Philosophy

Course Description: Almost from the moment in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was ratified, the interpretation and application of the First Amendment has been called into question.  One of those rights, to “freedom of speech,” has grown more and more complex as speech has found more and more media by which to transmit itself.  Questions have emerged that the men who penned the Bill of Rights could not have imagined in their wildest dreams.  This course will explore censorship and free speech issues through the lens of the television program South Park.  The contrasting views of Plato and John Stuart Mill will provide a framework by which students will assess their own opinions on censorship and free speech.  By the end of the course, students will be able to clearly articulate their own arguments about the First Amendment’s trickiest phrase, “freedom of speech.”  (Warning: Some may find the videoclips from South Park offensive.)

From Heina : I am an Irvine native and a third-year English and Philosophy major at UC Irvine.  I am on staff for UCI’s Telephone Outreach Program where I work with other students to promote awareness and support for UCI.  I have been teaching SAT preparation since 2007.  After graduation, I plan to enroll in a credentialing program and teach English Literature at the high school level.

Imperial Heroes:
The Dynamic Individual and the British Empire
Jeffrey Schauer with Dr. Douglas Haynes
Tu 11:00-11:50 am, DBH 1420
Course Code 87603

Course Description: This seminar will interrogate the idea of the 'imperial hero' in the British Empire during the late Victorian era, working to situate the dynamic individuals we will encounter in their historical context by examining a number of case studies through the lens of several themes.  Reading requirements will be fairly modest, a single 3-5 page paper will be required, and whilst there are no prerequisites, students should be enthusiastic and willing to participate in discussion.   

From Jeffrey: I am a fourth year history and anthropology major, and my own interest, drawing on research I conducted whilst studying in London, is in the wildlife preservation movements in the British colonies in East Africa and in Britain itself in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  I am currently researching the intersections of 'imperial conservation', 'imperial masculinity', and the commemoration of war dead in the person of F C Selous, a British explorer, settler, hunter, soldier and naturalist. 

Course Description: This class will attempt to present a geographically and chronologically diverse survey of ghost stories by American writers, with the goal of analyzing both the ghost as a literary figure as well as the “haunted” aspects of American identity. By the end of the class, students should have had the opportunity to consider questions such as: Is there a standard American ghost story? What versions of the past are presented, and what is left out? How do different stories deal with the problematic figure of the ghost? What is its literary purpose or merit? And how is a literary ghost different (or is it?) from a pop culture or folklore ghost? Students will hopefully also gain some familiarity with different theories of haunting, and we will discuss the importance of location, memory, and community in all the stories we read. There will be one 3-4 page paper due tenth week, and students will be required to briefly present their paper topic to the class.

No prerequisites needed other than an interest in the subject matter and a willingness to participate in class discussions.

From Tracy: Hello! I’m a fourth year English and International Studies major. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been fascinated by ghosts, and in college I was pleasantly surprised to find that academics of all sorts are fascinated by them too! I’ve just started working on a senior thesis exploring spectrality in several Asian narratives dealing with post-WWII traumas. My other academic interests include ancient Greek drama and language, psychoanalysis, the fantastic and the uncanny, urban spaces, and cultural production. In my spare time I enjoy partaking in delicious foods, drinking tea and wine (not at the same time), speculating about the mysterious lives of professors, and obsessively visiting CuteOverload.com.

Course Description: Biological modeling is an exciting and rapidly growing field. In this  course we will explore the biological, mathematical, and computational  techniques used in modeling through the context of a particular  process: tumor development. The goal of the course is to provide  students with a global picture of modeling that is accessible to  students from both the biological and physical sciences. Depending on  student interest, we can explore more advanced techniques such as  modeling nutrient flow and the graphics programming required to  facilitate an effective model.

From Aaron: I am a fourth-year majoring in computer science and engineering,  mathematics, and biology. Research in the biological sciences is  becoming increasingly dependent on technological developments. Over  the past three years I have worked on several bioinformatics projects  including imaging, sequence analysis, and modeling. My personal goal  for this course is to present the knowledge that I have gained while  working on a tumor growth model as part of a two-year project with the  mathematics department.

Course Description: To fully comprehend the world around you, it is advantageous to be familiar with where your information comes from.  The Middle East is a hotbed of turmoil; it seems that the media dwells more on that region than any other part of the world.  The problem is that much of the coverage of the region, regardless of whether it is produced in the West or Muslim world, features biased and inaccurate information that bombard viewers, listeners and readers. This seminar hopes to help us understand what are the most common of these biases and misperceptions and what may account for them.

From Zeyad: I am merely a facilitator and my main objective is to generate interest and concern, strongly stirred by my curiosity and fascination with the Middle East and the intricacies of its various viewpoints.  I am a senior Literary Journalism major, and have completed the requirements for the Middle East certificate, which has endowed me with a modest expertise as well as an endless hunger for others’ ideas. 

Course Description: This class is for Harry Potter fans who are interested exploring the extraordinary diversity of biology using the science/magic of the Harry Potter books as a point of departure for the weekly discussions. We will discuss such topics as how Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans work and how werewolves can exist in the Muggle world. We will be discussing such topics through scientific articles and the book, " The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works" by Roger Highfield. A wide range of scientific topics are covered in an intriguing manner, and it could especially prove appropriate as a means for introducing a Harry Potter-crazed person to the wonders that exist in our own world, without having to take a trip to Hogwarts.

