Biological anthropology studies the biological diversity of our species and the evolutionary history that has led us to our present condition. The course includes: (1) examination of the genetics underlying evolution and the mechanisms by which change occurs; (2) variation and adaptation among living humans; (3) living primate populations as keys to understanding our evolutionary past; and (4) human evolution. This course is designed to expose students to the breadth of biological anthropology and to prepare them for upper-level classes in anthropology and related disciplines. Enrollment limited to first-year students and sophomores.

This course will primarily focus on the topic of the Neolithic. After reviewing current theoretical views on the beginnings of domestication and sedentism, we will look at the actual evidence from plants, animals, and ecology to assess which theory or theories (if any) best explains this major transition in cultural evolution. Next we will examine early social complexity in Western Asia, focusing on new material from Anatolia. In the third section we will look at the biological and cultural transformations the Neolithic wrought in Europe. Finally, we will look at Neolithic monuments from several perspectives: engineering, social organization, landscape, and ritual. The course will combine lectures, demonstrations, discussions, audio-visual materials, and student presentations. Prerequisite: ANTH 112. Offered every other year.

Ecology is the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and the structure and dynamics of biosphere. Topics will include physiological ecology, population ecology, competition, predator-prey systems, mutualism, succession, energy and nutrient dynamics, and the ecology of communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere. We will explore the influence of humans on natural systems. Students will use theoretical models and primary literature to supplement the text, lectures, and discussions. Prerequisite: BIOL 115 or permission of instructor. BIOL 229 is highly recommended.

This course examines techniques for studying ecological principles in the field and laboratory, with primary emphasis on terrestrial systems. Students will learn experimental design, sampling protocols, and quantitative methods including spatial analysis with geographic information systems. Topics include limits to distribution, interactions with the physical environment, population dynamics, species interactions, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Studies will include physically demanding field work in local habitats in varying weather conditions. Prerequisite: BIOL 109Y-110Y and BIOL 115 or permission of the instructor. Prerequisite or corequisite: BIOL 228.

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and wetlands. Human activities have had profound impacts on freshwater life and an understanding of the dynamics of freshwater systems is instrumental in determining how to protect and restore these habitats. We will examine the physical, chemical, and biological factors influencing biological diversity and productivity, and will emphasize the application of ecological principles to study these systems. Possible topics include the effects of agricultural run-off and eutrophication; erosion resulting from human development; the introduction of non-native species; toxic contaminants; and restoration techniques. Standard texts as well as primary literature will be used. May be offered in alternating years. Prerequisite: BIOL 115 and at least one biology lecture course at the 200 or 300 level.

This course provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental concepts, theories, and methodologies of chemistry. Topics may include stoichiometry, theories of molecular structure and bonding, the periodic table, acid-base chemistry, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics. This course provides a basis for the further study of chemistry. The format is lecture and discussion. Prerequisites: for first-year students, chemistry readiness test and survey; none for other students.

This course provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental concepts, theories, and methodologies of chemistry. Topics may include stoichiometry, theories of molecular structure and bonding, the periodic table, acid-base chemistry, chemical equilibria, and thermodynamics. This course provides a basis for the further study of chemistry. The format is lecture and discussion. Prerequisites: for first-year students, chemistry readiness test and survey; none for other students.

This course covers a full year of chemistry in one semester, and is designed for students with previous study of chemistry. We will explore and review key principles and methods from both CHEM 121 and CHEM 124. Pre-requistie: Placement exam. Corequisite: CHEM 123.

This lecture course offers a study of the chemical and physical properties of organic compounds. Theoretical principles are developed with particular emphasis on molecular structure and reaction mechanisms. The descriptive aspects of organic chemistry include strategies for synthesis and the study of compounds of biochemical interest. Prerequisites: CHEM 126, or permission of department chair. Also requires a grade of C+ or higher in CHEM 121 or CHEM 122.

This laboratory course introduces fundamental methods of purification such as extraction, distillation, recrystallization, and column chromatography. Experiments include the isolation of a natural product, oxidation and reduction reactions, and an examination of E1 and E2 reactions. Compounds are identified and assessed for purity by melting point determination, refractometry, gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Corequisite: CHEM 231.

