Courses in the Honors College
Please note: this list may be incomplete and will be updated with new information as it is received. If you have questions about the following courses, please contact honors@wsu.edu.
A wide variety of course topics are available to Honors College students. Please check back often, as changes may occur until the semester begins. Need an appointment with an Honors College advisor? Stop by the Honors College main office in Elmina White Honors Hall 130 or phone 509-335-4505.
Course descriptions are intended to provide general information about the scope of the class, the name of the faculty member teaching it, credits, and texts. All descriptions are posted as soon as possible the semester preceding so students can consider their options and plan accordingly. Listings from previous semesters are located at the bottom of this page.
Spring 2025
HONORS 201.1*
MESI Workshop Series
Meetings: W 12:10-1:00
Instructor: Robin Bond
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Introduction to Mindfulness
Research into mindfulness has shown that regular practice can offer benefits for physical and emotional health (for example, reduced stress, improved sleep, reduced anxiety, just to name a few). This one-credit class offers an experiential introduction to mindfulness. In our class meetings we will explore different approaches to practicing mindfulness and introduce information on how mindfulness can benefit us. Occasional guests will present on their own experiences and offer a variety of practices. Each meeting will begin with a practice session followed by open discussion and exploration of topic for the week. The class can serve as an introduction for those with no experience in mindfulness and can also support students who are already familiar, offering an opportunity for deepening self-awareness and mindful presence.
Assignments will include a weekly brief written reflection on the meeting, along with suggestions for optional practices outside of class. This course may be repeated for credit. The class is part of the Honors College Mindfulness-based Emotional and Social Intelligence (MESI) program and satisfies one (1) MESI workshop credit. The class is open to any student in the honors college and there is no requirement to be pursuing the MESI certificate.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 211.1*
Introduction to Community Engagement
Meetings: T 2:55-4:10
Instructor: Jessica Perone
This class includes a service-learning component in collaboration with the Center for Civic Engagement.
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Students will be introduced to community engagement and the importance of it in their own work and life. Over 10 weeks, the class will meet once per week for 7 weeks and 3 weeks will be dedicated to participating in community engagement projects. Students will apply classroom knowledge to real-world issues, working directly with community partners to address community-identified challenges. The course emphasizes critical reflection, building reciprocal relationships, cultural competency, and civic responsibility, encouraging students to develop skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Through service-learning, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of social issues and their role as active and socially responsible community members.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 212.1*
Active and Immersive Community Engagement
Meetings: TBD
Instructor: Jessica Perone
This class includes a service-learning component in collaboration with the Center for Civic Engagement.
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student, Must have taken Honors 211
Students will engage in 45 hours of community service (approximately 3-5 hours per week) to understand critical issues facing society and gain a deeper understanding of social issues they are passionate about. Students will work with the instructor to establish an ongoing relationship with a suitable community partner(s). Students will gain a heightened sense of social responsibility, greater inter-cultural understanding, and the ability to work well with others to build leadership and communication skills.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 270.1
Principles and Research Methods in Social Science
Meetings: T,TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Tekla Schmaus
Prerequisite: Must be an Honors Student
The Archeology of Death and Burial
When you think of archaeology, you may think of burials and tombs. And although they’re cool on their own, archaeologists think it’s even more interesting to use those burials to help us understand what life was like in the societies in which those people lived. We’ll start with an introduction to how anthropologists think about death, and then move on to an overview of archaeological methods. After that, we’ll tackle some archaeological questions, like: What beliefs did people have about the afterlife, and can we tell if a person died a “good” death? Can we use burials to determine if a society was egalitarian or hierarchical? How did people use burials to send signals about power or authority? Keeping in mind that the dead don’t bury themselves, what information can we glean about individual identities from burials?
We’ll also discuss the politics and ethics of excavating human remains. Please be aware that there will be images of human remains, and we may even handle a human skeleton. None of the images will be from cultures that prohibit such displays.