From Au-Co: I am a 4th year Microbiology & Immunology major. I am currently researching with Dr. Imagawa about the survival and efficacy for treatments of Liver and Pancreatic Cancer. I am also vice-president of M.E.M.O (Medical, Educational Missions and Outreach) and I am on the board for Alpha Epsilon Delta. I am obsessed with anything that has to do with Harry Potter. I read the books many times and is always first in line for the movies. I also attended a Harry Potter convention, Lumos 2006! I also have a strong interest in Biology, more specifically, into diseases (microbial, parasitic, and viral).

Course Description: Physics and dance are two academic topics seldom mentioned in the same sentence.  Many people believe that physics and dance are completely unrelated and that a study of the connections between the two would be futile.  Is there really a connection between two seemingly opposite areas of study?  Why is this connection interesting and how might it be helpful?  This seminar will examine the application of physics to technical aspects of dance and to choreography in an attempt to provide answers to these questions.  Both the use of Newtonian mechanics to execute and explain movement, enhancing physical capabilities of the body, and the consideration of physics as a creative inspiration will be studied.  Time permitting, modern theories in physics such as entropy, special relativity, and quantum mechanics may also be discussed.  Class meetings will use a blend of lecture, discussion, and movement to provide a full experience with the material.  Students will have in-class opportunities to explore the concepts of force, energy, and momentum in dance and choreography through guided improvisation and movement experimentation.  Analysis of physical demonstrations and videos of choreographic works will also enhance the classroom environment.  Students will also discuss broader dance theory and evaluate the usefulness of physics for the dancer independently. 

From Caitlin: I am a third year dance and physics major.  Having studied dance since the age of three, my primary dance training is from the Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland, focusing on the Vaganova method of ballet, but I have significant training in modern, jazz, and ballroom, as well as experience in flamenco, character, improvisation, and choreography.  I am currently on the committee of Bare Bones Dance Theater and I have been teaching ballet for three years.  Having followed my interest in physics and its various applications to dance, I have come to believe that a conceptual understanding of physics is invaluable to the experience of a dancer in any style, from classical ballet to ballroom.  I look forward to your ideas on the subject.

Course Description: This seminar will examine the various ways politics affects health policy.  Policy can improve the health of millions, but it can also result in more barriers to those who are desperately seeking better health.  We will critically examine various health policy topics including: access to fresh produce, open parks and spaces in Santa Ana, California healthcare reform and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, trends in demographics changes and policy implications, rise in chronic illnesses, and international health policy topics such as access to clean water, infant mortality, and HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and malaria.  Students will gain a better understanding of current and past policy debates through policy analysis.  The seminar will include readings, discussions, videos when available, and interactive policy debate activities.  For students interested in learning more about public health policy and current topics, this seminar will be an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of selected health policy debates.

From Allen: As a senior Public Health Policy student, I am very excited to share my interest health policy through this seminar.  I am currently the co-president of the Public Health Association at UCI, resident advisor at Campus Village, and Campus Liaison Chair for the American Public Health Association – Student Assembly.  Areas of interest include: health disparities (cancer); public health infrastructure and capacity building, especially in China and North Korea; partnerships between community groups, NGOs, and government entities; and increasing public health workforce and recruiting more professionals.  I am currently interning at Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance and hope to intern in Sacramento this summer to work on health policy issues before starting a MPH program.

Course Description: Why do doctors make mistakes? What ethical assumptions make us put our lives in the hands of medical science? How is our understanding of medicine naive, flawed, or even incorrect? This course attempts to show students a view of medicine through the lens of skeptical inquiry. We will address the characteristically uncertain nature of medicine at the heart of its science, and its direct practice. By attaining a greater understanding of the dubious nature of medicine throughout the past and even today, we may catch a glimpse of the immensely complex, unique, and even heroic feats doctors and others in healthcare must perform every day.

From Shamik: I am a 4th year Biology major with an avid interest in medicine and healthcare reform. I currently work at the UCI Center of Health Policy Research and am conducting my own research on ethnic/racial disparities in healthcare. Many of my opinions about our own medical practice come from learning about that of others in the world while I was traveling abroad in South America. Aside from all that, I sing, play guitar, violin and string bass, and enjoy performing covers and my own music in odd places.

Course Description: Through this course, students will gain a basic knowledge of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) techniques such as massage therapy,
acupuncture, biofeedback, yoga, etc., and the philosophies behind these
practices. All topics will be critically examined through recent
scientific evidence-based outcomes. A major point of interest will be the
implications of CAM on public health policies.

From Jessica: I am a fourth year PSB major. Prior to attending UCI, I graduated from
Healing Hands: School of Holistic Health as a massage therapist. My main
area of interest is health psychology, and I am currently conducting
research pertaining to "cultural effects on the outcome of trauma
writing." I work at LARC where I have tutored Intro to Psychology (P9) and
Environmental Analysis and Design (E8).