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 2024
HONORS 201.1*
MESI Workshop Series
Meetings: W 5:10-6:00
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 201.2*
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 course runs from January 30 to April 9.
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Compassion in Action
Students will develop their academic, personal, and professional skills through community engagement and critical reflection. 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. There will be class discussions, guest speakers, and interactive workshops during class time. Students’ complete readings and assignments before the class and discuss major themes or topics during class. We discuss how students can create positive social change and review topics including but not limited to reciprocity, equity, human rights, advocacy and activism, civic leadership, social justice, civil discourse, environmental justice, socioeconomic status, and discrimination. This course fulfills one credit of the Community Engagement requirement for Honors students in the Mindfulness-based Emotional and Social Intelligence (MESI) certificate program.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
Donahue, D. & Plaxton-Moore, S. The Student Companion to Community-Engaged Learning, D.M. Donahue and S. Plaxton-Moore, Sterling, VA, Stylus (2018)
HONORS 212.1*
Active and Immersive Community Engagement
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Asynchronous
Instructor: Jessica Perone
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student, Must have taken Honors 211
Students will engage in 45 hours of community service (approximately 3 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 fulfills one credit of the Community Engagement requirement for Honors students in the Mindfulness-based Emotional and Social Intelligence (MESI) certificate program.
*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
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 from burials about individual identities? 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
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: W 1:10-3:40
Instructor: Phyllis Erdman
Prerequisite: Must be an Honors Student
The course is designed with an interdisciplinary focus to help students explore various topics and current research related to human-animal interactions. Examples of topics include the benefits of animal assisted interventions, how to assess animal behavior, ethics of animal research, homelessness and pet ownership. The seminar will include lectures by various faculty, and class discussion and participation. The class will meet over zoom and will include interactions with students from Colorado State University.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
*ECONS 198 can be substituted for HONORS 270. Please see the schedule of courses for the two sections of that course. Honors students can self-enroll into this course.
HONORS 280.2*
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Asynchronous
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 you creative work.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required 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
HONORS 280.3
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: M,W,F 10:10-11:00
Instructor: William Hamlin
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Twice-Told Tales: Classical & Biblical Stories in Later Retellings
This class will explore several important narratives from the Hebrew Bible and the Greco-Roman classical tradition, investigating how they were altered or transformed during the European Renaissance and later. In a unit called “Journeys and Homecomings,” for instance, we’ll start with Homer’s “Odyssey” and then follow it with Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Penelopiad,” which offers a very different perspective on the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus: the perspective, that is, of Penelope, his long-suffering wife. Similarly, in “Coping with the Fall” we will read the Book of Genesis and then move to such literary retellings as John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and Andrew Marvell’s “The Garden.” Finally, our unit entitled “God + Suffering = The Problem of Evil” will start with the Book of Job and then turn to two English tragedies, Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” and Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Students in this class will be expected to participate vigorously in many discussions (both in class and online through Canvas), to take a number of reading quizzes, to write a research-based argumentative essay of roughly 10-12 pages, and to complete a take-home comprehensive exam.
| Required Course Materials: |
| HONORS-280-2024.desc.pdf |
HONORS 280.4
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 9:10-10:25
Instructor: Colin Criss
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student
Poetry Writing and STEM
In my time teaching poetry writing, I’ve found that undergraduates who are STEM majors often make terrific poets. Why is that? These students tend to think and know poems slightly differently than humanities students do—and sometimes, that can be a great advantage in approaching the reading and writing of poetry.
This will be an introductory poetry writing course specifically geared towards STEM students. Throughout the semester, we will try to bridge thinking in the sciences and thinking in poetry… we’ll approach poems with many different epistemological perspectives, continually complicating what we believe poems can do.
I say “we” very carefully—I am not a STEM person, and I think that I’ll learn a lot from this course. Part of reading and writing poems is challenging your own assumptions and biases—I will try to do this throughout our course.
This will be a reading and writing course centered around the creative writing workshop—we will read essays about epistemological approaches in STEM fields, and we will simultaneously read packets of classic and contemporary poems. We will write many poems, continually trying to undermine our own understandings of what a poem can be, and what a poem can do. We will discuss our own poems in weekly workshops, wherein we will discuss what our poems are trying to do, and how they are trying to do it. The writing will often feel experimental, in a scientific and artistic sense.
If you are not a STEM major, you are equally welcome in this course!
Required Course Materials:
Two books of contemporary poetry, TBD.