HONORS 270.2
Principles and Research Methods in Social Science
Meetings: M,W,F 11:10-12:00
Instructor: Gracjan Kraszewski
Prerequisite: Must be an Honors Student
The Novel and the Modern World
This course investigates the themes of utopia, dystopia, hope and existential crisis from the birth of modern nationalism and individualism—in the Era of the Dual Revolutions in America (1776) and France (1789)—up to the present day through the medium of the novel. This course treats the pursuit of happiness in America, the rise and fall of the great mass movements of the 19th century (socialism/communism, positivism, scientism and the fin de siècle crisis of reason), and the myriad factors that shaped the turbulent 20th century. How did great literary minds understand/imagine future utopias? What were their critiques, even future warnings, about the cultural flaws of their time? How does fiction assist Americans in reevaluating their own history in ways perhaps unexamined to this point?
Required Course Materials
- More, Utopia
- Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground
- Camus, The Stranger
- Percy, The Moviegoer
- Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest
HONORS 280.1*
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Virtual
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Creative Writing: Fiction, The Short Story
This is a creative writing course that introduces students to the art and craft of short-form fiction writing. We will read, analyze, and discuss award-winning short stories, complete writing exercises, and write two short stories while working to explore and develop short-story craft elements including characterization, point-of-view, dialogue, plot, scene and summary, setting, and the use of metaphorical language and themes. Throughout the semester, each student will have one of their short stories workshopped with written peer reviews and instructor feedback provided. No previous creative writing experience is necessary, although strong general writing abilities are required to do well in this course. This is also a MESI course where you will keep a mindfulness journal that is meant to correlate to your creative work.
Require Course Materials:
- Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, Janet Burroway, ISBN#: 9780226616698
- Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: 50 North American Stories since 1970, 2nd Edition, Michael Martone, ISBN#: 9781416532279
- I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal, The Mindfulness Project, ISBN#: 9780399184444
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 280.2
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Colin Mannex
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
This seminar offers an in-depth exploration of 20th-century American crime fiction, examining how post-war anxieties and shifting cultural norms shaped the era’s most compelling narratives. We will delve into the rise of hardboiled fiction and its impact on popular culture, focusing on Hollywood’s adaptations of James M. Cain’s terse, suspenseful novels and the stylistic innovations of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. Through these works, students will analyze how genre conventions structurally reinforce subtle modernist experimentation. Finally, we will consider the psychological complexity of killers in Dorothy Hughes’ In a Lonely Place and Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, asking: What do these characters reveal about changing expectations for men and women in mid-century America? This course offers a unique lens on crime fiction as a reflection of cultural tensions and transformations, inviting students to engage with both the literary artistry and the sociological insights of this genre.
Required Course Materials
- Double Indemnity & Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, ISBN: 9780679723226 & 0679723218)
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard; ISBN: 0394758285)
- In A Lonely Place by Dorothy Hughes (NYRB Classics; ISBN: 1681371472)
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393332144)
HONORS 280.3
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 9:10-10:25
Instructor: Colin Criss
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Creative Writing: The Sonnet’s Trajectory
In this course, we’ll survey the history of a particular poetic form, the sonnet, with an eye towards its expression in contemporary American poetry. The development of this form reflects the development of poetry more broadly. We’ll begin with sonnets of the Renaissance and read Shakespeare’s work. We’ll glance across the intervening 400 years before focusing on two contemporary collections that reinvent the form for the poets’ own sensibilities.
This is also an introductory creative writing course—we will be learning about the sonnet partly by learning how to write our own sonnets along the way. Initially, we’ll imitate, thinking about common craft elements and poetic techniques. Then, we’ll begin to experiment and innovate. We’ll think about what the sonnet is—what it can do—for us as people and beginning poets. By the end of the semester each student will have written and revised a short collection of sonnets that are unmistakably their own.
Required Course Materials
- Two books of contemporary sonnets, to be indicated at the beginning of the course.
