Sophomore College Courses and Faculty

2012 Course Descriptions and Faculty

American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century

Political Science and Institute for International Studies
Prerequisites: None

Nearly 20 years after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States confronts a dizzying array of foreign policy challenges. The world in which we find ourselves is complex, contradictory, and highly uncertain. What role can and should the United States play in such a world? What are the major international challenges with which U.S. policymakers and the American people will have to contend in the immediate future and over the longer term? Given that the power of the United States is limited, how should we determine our priorities? Under what conditions should the United States be prepared to use force, and when is force inappropriate? What lessons have we learned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Can—and should—the United States provide the kind of global leadership that our political leaders tell us that we must? In this course we will explore the substance of U.S. foreign policy as well as the political considerations that influence both the making and the actual conduct of American diplomacy. Topics will include the challenges to policy associated with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, failing and failed states, and regional, interstate, and intrastate conflict. We will also examine how the changing distribution of power in the international system is likely to impact the United States and its allies. Finally, we will consider how domestic political considerations influence both the framing and the implementation of this country’s foreign policy. In addition to the readings, students, operating in teams of three, will research and write a short policy memorandum on a topic the instructor designates. Students, each of whom will be assigned a particular role, will also take part in a 48-hour crisis simulation at the end of the course.

Professor Chip Blacker is Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, as well as holding other endowed positions at Stanford. As special assistant to President Clinton for National Security Affairs, he oversaw implementation of U.S. policy toward Russia and the New Independent States and advised on matters relating to the former Soviet Union.
Professor Blacker’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Biography in History, Fiction, and Elsewhere

History
Prerequisites: None

How biographers, novelists, critics and others have written about the rhythms of life – the lives of the famous as well as the obscure -- will be explored in this course. Biographical writing can be frivolous, but at its best it has the capacity to undercover so much of life’s richness, complexity, and confusions. We’ll study biography with the use of some of the most resonant, compelling examples of the genre. Together we’ll read books about poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, Henry James’ Aspern Papers, the brilliant novel on biographical writing, A. S. Byatt’s Possession, and Norman Mailer on Marilyn Monroe. How one chooses one topic over another; the differences and similarities between the representation of lives in fiction and biography; the benefits and pitfalls of an intense identification with one’s own subjects – these and other matters will be examined. We’ll meet in San Francisco with local writers wrestling with issues of this sort, and students will be encouraged to try their hands at writing about lives based on research, personal observation, or both.

Professor Steven Zipperstein, Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History, has written and edited many books including two prize-winning biographies, Elusive Prophet: Ahad Ha’am and the Origins of Zionism, and Rosenfeld’s Lives: Fame, Oblivion and the Furies of Writing. He has taught at Harvard, Oxford, and Cornell as well as at universities in Russia, Poland, France, and Israel.
Professor Zipperstein’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Mammals

Comparative Medicine
Prerequisites: Animal dissection will be required.

This course will introduce students to common laboratory, domestic, and exotic mammals through lectures, dissection labs, and student presentations. Using a comparative approach, we will investigate the unique adaptations of species in terms of their morphological, anatomical, and behavioral characteristics. We will study how these species interact with their own and other species (including humans) and discuss basic evolution and the devastating impact of habitat destruction on wild animals. This class will provide students with a deeper appreciation for the diversity of the mammalian orders, along with the fundamentals of comparative anatomy, physiology, and basic dissection techniques. In addition to dissection labs, Dr. Bouley has a large collection of skulls, bones, and plastinated organs that will facilitate learning mammalian anatomy. A field trip to a local zoo will enable students to appreciate behavior and locomotion of assorted mammals in their “native” habitats. Course assignments: There will be one exam, one short presentation on an evolutionary topic, and one final PowerPoint presentation on a human/animal or animal/animal interaction or conflict. The presentations will highlight animals from the students’ assigned mammalian orders.