HONORS 280.5
Contextual Understanding in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 1:30-2:45
Instructor: 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 pm
Instructor: Mary Kay Patton
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
The Art and Science of Human Flourishing
Throughout human history, various cultures have contemplated the question of human “flourishing:” an existence filled with deep satisfaction, well-being, resilience, and accomplishment. In this class, students will explore key ingredients of flourishing and the skills that contribute to its
realization. This course will introduce perspectives from the humanities and the sciences about what it means to live a life well lived. Students will be invited to come to their own understanding of flourishing that embraces both individual uniqueness as well as commonalities shared across and within diverse cultures and contexts. The course will include training in various practices—such as mindfulness—that help develop the qualities and skills that can contribute to a flourishing life. Each week we will explore a specific theme, with the goal of facilitating expanded self-awareness, enhancing social connectivity, and finding purpose and passion in your studies, your lives and your future careers.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
HONORS 290.2
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: T,TH 10:35-11:50
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
The Hungry Plague
Two bestselling novels by MR Carey, the first in the “The Hungry Plague Series,“ depict the following: a future dystopian Earth caused by a worldwide plague due to a highly infectious fungal pathogen, resulting in the total demise of Homo sapiens as we define our species. We will examine how near human extinction occurs and evolution/natural selection operates in this post-apocalyptic environment.
The Netflix series “The Last of Us”, which is based on the video game of the same name was produced and developed, respectively after the publication of MR Carey’s novels. If you’ve watched the series or played the game, they have the same premise and are based on the same fungal pathogen.
In this course, we will use Shared Inquiry/the Socratic Method to assess the bridge between MR Carey’s bestselling novels, “The Girl With All The Gifts” and “The Boy on the Bridge” and the evolutionary processes driving the fungal pathogen, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which at its core, is the fundamental element in the novel and the primary force behind the downfall of our species.
We will spend the first third of the term examining evolutionary patterns and processes in an in-class discussion format reading essays from Stephen J. Gould’s “Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History” as you read the novels. Subsequently, we will break into Shared Inquiry/Socratic Method discussion for the remainder of the term. Two students will develop a “Basic Question” based on an evolution/natural selection/biological topic derived from the novels, which you will present to your peers by facilitating a discussion. The two student facilitators can only ask questions to maintain the discussion, as the remainder of the cohort discuss 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 in-class contributions. You will be challenged to develop creative and critical thinking, information literacy, and oral communication. If you are not comfortable in this type of learning environment, you should not enroll in the course.
Required Course Materials:
Black Box Warning: The novels contains language that might be offensive to some students (R-rated).
The Girl With All The Gifts, MR Carey, Publisher: Reprint Edition. 2015.
ISBN-10: 0316334758
ISBN-13: 978-0316334754
The Boy on the Bridge, MR Carey, Publisher: Orbit Reprint Edition. 2018.
ISBN-10: 031600349
ISBN-13: 978-0316300346
Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History, Stephen J. Gould, Publisher W.W. Norton and Company. 1993.
Free pdf download:
https://www.docdroid.net/wx3my2U/eight-little-piggies-stephen-jay-gould-pdf
HONORS 290.3
Science as a Way of Knowing
Meetings: M,W,F 3:10-4:00
Instructor: Michael Allen
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student. Any B, BSCI, P, PSCI, or SCI lab or concurrent enrollment.
History of Western 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.
Required Course Materials:
Life of Galileo, by Bertolt Brecht (Penguin edition trans. Willett) ISBN 978-0-14-310538-1 is available at the bookstore. Free versions can be found online.
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.
HONORS 370.2
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 370.3
Case Study: Global Issues in Social Sciences
Meetings: M,W,F 10:10-11:00
Instructor: Shawna Herzog
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 270 or ECONS 198.
Systemic Inequalities
This three unit course uses the lens of History to examine the foundations of modern systemic inequalities. The concepts of social egalitarianism and “universal human rights” are relatively recent historical phenomena. Since the emergence of the world’s first civilizations societies have used religious, political, and/or cultural ideologies to justify, litigate, and enforce systemic social and cultural hierarchies. Some argue these hierarchies are basic ‘human nature,’ or unavoidable consequences of modern mass society, while others assert that this only reinforces oppressive systems of inequality and are strategically constructed for utilitarian purposes. This course examines histories of the foundations of gender, race, and class systems within in ancient, medieval, and modern periods to better understand current societal divisions and inequalities around the world. In addition to a thorough and critical analysis of the current scholarship about the formation of inequalities in world history, students in this course will make substantive use of primary and secondary source material to develop an independent research project focused on a particular component or aspect of systemic inequality. The reading materials, class discussions, and the final research project are all designed to encourage students to be curious about the historical foundations for the social and cultural structures around them; it challenges students to critically examine these internal structures, use evidence to draw comparisons between systems, and evaluate the impact systemic inequalities have had on modern society.
