NST1011: Astrobiology

4 foundation liberal arts credits

Introduction to the new science of astrobiology, study of the origin and evolution of life on Earth, and the search for microbial and intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. Study of the information necessary to make estimates of the probability of extraterrestrial life, what characteristics it might have and how we might expect to communicate with it if it exists.

Prerequisites: None

NST2070 Astrobiology and the Emergence of Complex Systems
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsThe prospects for simple and intelligent life beyond earth are discussed in terms of planetary science, molecular biology, complexity theory, evolution and thermodynamics. Discussions will focus on the processes leading to the emergence of complex systems as well as the biological and physical interdependencies of life and the environment.

Prerequisites: NST10XX

NST1010 Astronomy
4 CreditsThe evolution and structure of the universe are explained using underlying basic physical principles along with the historical development of our present understanding. We will explore the instruments and data collection techniques used by astronomers and learn how they can be applied to solve problems in other disciplines.

Prerequisites: None

ART1175 Beginning Painting Watercolor and Acrylic
4 General CreditsThis is an introductory level course designed to bring students through basic aspects of drawing in a wide range of media. No previous experience is required. Issues such as line, tone, mark making, gesture form, light sources, figure/ground relationships, and perspective to overall compositions will be addressed separately and in the many ways that they relate to one another in a drawing. Students will draw observationally from life and from their own drawings, learning how to use each of these concepts as tools in order to draw and see more analytically. We will work with a wide range of materials from basic graphite pencils and charcoal to ink washes, conte crayon on gesso treated paper, silverpoint, collage, and printmaking. Slides of various artists' work will be discussed in relation to concepts and processes explored in class. Student work will be discussed in group critiques with full class participation. Students should be committed to expanding their skills and can expect project deadlines. There will be some expense for materials.

Prerequisites: None

SCN3600: Biomimicry Applying Natures Design for Business

4 advanced liberal arts credits

In this course we will investigate the tools and principles of biomimicry, which seek to sustainably solve current challenges by taking inspiration from how nature solves these same problems. Nature provides us with an incredible amount of research and development for effective problem-solving methodologies with the ultimate test for organisms being survival of the fittest. For the past 3.8 billion years, life has evolved strategies that are constantly integrated and optimized to create conditions conducive for life to continue. Successful examples of biomimicry include something as simple as Velcro (imitating burrs that stick to sheep) to cutting edge advancements like a bionic leaf producing hydrogen fuel from sunlight (imitating photosynthesis) and medical grade internal adhesives (imitating how mussels adhere underwater).

In this course we will begin by exploring design principles in biology, chemistry and physics and applying them to specific technological design strategies by asking questions like "How does nature make color?" and "How does nature water-proof something?" Then we will explore ecological design principles to understand how we can use nature's strategies of interconnectedness and cycling as a way to solve problems in businesses and organizations and move toward the circular economy. This course will emphasize the development of skills in critical thinking, synthesis of information, scientific literacy, hand-on exercises, and current topical issues in biomimicry.

Prerequisites: NST1XXX

CSP2030 Black American Music
(Formerly CVA2030 African American Music in the U.S.)
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts Credits

This course surveys music created by and about African Americans from the 19th century to the present, including spirituals, gospel, ragtime, blues, jazz, classical, R&B, rock and roll, soul, funk, disco, and rap. The course will emphasize: (1) African origins, and the historical and sociocultural contexts in which African American musical styles developed; (2) nontechnical musical analysis of the works studied; (3) the reciprocal relationships between African American music and other American music; and (4) the ways in which music participates in and shapes our national perceptions of and debates over race. No musical background required.

Prerequisites: (FCI1000 or AHS1000) and (WRT1001or RHT1000)

LTA2031 Top Performers: Business in American Drama
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsEver since Willy Loman walked on stage with his sample cases in Arthur Miller's 1949 masterpiece Death of a Salesman, it has been thought axiomatic that American playwrights have painted a bleak portrait of sales professionals in particular and businesspeople generally. But a close look at American dramatic treatments of business shows something more complicated. Over the past century American playwrights have located in the world of business and the world of drama a shared preoccupation with the sometimes tricky distinctions between word and act, authenticity and performance, the _real_ and the symbolic. This course will look at a selection of American plays from the early twentieth century to the present, focusing on those plays' treatment of business and economic life. In addition to close scrutiny of dramatic texts and theatrical performances, we will also explore the role of performance in business. In other words, we'll look at both business in American drama and drama in American business. Your performance will be assessed through two papers, a mid-term and a final exam.

This course is typically offered in the following semesters: Fall

Prerequisites: (FCI1000 or AHS1000) and (WRT1001or RHT1000)

NST2030 Case Studies in Biomedical Science
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsAn in-depth study of the process for developing and commercializing biomedical technologies. The course explores understanding the role of translational research as a foundation for diagnostic and therapeutic products. The mechanisms underlying selected biomedical devices will also be described.

Prerequisites: NST10%

QTM2000 Case Studies in Business Analytics
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsThis course builds on the modeling skills acquired in the QTM core with special emphasis on case studies in Business Analytics - the science of iterative exploration of data that can be used to gain insights and optimize business processes. Data visualization and predictive analytics techniques are used to investigate the relationships between items of interest to improve the understanding of complex managerial models with sometimes large data sets to aid decision-making. These techniques and methods are introduced with widely used commercial statistical packages for data mining and predictive analytics, in the context of real-world applications from diverse business areas such as marketing, finance, and operations. Students will gain exposure to a variety of software packages, including R, the most popular open-source package used by analytics practitioners around the world. Topics covered include advanced methods for data visualization, logistic regression, decision tree learning methods, clustering, and association rules. Case studies draw on examples ranging from database marketing to financial forecasting. This course satisfies one of the core requirements towards the new Business Analytics concentration. It may also be used as an advanced liberal arts elective or an elective in the Quantitative Methods or Statistical Modeling concentrations.

Prerequisites: QTM1010 (or QTM2420)

NST2060 Case Studies in Drug Development Systems
4 Intermediate Liberal Arts CreditsDrug development is a dynamic, multidisciplinary industry that encompasses the discovery, scientific, clinical and economic assessment of a new compound's safety, efficacy, potential side effects and requires the collaboration and innovation of scientists, chemists, clinicians, statisticians, lawmakers, business leaders and entrepreneurs. Over the last 30 years, the idealized goal of drug discovery has been to identify a specific chemical substance that is highly specific for a single molecular target and arrests or stems the advancement of disease. Although the goal is highly specific and the process seems linear, there are many contributing, and often unforeseen factors that inform drug design, the drug development pipeline and the eventual success or failure of a given drug candidate. In this course, we will take a systems approach to identify and describe all of the contributing elements of identifying, characterizing and bringing a drug to market, to define the physiological, biological, economic and regulatory systems that characterize the process and to outline the social, economic and environmental considerations of a sustainable and productive model for drug development.

Prerequisites: NST10XX (NST 1)