HONORS 280.4
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 1:30-2:45
Instructor: A.J. (Albert) Miller
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
The Beatles: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
“The greatest band to walk the earth.” ~Ozzy Osbourne on The Beatles
“From one generation to the next, The Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time.” ~Dave Grohl
“They blew the walls down for everybody else.” ~ President Barack Obama on The Beatles
“Looking back, The Beatles were four brilliant young men that fate brought together and changed music forever.” ~My mom on The Beatles
The Beatles are still one of the most beloved and enigmatic musical acts of all time. Why do they remain so popular more than fifty years after their dissolution? The music, the personalities, the drama, the art, and the cultural impact continue to inspire not just artists and musicians but people from all walks of life all over the world.
What made them so great? This course will dive deep into the history of The Beatles and look at what inspired them to push the boundaries of musical creation and what their impact on society continues to be. We will explore art, classical music (but not too much!), and political and social situations to see how The Beatles created something unique to them that has not been replicated since.
This course will be heavy on listening to music in order to gain a better understanding of what was so special about their music. The course will culminate in a final project that will have students explore how The Beatles continue to impact music and culture in the modern day.
HONORS 290.1
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: T,TH 2:55-4:10
Instructor: Chris Keane
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
The Power of the Atom
This course will look at the use of the atom for advancing national security, clean energy, and fundamental science from the early 20th century to the present. The course will cover the World War II development of the atomic bomb via the Manhattan Project, nuclear fission as an energy source, and nuclear fusion- the rapidly advancing next stage of commercial nuclear energy. The class will consist of readings, discussions, small projects, and a short-essay final examination. Resources for the course will include Richard Rhodes Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “The Making of the Atomic Bomb,” and the movie “Oppenheimer.”
HONORS 290.2
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: T,TH 12:05-1:20
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
Our Best Friend: The Co-Evolution of Homo Sapiens and Canus Lupus Familiaris
In this course, we will examine the origins of Canus lupus familiaris, the domestic dog. In recent years, researchers have taken a keen interest in our dog companions for a variety of reasons. I am a “dog person”, but as an evolutionary biologist, the wealth of research on domestic dog evolution and artificial selection for the over 200 American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized dog breeds fascinate me. The gray wolf, Canis lupus, is well supported as the precursor to the domestic dog. We will examine if a single wolf stock with introgression/backcrossing was responsible for C. lupus familiaris (i.e. domestic dogs arose then backcrossed with wolves) or if there were multiple origins of domestic dogs from many wolf stocks. We will also investigate the ancient and recent breeds, including the date of origin of the domestic dog, i.e. divergence time between the grey wolf and domestic dog using a molecular clock as one data source. We will also delve into one of the most important relationships in the history of man, the co-evolution of Homo sapiens and C. lupus familiaris, beginning with the ancient relationship between early humans and wolves, C. lupus. Our studies will include selection for canine morphological and behavioral traits and how artificial selection in breeding results in deleterious mutations over time, i.e. inbreeding depression. Other topics will be discussed, including feral dog populations, dog social behavior, domestic dog use in modern medicine, elucidating human mental illness from dogs (e.g. obsessive-compulsive disorder), among many others. According to one researcher…. without the human-dog relationship, society would never have advanced.
Require Course Materials
Texts/books are not required in this course. We will read and discuss the current and seminal peer reviewed literature on each topic and diverse media types will also be assigned, e.g. documentaries, videos, and podcasts.
This course requires oral discussion as a major portion of your grade, which is derived from your class participation. You will be challenged to develop creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and oral communication skills in this course. You must be comfortable in this type of learning environment to succeed in this course.
HONORS 290.3
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: M,W,F 9:10-10:00
Instructor: Michael Allen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
History of Astronomy
This course is about the history of the scientific method as illustrated in the history of western astronomy from the ancient Greeks to Galileo. We will learn how the incomplete method of investigation of the ancients allowed a false model of the celestial realm to propagate forward in time. We will learn about the tension between empiricism and contemplation. We will make a particular study of the Galileo affair, capped by a dramatic reading of Brecht’s 15-scene play, “Life of Galileo”.