HONORS 370.4
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, a Sociological Perspective
This course delves into the world of criminal behavior, using sociology as a lens to explore its definitions, patterns, trends, causes, and societal responses across diverse societies. We aim to demystify crime’s complexities by understanding why certain societies experience higher crime rates, the factors underlying criminal behavior, and the mechanisms societies employ to address and mitigate crime. The course will consider the influence of social factors to examine how different societies define crime. Students will analyze crime patterns and trends using statistical data. The course will also explore contributing factors to crime, spanning different regions but with particular focus on understanding the higher violence rates in the United States compared to elsewhere. Additionally, we will discuss the various ways societies respond to crime and consider the implications of these responses for individuals and communities.
HONORS 380.2*
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.
Irish Poetry : Crossings
Irish poetry, it seems, is always at a crossing. I say this in two senses—poems in Ireland are always trying to move across something perilous, and poems in Ireland are always facing a choice, as at an intersection.
In this course, which will be largely a survey of contemporary Irish poetry, we will think about the intersections of many things with poetry: history, politics, violence, colonization, globalization, nationality, and so on. We’ll read pre-modern and modern Irish poems as a foundation, and begin to think about what an Irish poem is. Then, we’ll think about 21st century Irish poems, and what influences they lean into and lean away from.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
This course will require the purchase of 3 books of poetry, and will be accompanied by many packets of poems, as uploaded to Canvas.
• Annemarie Ní Churreain, Poison Glen.
• Stephen Sexton, Cheryl’s Destinies.
• Nithy Kasa, Palm Wine Tapper and the Boy at Jericho.
HONORS 380.3
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: T,TH 2:55-4:05
Instructor: Raymond Sun
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
What’s in a Name? Remembering Victims of War, Genocide, and Traumatic Events
“Why remember? Because we owe it not only to the living, but also to the dead. If we forget, the dead will be killed a second time, and then they are today’s victims.” – Holocaust survivor, writer and public intellectual, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel (2011) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjW5kRQR810
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 380.4*
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
(online course through WSU Global Campus)
Meetings: Asynchronous
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.
*This course qualifies as credit for the MESI Certificate.
Required Course Materials:
1. Tell it Slant, Third Edition, Brenda Miller & Suzanne Paola, ISBN#: 9781260454598
2. Short Takes: Brief Encounters with Contemporary Nonfiction, Judith Kitchen, ISBN#: 9780393326000
3. Now Write! Nonfiction, Sherry Ellis, ISBN #9781585427581
4. Into Nature: A Creative Field Guide and Journal, The Mindfulness Project, ISBN#: 9781615194803
HONORS 380.5
Case Study: Global Issues in the Arts and Humanities
Meetings: M,W,F 2:10-3:00
Instructor: Samantha Noll
Evolution 2.0: Ethical Implications of Emerging Biotechnology
Scientific and technological innovation in biotechnology is advancing at breakneck speed, with exciting new developments ranging from gene editing and regenerative medicine to the de-extinction of entire species, such as the woolly mammoth. In fact, new biotechnologies have produced nothing short of a revolution, both in our capacity to manipulate living things from single plant cells to human nature itself, but also to manufacture brand new life forms. These emerging technologies and their application promise an array of individual and societal benefits, but they also raise concerns, such as the genetic manipulation of future generations, targeted modification of agricultural seeds and breeds, and the extension of the human lifespan. History reminds us that no matter how good the science, biotechnology is subject to the effects of broader sociopolitical and ethical phenomena. This course will introduce students to select biotechnological innovations and invite sustained consideration of the diverse ethical and social implications surrounding their development and potential use. It is organized by topic and covers many aspects of biotechnology, including those that relate to animals, plants, microbes, human health, agriculture, medicine, and the environment.
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 280.
Required Course Materials:
Required Textbooks: None, as all readings will be provided via Canvas.
HONORS 390.1
Case Study: Global Issues in the Sciences
Meetings: M,W,F 11:10-12:00
Instructor: Julie Menard
Impacts of Geological Events and Natural Hazards on Society
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. We will research, analyze and discuss specific events, dating back millions of years, as well as recent and ongoing events.
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; HONORS 290, SCIENCE 299, CHEM 116, MATH 182, PHYSICS 205, or PHYSICS 206.
HONORS 390.3
Case Study: Global Issues in the Sciences
Meetings: T,TH 12:05-1:20
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 not comfortable in this type of learning environment, this course is likely not 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: Nature’s Nanotechnology
Proteins are biological macromolecules with an amazing array of functions and beautiful, intricate structures. As catalysts for nearly all chemistry essential for life, transducers of signals in cells, and the building blocks of cellular architecture, proteins represent the finest nanotechnology that Nature has evolved. This course will begin with a discussion of 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 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 the second half 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: Asynchronous
Instructor: Annie Lampman
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
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: W 10:10-11:00
Instructor: Joanna Schultz
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
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 398.3
Honors Thesis Proposal Seminar
Meetings: W 1:10-2:00
Instructor: Tekla Schmaus
Prerequisite: Must be a current Honors student; sophomore standing.
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.
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.