Course Catalog: Summer 2020

In this project-based laboratory course students will learn to appreciate the power of using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living (non-parasitic) microscopic nematode (roundworm) to address real-world biological questions. Students will learn about the anatomy, development, life cycle and reproduction in C. elegans by performing a genetic cross accompanied by readings from the WormBook (online review of nematode biology). [click to learn more]

Everyday our environment and our bodies are exposed to a staggering number of xenobiotic, or foreign, compounds. Some compounds are toxic products of industrial materials, while others are designed to be pharmacologically advantageous. In this course, we will introduce students to the current understanding of many well-known toxicants, including PFAS, asbestos, lead, BPA and more. By delving into real-world examples, such as the Flint Water Crisis and vaping, we will highlight the biological and environmental effects of chemical exposures. [click to learn more]

Burden of proof? Presumed innocent? Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt? Is it your desire to be a crime scene investigator (CSI), medical examiner, or an expert in any other forensic science related field? Are you naturally curious? Can you piece together clues to solve a problem? This course will help hone your investigative skills and review a wide range of science concepts simultaneously. The course focuses on the skills and concepts behind crime scene investigation and forensic science.

You will be learning many of the concepts that make up the study of "forensic science" including physics, chemistry, anatomy, cell biology, environmental science and math. [click to learn more]

Are you curious as to what it is like to be in a laboratory, working to solve problems in the biomedical field? Have you wondered how scientists work to provide breakthrough products and technologies to improve our environment? This course will immerse you in the laboratory as you learn the basics of biotechnology and gain experience conducting advanced laboratory techniques. Researchers in the field of molecular biology work to understand biomolecular and cellular processes and use that knowledge to develop technologies and products that help improve our lives, our society, and our planet.

Students will learn about DNA, RNA, and proteins and apply this knowledge to laboratory techniques used in the field of Molecular Biology. [click to learn more]

The answers to problems can be found in life all around us! Nature is imaginative, adaptable, and efficient – qualities which inspire today’s engineers and scientists. Biomimicry is the innovation of learning from nature’s sustainable solutions. It is a growing, exciting field of science and engineering that studies nature as a model and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems. [click to learn more]

Imagine for a moment what your world might be like if you could no longer see color, or taste the flavors of food you once enjoyed? Even more peculiar, what if instead of merely seeing color, you could feel, taste, and hear it? We spend the majority of our days exploring and interacting with the world around us. But how are we able to do this so effortlessly, while others struggle? In this course, we will explore the neurobiology of your five senses, and more, in an attempt to answer these questions.

We will start by exploring the brain and our ability to sense, perceive, and respond to stimuli using our sensory and motor systems. [click to learn more]

It’s a common misconception that the only way to get started into engineering and computer science is by having access to a 3D printer or laser cutter, by completing all the lessons on Codecademy, or by having an innate understanding of technical concepts. Such false prerequisites make delving into STEM unnecessarily expensive or overwhelming. In most scenarios, all it takes is a project of interest and the will to learn by doing.

This course is designed for students who enjoy learning by doing. [click to learn more]

This hands-on course is an introduction to biomedical engineering with a focus on neuroscience and instrumentation. Medical devices use a variety of sensors to record signals from the body that are important for understanding and treating diseases. For example, pacemakers are devices that are implanted in the heart to sense and control heart rate. When the pacemaker senses that the heart rate has fallen below a healthy threshold, the device stimulates the heart to control its rate of beating. [click to learn more]

The importance of design practice and developing hands on approaches to solving engineering projects is becoming increasingly important in industry and academia. Multidisciplinary projects are pioneering the way we think and engage with technology. From MIT’s prestigious Media Lab, to Google and Space-X, the future of innovation relies on students with equally creative and analytic backgrounds.

Engineering Design Studio is a course for students who are interested in learning through making. [click to learn more]

Narraganset Bay, Rhode Island’s huge and important estuary, is home to a large community of plants and animals including eelgrass, algae, crabs, fish, and seals. Estuaries, where the rivers meet the sea, are the foundation of life in marine systems and are considered to be one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Today, estuaries are threatened by challenges created by human activities like climate change, invasive species, and impacts to water quality. [click to learn more]

Although not all open problems in mathematics come with a million dollar prize, some definitely do! Math is a changing and growing subject and new discoveries are being made all the time. Through experimentation and with the help of computers, we will discover how research mathematicians draw their conclusions. If we are lucky, we may even solve a million dollar problem!

This course is an overview of the process of mathematical research, from forming the hypothesis to computational tools and types of proofs. [click to learn more]

Have you ever wondered how many crayons you need to color a map of the US so that no state is the same color as its neighbor? Or how many people in your high school are guaranteed to have the same class schedule? Though these questions seem elementary, only those who wield the power of combinatorics may answer them. Learn how to unpack the most difficult problems without the use of advanced calculus or endless calculations - learn the joy of counting!

In this course, students will learn about methods and questions in combinatorics, working both individually and in groups to delve into combinatorial problems. [click to learn more]

This course will provide an overview of Newtonian Mechanics. We will be studying one and two dimensional motion, forces, momentum, energy, rotational motion, periodic motion and light. Starting with the concepts of vectors we will move on to studying Newton's laws of physics. Learning about the conservation of energy and momentum will then lead to the analysis of circular motion. We will learn about periodic motion, waves and light, which will lead to the developments of some concepts in modern physics and electromagnetic theory. [click to learn more]

Strange worlds exist within our solar system. On Saturn's moon Titan, methane falls instead of rainwater. Mars is home to both the deepest canyon and the tallest mountain. Pluto has mountains made of ice that may still be actively forming today.

Humans have explored the Earth and our moon, but the other planets are millions of miles away. How do we learn about them?

Planetary scientists use data collected by spacecraft, rovers, and occasionally astronauts to understand the surfaces and interiors of far-away bodies in our solar system. [click to learn more]

Systems of power and privilege impact us all. Join us in taking a social scientist’s lens to the ever-woven threads of racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, and classism to understand their massive impact on global health and individual implicit biases. The foundation of this course will prepare students with skills to become a critical consumer of social science research. Beyond just learning the science behind these topics, we will promote and explore the concept of cultural humility while facilitating self-awareness. [click to learn more]