2018 E-term Bulletin

11 Podcasts are digital audio files made for widespread distribution. There are thousands of high quality podcasts available for free on virtually any topic imaginable, and the best ones are great entertainment and also excellent ways to learn. For this project, we will listen to a wide variety of science- themed podcasts (ca. 50h total), then discuss themwith each other in the class and online (both via blogs of our own creation and on the websites of the podcasts themselves, ca. 50h). For their project, students will also plan, record, edit, and produce one podcast episode on topics of their own choosing (which will take approximately 50h to create). Each episode will be 20–60minutes long and will be available for public listening on podcast- sharing sites. The class may take field trips to different locations to help students gather material for their podcasts. Estimated Student Fees: $20 BI*E299*10 Tough Choices: Ethical Questions in Biology and Medicine Melanie Styers and Megan Gibbons Prerequisites: None Open To: All Students Grading System: Letter Max. Enrollment: 16 Meeting Times: M Tu WTh9:00 am–12:00 pm As our scientific and technological capabilities have increased, so, too, have the ethical dilemmas that arise as a result of these advances. In this project, students will explore the scientific basis underlying controversial issues faced by scientists and medical professionals. Students will then critically analyze the ethical, moral, and legal implications for society. Topics will include issues related to medical ethics, including genetic testing, informed consent, and end-of-life decisions, as well as other hotly debated scientific issues such as climate change and genetically-modified organisms. Students will lead and participate in class discussions and activities based on the readings. They will be evaluated on class participation, weekly 2-3- page critical reflection papers, and a final 5-10-page research paper and 15-minute presentation focused on a scientific issue of the student’s choice. BI*E299*11 The Yeast Orphan Gene Project Pamela Hanson Prerequisites: BI 125 or BI 110 or HON 126 Open To: All Students Grading System: Letter Max. Enrollment: 12 Meeting Times: M 3:00 pm–4:00 pm, Tu WTh 10:00 am–12:00 pm and 1:00 pm–4:00 pm The genome of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was fully sequenced over 20 years ago. Although researchers have learned a great deal about yeast in the intervening years, hundreds of yeast genes have yet to be assigned a function. Thus, students enrolled in this project will engage in computer, library, and laboratory research to contribute to a grant- funded, inter-institutional initiative aimed at assigning functions to these so-called “orphan” genes. Students will work in small groups to present a published scientific article to the class, to present weekly research updates, to post relevant data on a project wiki, and to craft a poster they will present at Honors Day. Estimated Student Fees: $100 BUSINESS BA*E299*12 Business Internships Paul Cleveland Prerequisites: None Open To: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors Who Have Secured an Internship Grading System: S/U Max. Enrollment: 30 Meeting Times: TBD by student’s employer Students will identify and secure an internship with a business or organization (for-profit or non-profit). Students are expected to devote 150 hours to completion of the project. Students will keep and turn in a journal of their experiences and make weekly reports to the instructor. In addition, students will arrange for their supervisors to provide an evaluation of their performance to the instructor. Students should secure an internship before seeking instructor approval for registration. Students will read a business book, write a review, and write a final reflective paper. BA*E299*13 The Fringe Benefits of Failure Brad Spencer Prerequisites: None Open To: All Students Grading System: Letter Max. Enrollment: 20 Meeting Times: MW F 11:00 am-2:00 pm The “play not to lose” mentality has never yielded great results. “Playing to win” requires informed risk-taking that will, despite the best analysis, lead to the occasional failure. Yes, failure WILL happen to you. It might be of your own making, or it might be visited upon you. How will you respond? The instructor has experienced both unlikely successes and gut- wrenching failures. Learn from both his wins and losses. The materials for the class will address both personal and entrepreneurial risk-taking. We will use Peter Thiel’s Zero to One , Whitney Johnson’s Disrupt Yourself , and Megan McArdle’s The Upside of Down . TED Talks and YouTube videos are liberally sprinkled throughout the project. Entrepreneur, in native French, literally means “bearer of risk.” You will meet several. During class we will have visiting speakers who share their stories … from a successful entrepreneur who founded and is growing a multi-state franchised business to an inspirational businessman who battles an addictive personality and is working to win every day. With each speaker the student is offered a transparent view into a real life and the analysis that the speaker has undergone to get to where he or she is. ris e 3