Professor Donna Bouley is a Professor of Comparative Medicine and a veterinary pathologist. For the past 14 years, she has provided pathology expertise to researchers in many departments in the medical school. In addition to teaching Comparative Anatomy to undergraduates, she also mentors the ever-growing population of pre-veterinary students at Stanford.
Professor Bouley’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Conservatism and Liberalism in American Politics and Policy

Political Science; Hoover Institute; Political Science
Prerequisites: None

What influence do political ideologies have in American politics and government? In this course, students will study liberal and conservative ideology in American politics and public policy from the mid-20th century onward. The course begins with an examination of ideology in the American public and then considers ideology among political activists and elected officials, focusing on members of Congress and the president. The course will also cover the ideological polarization of political elites and its impact on the policy-making process. In the final part of the course, through a series of policy case studies, students will also evaluate how well certain public policies have met the ideological goals of their liberal and conservative sponsors. The course will included several lunches and dinners with guest speakers.

Professor David Brady is the Bowen H. and Janice Arthur McCoy Professor of Political Science and Leadership Values in the Stanford Graduate School of Business and professor of political science. He is also deputy director and Davies Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Brady is an expert on the U.S. Congress and congressional decision-making.
Professor Brady’s Bio Page

Professor Morris Fiorina is the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. An expert on elections, public opinion, and the U.S. Congress, his research focuses on legislative and electoral processes with emphasis on the ways in which political institutions and procedures facilitate or distort the representation of citizen preferences.
Professor Fiorina’s Bio Page

Tammy M. Frisby is a Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution. She also teaches in the political science department and in the university’s public policy program. She studies both national and state politics.
Tammy Frisby’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Darwin, Evolution, and Galapagos

Anthropology and Human Biology
Prerequisites: None required, but previous coursework in evolution and/or conservation is a plus.

The tiny remote islands of Galápagos have played a large and central role in the study of evolution. Not surprisingly, they have also been central to the study of conservation. The fascinating adaptations of organisms to the unique ecosystems of the archipelago have left them particularly vulnerable to outside introductions. Drawing on lessons learned in Galapagos from Darwin’s time to the present, this seminar explores evolution, conservation, and their connection in the Galapagos. Using case-study material on finches, iguanas, tortoises, cacti, Scalesia plants, and more, we will explore current theory and debate about adaptation, sexual selection, speciation, adaptive radiation, and other topics in evolution. Similarly, we will explore the special challenges Galápagos poses today for conservation, owing to both its unusual biota and the increasing human impact on the archipelago. This course includes an intensive eleven-day expedition to Galápagos to observe firsthand the evolutionary phenomena and conservation issues discussed in class. A chartered ship will serve as our floating classroom, dormitory, and dining hall as we work our way around the archipelago to visit as many as ten islands. For this portion of the class, undergraduates will be joined by a group of Stanford alumni and friends in a format called a Stanford “Field Seminar.” Because our class time on campus is limited to one week before travel, students will be required to complete all course readings over the summer. Both on campus and in South America, the course emphasizes student contributions and presentations. Students will be asked to lead discussions and carry out literature research on the evolutionary and conservation biology of particular Galápagos species. The final assignment for the seminar is to complete a seven- to ten-page paper on the evolutionary biology and conservation challenges of a particular organism or adaptation and to present the main findings of that paper in a joint seminar of undergrads and alumni as we travel in Galápagos. Note: Students will arrive on campus and will be housed at Stanford until we leave for Galápagos. Travel to Galápagos will be provided and paid by Sophomore College (except incidentals) and is made possible by the support of the Stanford Alumni Association Travel/Study Program and generous donors. Students will return to campus late afternoon or evening on Sunday, September 23, the day before the fall term begins.

Click here to experience the 2009 Galapagos trip!

Professor Bill Durham received his Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the University of Michigan before joining the Stanford faculty in human biology and anthropology. His current research focuses on conservation and development issues in Galápagos, Costa Rica, and the Amazon. Durham has led 22 previous trips to Galápagos, including 10 Field Seminars.
Professor Durham’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Economic Policies of the Presidential Candidates

Department of Economics and SIEPR
Prerequisites: Economics 1A or equivalent.

This course will look at the performance of the economy over the past twenty years with particular attention to the past four years. Macro-economic data such as the unemployment rate, the inflation rate, the rate of productivity growth, and the budget deficit will be reviewed. The performance of financial markets will be examined, along with issues such as job creation and the outsourcing of work overseas. The economic outlook and budget documents of the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget will be evaluated. There will be some emphasis on such spending categories as Social Security, Medicare, and defense. We will include a brief overview of U.S. tax policies. With this overview of the economy and its problems as a backdrop, we will invite the economic advisors of the two major presidential candidates to address the class. We will take a trip to Washington D.C. and meet with political and economic policy leaders. There will be a required paper and an oral presentation in which students evaluate particular programs or proposals. We will try to avoid strictly political debates and stick to economic and political economy analyses.