This laboratory course introduces fundamental methods of purification such as extraction, distillation, recrystallization, and column chromatography. Experiments include the isolation of a natural product, oxidation and reduction reactions, and an examination of E1 and E2 reactions. Compounds are identified and assessed for purity by melting point determination, refractometry, gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Corequisite: CHEM 231.

This laboratory course introduces fundamental methods of purification such as extraction, distillation, recrystallization, and column chromatography. Experiments include the isolation of a natural product, oxidation and reduction reactions, and an examination of E1 and E2 reactions. Compounds are identified and assessed for purity by melting point determination, refractometry, gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Corequisite: CHEM 231.

Is your water safe? How do you know what compounds are in your water, food, body, and local environment? How do you measure and quantify these compounds? How do you convince yourself that your measurements are valid or invalid? CHEM 341 is a hybrid lecture/laboratory course on the theory and practice of quantitative chemical analysis. Students will apply fundamental principles of measurement, instrument design, and data analysis to instrumental methods. After applying these principles to a sequence of laboratory experiments, students will then develop and evaluate their own instrumental methods. Topics include spectroscopic, electrochemical, and chromatographic methods. According to student interest, additional topics may include environmental analysis, biochemical assays, food quality, and consumer safety. Prerequisite: four semesters of CHEM lab or permission of the instructor.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

This course studies issues of economic choice, economic efficiency, and social welfare. The course presents theories of consumer and producer behavior and shows how these theories can be used to predict the consequences of individual, business, and government actions. Topics covered include opportunity cost, the gains from trade, supply and demand analysis, and price controls; consumer choice; production and cost; product pricing, market structure, monopoly power, and government regulation; resource conservation, and pollution. This course is required of students who major in economics.

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the principles of sustainable agriculture through hands-on experience on local farms and through readings of current literature. The course thus combines fieldwork and seminar-style discussion. Work on the farm will be varied, determined by the seasons and farm projects under way. In addition, students may be taken to the local Producers Livestock Auction and other off-farm sites as the time and season allow. Students can expect to handle and feed animals, clean barns, harvest and plant crops, prepare farm products for market, build and repair fences, bale hay, and work with, repair, or clean equipment and buildings. Readings will be drawn from relevant books, current environmental literature, and the news media. Discussions will be student-led and combine readings and their experiences in the field. There are no prerequisites for this course, although completion of ENVS 112 is strongly encouraged. However, students must have available in their academic schedule four continuous hours one day per week to spend working at a local organic farm (travel time will be in addition to these four hours). In addition, students will participate in a weekly seminar discussion of assigned readings, lasting from an hour and a half to two hours. Participation is limited to eight to ten students, and permission of the instructor is required. Preference will be given to upperclass students. Offered every fall.

This course is for all students interested in improving their spatial literacy, or the ability to use spatial information to communicate, reason, and solve problems--in this case environmental problems, nearly all of which have a spatial component. Following a review of maps (coordinate and projection systems, cartographic principles, etc.) we will survey a number of online mapping applications (e.g., Google Earth) and use these to produce informative maps. We will also explore the nature of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and how data can be collected in the field for future analysis and presentation. The focus of the course will eventually settle onto the nature of computer-based geographic information systems (GIS) and the ways in which this powerful suite of tools can be used to analyze geographic data, model spatial processes, and make informed decisions. Lectures will introduce fundamental concepts such as scale and resolution, the nature and structure of spatial data models, and the construction of GIS queries. A series of laboratory case studies will present real-world applications of GIS while offering students opportunities to apply the fundamental concepts discussed in lectures. Prerequisites: sophomore standing or above and permission of the instructor.

The central question in ethics is "How should I live my life?" This course explores this question by examining major ethical traditions such as honor ethics, Stoicism, Aristotelian virtue ethics, utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, and Nietzsche's genealogy of morality. The emphasis is on classical texts, as well as their connections with our contemporary life. This course is suitable for first-year students. Offered every year.