This fast-paced course is driven by student seminars interspersed with interpretive discussion and historical readings. Students are graded upon in-class engagement, short weekly assignments, a seminar, a final exam, and an essay.
HONORS 298.1
Approaches to Global Leadership
Meetings: W 3:10-5:00pm
Instructor: M Grant Norton
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student.
Global Leadership
The Honors Global Leadership Program focuses on leadership in a global context in areas that include the demands of world trade, concerns for the environment, and the advancement of technology.
ENGLISH 298.2
Writing and Research Honors
Meetings: M,W,F 1:10-2:00
Instructor: Linda Russo
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student.
Thinking with Plants
Yes, plants – those green beings who manufacture sugar from sunlight and water and without whom life on our home planet Earth would not be possible. In this course, we will familiarize ourselves the interdisciplinary field of Plant Studies and explore our connection to vegetal life. What happens when we regard plants as intelligent rather than dumb, as active subjects rather than inert objects, as teachers as well as being tasty, nutritious, aromatic, beautiful, and healing? What does it mean to regard plants as kin? How do you have an ethical relationship with a plant when you have to eat them? What other topics for research emerge when we put our entanglement with plants front and center?
Required Course Materials:
- The Mind of Plants: Narratives of Vegetal Intelligence
- The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers (9th edition)
- A research and writing notebook
ENGLISH 298.3
Writing and Research Honors
Meetings: T, TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Cameron McGill
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student.
Life Writing & the Resonant Research
Life Writing & the Resonant Research provides foundational knowledge and the related tools in which to engage in personal writing combined with research and analysis in order to draw connections between the personal and public realms. We’ll take a non-traditional approach here. In this class, we’ll explore what it means to write nonfiction essays “creatively” while still engaging in analytical thought and research. We will focus on honing your ability to read and analyze creative nonfiction essays and to understand the techniques employed by writers to achieve their goals of meaning, feeling, and connection to their readers, their own lives, and the world at large. Through reading and a discussion of craft, language, form, and information literacy, we will seek to broaden the range of techniques and styles available in your own writing.
Required Course Materials:
- The Book of Delights, Essays by Ross Gay
- The Backwards Research Guide for Writers by Sonya Huber
ENGLISH 298.4
Writing and Research Honors
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Asynchronous
Instructor: Lauren Westerfield
Writing Fan (Non)Fiction: Exploring Cultural Criticism
This course will explore the art of research-driven pop culture and media criticism, drawing upon our individual and cultural obsessions and loves—bands, artists, celebrities, TV series’, video games, action film franchises, social media and VR platforms, athletes, cultural phenomena, and more—to uncover compelling research questions and unique ways of looking at and understanding the world around us.
Students will read a selection of creative/critical essays (by authors including Claire Dederer, Hanif Abdurraqib, Carmen Maria Machado, Leslie Jamison, Jia Tolentino, Sean Enfield, and Chuck Klosterman) and articles in which art critics, rock critics, academics, gamers, sports journalists, TV and film critics, and creative writers explore the personal and cultural impact of work they love, or love to hate, or can’t quite make sense of. They will then complete generative writing exercises and discussions inspired by their own art and media obsessions, as well as two major assignments—one creative/critical essay, and one research-focused essay—about cultural subjects of their choice.
Throughout the course, we will take a “backwards” approach to research—that is, to paraphrase textbook author Sonya Huber, an approach that centers the student’s life, interests, and perspectives as a jumping-off point for reflection, connection, and inspiration.
This is an introductory but rigorous course designed to familiarize students with college-level writing, research methods, and critical & creative thinking. Minor assignments will be low-stakes and generative in nature, helping students to brainstorm ideas for compelling research topics and practice various modes of academic and personal writing.