Professor John Shoven is the Charles R. Schwab Professor of Economics and the Wallace R. Hawley Director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He has published over 100 articles and written or edited 20 books, and is chairman of the board of Cadence Design Systems and on the boards of American Century Funds, Financial Engines, and Exponent, Inc.
Professor Shoven’s Bio Page

Professor Greg Rosston is Deputy Director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Public Policy program. He teaches in Economics and Public Policy and is on the advisory boards of the Stanford Federal Credit Union, the Nepal Youth Foundation, and Sustainable Conservation. Dr. Rosston received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and served as Deputy Chief Economist at the FCC.
Professor Rosston’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Energizing a Sustainable Future

School of Engineering (emeritus)
Prerequisites: Concern about your generation’s energy legacy and future
Important: This course meets in Washington DC on September 6th.

The economic advancement, social equity, and planet earth habitat of your and future generations depend in major part on preparing for sustainable supply and efficient use of energy. The objective of this course is to provide a foundation for your future scholarship and action to increase energy sustainability. We will explore three major energy activities: development of fossil and renewable resources; conversion to useful forms; and use in buildings, transportation, and industry. All are strongly influenced by the energy markets, technologies, and policies that we will also study. Our quest for a sustainable energy future will begin at Stanford’s Bass Center in Washington D.C. and conclude back on the Farm. This will allow access to policy makers and major organizations along with plans for major improvements to Stanford’s energy system and buildings. The course requires: query responses on the readings in advance of class sessions; participation in morning class discussions and afternoon activities with key energy players; in teams of two, analysis of a self-selected topic related to an energy market or technology; and a group course project to analyze an energy policy or proposal. It is offered for two units with Satisfactory/No Credit grading. Students cover their own travel to the Bass center and arrive by 5 p.m. on September 6. The program will cover your travel to campus on September 16. Students planning to observe religious holidays during September Studies should check with the instructor to work through potential conflicts.

Professor Bob Tatum joined Stanford in 1983 and is Obayashi Professor of Engineering Emeritus. His background includes work on military infrastructure and power plant projects, and teaching and research related to building systems and industrial construction. He enjoys mountain biking in the Bay Area, backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, and analyzing technological advancements for motor sports and sailing.
Professor Tatum’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Environmental and Geological Field Studies in the Rocky Mountains

Environmental Earth System Science
Prerequisites: None

The ecologically and geologically diverse Rocky Mountain area is being strongly impacted by changing land use patterns, global and regional environmental change, and societal demands for energy and natural resources. This field program emphasizes coupled environmental and geological problems in the Rocky Mountains, covering a broad range of topics including the geologic origin of the American West from three billion years ago to the present; paleoclimatology and the glacial history of this mountainous region; the long- and short-term carbon cycle and global climate change; and environmental issues in the American West related to changing land-use patterns and increased demand for its abundant natural resources. These broad topics are integrated into a coherent field-study as we examine earth/ environmental science-related questions in three different settings: 1) the three-billion-year-old rocks and the modern glaciers of the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming; 2) the sediments in the adjacent Wind River basin that host abundant gas and oil reserves and also contain the long-term climate history of this region; and 3) the volcanic center of Yellowstone National Park and the mountainous region of Teton National Park, and the economic and environmental problems associated with gold mining and extraction of oil and gas in areas adjoining these national parks. Students will complete six assignments based upon field exercises, working in small groups to analyze data and prepare reports and maps. Lectures will be held in the field prior to and after fieldwork. Note: This course involves one week of backpacking in the Wind Rivers and hiking while staying in cabins near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Students must arrive in Salt Lake City on Monday, September 3. (Hotel lodging will be provided for the night of September 3, and thereafter students will travel as a Sophomore College group.) We will return to campus on Friday, September 21.

