Lost

Karen Jacobsen, Speech and Hearing Sciences

• GEN ST 197 G

Personal satisfaction, regardless of professional position, is largely dependent on the social well-being of a person. Social thinking develops from birth, and, like walking, the work of learning how to integrate socially is an intuitive skill. These relational skills are applied not only to our social relationships, but also in the ways we interpret and respond to the academic and professional world around us. This seminar will focus on the science of understanding and repairing communication breakdowns and increase awareness of and response to social nuance in others.

 

Who Lives? Who Dies? Moral Problems in Modern Medicine

Nancy Jecker, Bioethics and Humanities

• GEN ST 197 H

Should physicians help terminally ill patients end their lives? Is abortion ethically permissible? Should we allow couples to “design” their children? How should scarce medical resources be distributed? Should animals be used in research? These are the kinds of questions you will actively explore in this seminar. Using a case-based approach, this class develops your skills of ethical analysis and argument in practical contexts. You will interact with guest speakers from UWMC and learn how ethical issues are handled in real world settings. Whether you are planning a career in health care or science, or simply want to be an informed consumer, don’t miss this seminar!

 

Arrows and Return: Consciousness, Anti-Matter, and the Physics of Time

Chris Laws, Astronomy

• GEN ST 197 I

The flow and rhythms of time permeate literally every aspect of our individual lives and the entire cosmos around us — yet time itself remains remarkably difficult to physically understand. In this course we will explore modern science’s picture of time — how we experience it as a culture and as individuals, and the role it plays in current models of the universe as a whole. We will investigate how time is physically measured, and the often counter-intuitive implications of relativity, quantum mechanics, and astronomy on issues such as time travel, consciousness and the beginning and end of the universe.

 

A Short History of Film

Marc Binder, Physiology and Biophysics

• GEN ST 197 J

Using film critic and producer Mark Cousins’ book The Story of Film and the accompanying videos as a guide, this class will explore how filmmakers are influenced both by the historical events of their times and by each other. The course will be divided into three main epochs: the silent era (1885–1928), the sound era (1928–1990), and the digital age (1990–present). We will discuss both the stylistic concerns of the filmmakers and the political and social themes of the time. As well as covering American films and filmmakers, we will explore their counterparts in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia and South America to examine how cinematic ideas and techniques cross national boundaries.

 

The Single Greatest Idea Ever: Darwin’s Origin of Species and its Influence

Scott Montgomery, Jackson School of International Studies

• GEN ST 197 K

Darwin’s concept of natural selection has been called “the single greatest idea ever.” Why is this said? What impact has Darwinian evolution had on the life sciences and on other areas of human life? Why does it remain such an undying subject of controversy? This class will seek answers to these questions through a selective reading of Origin of Species and responses to it, in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. We will also consider how Darwin’s ideas were used by political leaders to justify policies that range from expanding voting rights to eugenics and even genocide. This will lead us to talk about how leaders need ideas to attain and maintain authority.

 

Collaborative Leadership: Making a Positive Impact In the Community

Nanci Murphy, Pharmacy

• GEN ST 197 L

Based on lessons from Atul Gawande’s book Better, students will learn the leadership skills necessary to positively impact both individual and community health. Students in the course will: Practice applying scientific principles to challenging problems in health; explore the social, physical, and environmental determinants of health in a local community; discuss strategies for addressing identified health issues/challenges in the community; develop collaborative leadership skills. Planned assignments include: readings, participating in class discussions and an assigned group project. A panel discussion of current health sciences students will discuss their successes and lessons learned in developing and sustaining community programs for medically underserved populations/communities.

 

What Is Philosophy?

William Talbott, Philosophy

• GEN ST 197 M

This seminar will provide you an informal introduction to philosophy at the University of Washington. In this seminar, you will learn about some of the major areas of philosophy, read about some of the important philosophical issues in each of the major areas, and have an opportunity to discuss those issues in an informal setting.

 

Why Is That Art? Looking at Art in the 21st Century

Timea Tihanyi, School of Art, Art History and Design

• GEN ST 197 N

Contemporary art is an interdisciplinary practice. In this seminar, you will see how various ideas, cultural concepts, creative strategies, mediums and processes influence one another, resulting in fresh and new ways of considering and commenting on the world we live in.

During the quarter, in the context of examples drawn from exhibitions, we will examine the importance and implications of the visual arts in the larger context of visual culture. Each week we will look at a different topic which will be organized around key concepts and artist examples. Our focus will be on the artist and the audience, as well as on their mutually dependent process of making and thinking to create new and meaningful ways of expression. Course includes visits to several art exhibitions in Seattle.

 

Puget Sounds: Archiving Music of the Pacifc NW

John Vallier, Libraries

• GEN ST 197 O

This class is an interdisciplinary experiment that blends elements of ethnomusicology, local music history, and archival studies. At the core of the class is Puget Sounds, a growing collection of regional music recordings held by the UW Libraries. Puget Sounds documents music across genres, from folk to rock, jazz to classical, and includes both published and unpublished recordings (e.g., the Crocodile Cafe Collection). By the end of the quarter students will make contributions to Puget Sounds by way of creating new collections through fieldwork and/or archiving existing music collections. Student learning goals include developing a broader knowledge and appreciation of the plurality of musics produced in the greater Seattle region; forming a nuanced and critically informed understanding of what we mean by the term music; building confidence with participating in and contributing to discussions in a seminar type setting; a grounding in archival issues, theories and techniques, particularly as they apply to the collection and documentation of music; being introduced to the concepts and questions concerning ethnomusicologists; becoming familiarized with making and editing field recordings.

 

Transforming Yourself from Tourist to Traveler: Preparation for Study Abroad

Shawn Wong, English

• GEN ST 197 P

The UW offers hundreds of study abroad opportunities. How do you decide which program is best for you? What part of the world? Do you see an international experience in your chosen major or professional path? Whether you’re going on a study abroad trip, preparing for international internships, independent travel, or just imagining the places where you might study, this seminar will provide you with some writing strategies for recording what your camera or brief Facebook entry can’t capture. Instead of the tourist “been there, done that” checklist, this seminar seeks to prepare you for true cultural immersion and engagement.