Required Course Materials:
- Huber, Sonya. The Backwards Research Guide for Writers: Using your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration. Equinox, 2011. ISBN 9781845534424
HONORS 370.1
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 1:30-2:45
Instructor: Tekla Schmaus
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
Food and Culture
Food and cooking are deeply entwined with so many aspects of human society and culture, and yet we rarely stop to think about what we’re putting in our mouths. In this course, we’ll use food as a lens to focus on different topics in the social sciences. We’ll cover some historical topics: the domestication of plants and animals, the way the spice trade tied into colonization and globalization, and the role of food in industrialization. Then we’ll move on to more contemporary issues like food and the environment and food sovereignty. Throughout the semester, we’ll also think about how food creates family and community, and how it’s used in nation-building. We should also have some opportunities to do some eating and try each other’s cooking.
HONORS 370.2
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Shawna Herzog
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
Global Inequities
The primary objective for this course is to sharpen research and writing skills and hone critical thinking. Using the lens of History, this course examines the role empires have played in the foundations of modern race, gender, and class hierarchies. In addition to a thorough and critical analysis of current secondary scholarship about the formation of inequalities in world history, students in this course will make substantive use of primary source material to develop an independent research project focused on a particular component or aspect of the theme they find compelling.
Nonetheless, regardless of a student’s topic of choice, this is a skills-based course and the reading materials, class discussions, and final research project are all designed to challenge students to develop a topic and research question for any subject; identify, locate, and evaluate appropriate source materials; thoroughly interrogate and critically analyze primary and secondary sources, as well as strategically organize your ideas, build an airtight argument, and draft a clear, concise, and focused thesis.
HONORS 370.3
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 9:10-10:25
Instructor: Jennifer Schwartz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
Crime in the Making
In this course, we will use a sociological lens to investigate criminal behavior. We will examine definitions, patterns, trends, causes, and societal responses to crime across diverse societies. We will analyze crime, data, and explore social factors—such as social-structural conditions, inequalities, cultural norms and social change—that influence both criminal behavior and societal responses to deviance. Using a comparative perspective, we will address underlying reasons why some places experience higher crime rates during some historical period than others. We will focus especially on understanding the elevated violence rates in the United States compared to many other countries. Additionally, we will discuss the various ways in which societies respond to crime and consider the broader implications of these responses for individuals and communities.
HONORS 380.1*
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 1:30-2:45
Instructor: Colin Criss
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
Poetry Outside of English
“Translation of poetry is a utopian project.” -Charles Simic
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.” -Robert Frost
Can you translate poetry? No. Poetry is inseparable from the language and culture that submerge its composition. On the other hand, we must translate poetry if we are to recognize and understand other people, particularly those who do not share our language.
This understanding will motivate our course: translation of poetry is both impossible and necessary. Poetry exists in all parts of the inhabited world. People, wherever they are, make poetry. I believe this adamantly—though we will argue over the definition of “poetry.” In this course, we’ll read widely across modern and contemporary international poetry in translation and think carefully about the cultural contexts of those poems. At the same time, we’ll think about the translation of poems. We’ll do this through practice—each student will begin learning a language that is new to them, and begin to recognize and grapple with, in poems from that language, the impossible choices a translator must make.
We will read translation theory. We’ll read multiple translations into English of the same poem from another language. Students will purchase a book, during the semester, made up of poems in the language they are beginning to learn. From these resources, students will make initial translations of a few poems and formulate their own beginning theory of poetic translation.
Required Course Materials
- Into English: Poems, Translations, and Commentaries
- One book of poetry in another language, to be determined during the course.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 380.2
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 2:55-4:10
Instructor: Raymond Sun
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
What’s in the Name? Remembering Victims of War, Genocide, and Traumatic Events
Mass death through war, genocide, and natural and human-caused disasters is a tragic and recurring feature of our contemporary world. Across time and space, societies have attempted to remember the victims of such calamities, preserve their memory, and give public meaning to their deaths through memorials, performative rituals, art, music, and literature.
This class will explore some leading modes of remembrance, looking at the purpose, design, and reception of examples from around the world that attempt to commemorate the victims of major wars, genocides, terrorist attacks, racially targeted violence, and natural disasters. Students will study textual, visual, and video materials as preparation for a seminar-style, discussion-centered class where we’ll work together to “read” the layers of meaning contained in each example. Students will be required to write short responses to our case studies.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to either do a deep research exploration of a form of remembrance of your choice, or to create your own memorial in textual, video, or graphic form.
HONORS 380.3*
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Virtual
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280
Creative Writing: Memoir & Creative Nonfiction
In this creative writing course we will examine the role of memoir and personal narrative in shaping and defining how we see and experience the world. Through readings and analysis, discussion, and a variety of in-class writing exercises and essay/memoir writing work, we will explore the following questions: As global citizens, how can we represent our own experiences and stories through creative writing in a way that is universally understood and felt? How do we (and the authors we read) define/explore/write about the issues that trouble or fascinate us? What are we (and the authors we read) struggling to make sense of or understand about our own lives and the world around us?
Throughout the semester, we will work on developing the basic craft elements of creative nonfiction and each student will have one of their essays “workshopped” with written peer reviews and oral feedback provided. No previous creative writing experience is necessary, although strong general writing abilities are required to do well in this course. This is also a MESI course where you will keep a mindfulness journal that is meant to correlate to you creative work.
Required Course Materials:
- Tell it Slant, Third Edition, Brenda Miller & Suzanne Paola, ISBN#: 9781260454598
- Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction, Judith Kitchen, ISBN#: 9780393326000
- Into Nature: A Creative Field Guide and Journal, The Mindfulness Project, ISBN#: 9781615194803
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 380.4
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: M,W,F 12:10-1:00
Instructor: Melissa Parkhurst
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
Music and the Mind
An exploration of the role music plays in every aspect of our life, from biological evolution to our own mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
HONORS 390.1
Case Study: Global Issues in the Sciences
Meetings: Asynchronous
Instructor: Julie Menard
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
Throughout Earth’s history, geological events (asteroid impacts) and natural hazards big and small (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, climate change) have had an impact on humankind and society. Through group work, we will research, analyze and discuss specific events, dating back millions of years, as well as recent and ongoing events.
HONORS 390.3
Case Study: Global Issues in the Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
The Catastrophe of Man
Imagine living in a future dystopian Earth following the consequences of cataclysmic climate change, disease, food shortages, extinction, de-extinction, bioterrorism, GMOs, and class stratification. The world is reliant on genetically/bio-engineered products, including foods, human organs, medicines, genetically engineered plants and animals, and even beauty treatments generated and marketed by large corporations (the Corpsey Corps), who employ scientists and all the required personnel necessary to market these products. These employees live well in secure, guarded compounds. The remainder of the human population persists outside these pristine, fenced areas at various income levels in the Pleeblands at personal risk. A bio-engineered worldwide plague breaks down the entire infrastructure, killing most Homo sapiens. One man remains, who believes he is the last human, and he becomes guardian to a new, genetically engineered, “human” species known as the Crakers, designed to succeed under Earth’s hostile conditions. In this course, we will explore many issues raised by Margaret Atwood in “Oryx and Crake”, with genetics/bioengineering and climate change at the core of our discussions, all at the scientific, economic, social, and ethical levels.
We will be using an approach called Shared Inquiry/the Socratic Method. Two students will develop a “Basic Question” based on a topic derived from the novel, which you will present to your peers. The two student facilitators can only ask questions to maintain the discussion, as the remainder of the cohort discusses the facilitators’ questions originating from the basic question.
This course requires oral discussion as a major portion of your grade, which is derived from your class participation. You will be challenged to develop creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and oral communication skills in this course. If you are comfortable in this type of learning environment, this course will be a good fit for you.
Black Box Warning: The novel contains language that might be offensive to some students (R-rated).
Required Course Materials
- Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. 2004.
Publisher: Anchor, Reprint Edition
ISBN-10: 0385721676
ISBN-13: 978-0385721677
HONORS 390.4
Case Study: Global Issues in the Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 1:30-2:45
Instructor: Lisa Gloss
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
Proteins: Opportunities for Nature’s Nanotechnology
Proteins are biological macromolecules with an amazing array of functions and beautiful, intricate structures. As the catalysts for nearly all essential biological chemistry, transducers of signals in cells, and the building blocks of cellular architecture, proteins represent the finest nanotechnology that Nature has evolved. The first third of the course will discuss the history of protein science (Nature’s Robots, Tanford & Reynolds required text). The goal is to provide an introduction to protein structure and function for a general, science-literate audience, but also to highlight the history of the scientific method in action – the successful, intentional approaches, as well as the serendipitous observations and lucky accidents that were necessary to decipher key aspects of protein structure, function and design. In latter two-thirds of the course, we will discuss current research that explores: 1) the opportunities for protein nanotechnology in biotechnology and genetic engineering, and 2) the opportunities in medicine for impairing protein function (e.g. blocking viral infection or enhancing immunity to infection) or repairing protein malfunction (e.g. treating amyloidogenic diseases). The course format will be a blend of discussion (in class and discussion boards) and short essays that encourage creative imagining of protein nanotechnology inventions in biotechnology and medicine.
Required Course Materials:
For general reading: “Nature’s Robots: A History of Proteins” by Charles Tanford and Jacqueline Reynolds Oxford University Press ISBN: 9780198606949 Available to read online via WSU Libraries.
Additional readings from scientific literature will be assigned, and available through WSU subscriptions.
HONORS 398.1
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Virtual
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
This is a seminar-style course with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. In the course, you will generate an Honors thesis topic, formulate your thesis question, identify a thesis advisor, and prepare you thesis proposal. We will discuss ways to structure your thesis, perform research, and evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course, we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will present their proposal to the class, and submit a complete proposal—including title, introduction, research question, methodology, and annotated bibliography—as a final product. S/F grading.
HONORS 398.2
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: TH 9:10-10:00
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
This seminar-style course is designed to assist and support you in the development and completion of your Honors College thesis proposal. The course prepares you to successfully complete your final thesis research and presentation requirements of the Honors College. We will perform a step-wise process in the completion of your proposal, from generating preliminary ideas, finding suitable thesis advisors, and submitting a thesis draft, which I thoroughly edit from Introduction through Conclusions to assist in your successful completion and submission of a quality proposal.
During the course, each thesis proposal will be constructively criticized during collaborative peer review sessions. You will give a 10-minute formal presentation on your proposal in class. Your peers will provide feedback on your proposed research following the presentation.
At the end of class, your final thesis proposal will include a Title, Introduction, Research Question/Hypothesis (or Creative Project), Materials and Methods (Methodology), Expected Results derived from your preliminary literature review, Conclusions, and Bibliography/References. You are graded as S/F in this course.
HONORS 398.3
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: W 1:10-2:00
Instructor: Tekla Schmaus
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
This is a seminar-style course with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. In the course, you will generate an Honors thesis topic, formulate your thesis question, identify a thesis advisor, and prepare you thesis proposal. We will discuss ways to structure your thesis, perform research, and evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course, we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will present their proposal to the class, and submit a complete proposal—including title, introduction, research question, methodology, and annotated bibliography—as a final product. S/F grading.
HONORS 398.4
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: T 10:35-11:25
Instructor: Colin Criss
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
This is a seminar-style course with the purpose of assisting and supporting each participant in completing his/her Honors thesis proposal. In the course, you will generate an Honors thesis topic, formulate your thesis question, identify a thesis advisor, and prepare you thesis proposal. We will discuss ways to structure your thesis, perform research, and evaluate the information you obtain in relation to your chosen topic. During the course, we will discuss and constructively support and critique projects as they develop in the proposals. Each student will present their proposal to the class, and submit a complete proposal—including title, introduction, research question, methodology, and annotated bibliography—as a final product. S/F grading.