Professor Page Chamberlain received his Ph.D. in Geology and Geophysics from Harvard in 1985. He is a professor in the Department of Environmental Earth System Science. His research is in isotope biogeochemistry. He has worked in the Rocky Mountains, Tibet and the Himalayas, and the S. Alps of New Zealand.
Professor Chamberlain’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Face of Battle

Department of Political Science, Freeman Spogli Institute-CISAC
Prerequisites: None

Our understanding of warfare often derives from the lofty perspective of political leaders and generals: what were their objectives and what strategies were developed to meet them? This top-down perspective slights the experience of the actual combatants and non-combatants caught in the crossfire. This course focuses on the complexity of the process by which strategy is translated into tactical decisions by the officers and foot soldiers on the field of battle. We will focus on three battles in American history: Gettysburg (July 1863), the Battle of Little Bighorn (June 1876), and the Korengal Valley campaign in Afghanistan (2006-2010). In addition to reading major works on these battles and the conflicts in which they occurred, we will travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the Little Bighorn battlefield in Montana. The course’s battlefield tours are based on the “staff rides” developed by the Prussian Army in the mid-1800s and employed by the U.S. Army since the early 1900s. While at Stanford, students will conduct extensive research on individual participants at Gettysburg and Little Bighorn. Then, as we walk through the battlefield sites, students will brief the group on their subjects’ experience of battle and on why they made the decisions they did during the conflict. Why did Lt. General Longstreet oppose the Confederate attack on the Union Army at Gettysburg? What was the experience of a military surgeon on a Civil War battlefield? Why did Custer divide his 7th Cavalry troops as they approached the Little Bighorn River? What was the role of Lakota Sioux women after a battle? Travel will be provided and paid by Sophomore College (except incidentals) and is made possible by the support of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). The course is open to students from a range of disciplines; an interest in the topic is the only prerequisite.

Professor Scott Sagan is the Caroline S.G. Munro Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. He is a specialist on nuclear weapons and international security and the recipient of four major teaching awards. His distant relative, Major General George E. Pickett, led the final Confederate charge at Gettysburg.
Professor Sagan’s Bio Page

Joseph Felter is a senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). He is a specialist on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. Before coming to Stanford, he served as a career U.S. Army Special Forces officer with operational combat deployments to Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Joseph Felter’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Ghost Stories: Why the Dead Return and What They Want from Us

Comparative Literature
Prerequisites: None

Ghost stories haunt our imagination. When the dead return they may scare us or warn us, they may pursue us with violence or burden us with sorrow. They shock us with the “boo” of surprise, just as they frustrate us by their elusiveness. Blood-chilling stories terrify us, but they also provide entertainment. The ghost story is one of the most enduring genres, from classical literature to popular film. Yet behind the door of the story lurk both anxiety and wisdom: anxiety about our own mortality and wisdom about the cultural place of the past, between memory and regret, mourning and forgetting. The undead point to what we have not accomplished, just as they direct us—since the ghost of Hamlet’s father—toward deeds. In this seminar, we will explore some of these ghostly ambitions. During the summer, in preparation for the seminar, students will read selected stories and novels and post comments to the course website. When we convene in September, we will discuss the summer findings and proceed to examine a selection of novels that explore ghosts and hauntings. Texts will include Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Peter Straub’s Ghost Story, and others. We will also spend some dark and stormy nights with ghost films and even follow the trail to some hauntings at Stanford and in the Bay Area. Students are expected to participate regularly in the CourseWork discussion forum and work in small groups with other course members to discuss and present readings.

Professor Russell Berman studies the interconnections among literature, culture, and politics, especially from Germany but internationally too. Our modern world that prides itself on progress can be a frightening place, often haunted by the past: this makes ghost stories more than just entertainment; they tell us about our present.
Professor Berman’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Good Food, Fast Cars, Great Spaces: Creative Connections between Architecture, Cooking, Photography, and Design

Architectural Design Program
Prerequisites: Some drawing experience would be ideal but not required

Why is it that architects almost routinely share passions for cuisine, vehicles, photography, and sailing? Many chefs were trained as architects, most architects are excellent cooks and photographers, and a stunning number of architects own boats. This course will explore the key design ideas, notions of creativity, and interest in form that thread through each of these professions. The first half of the course will focus on readings and discussion about creativity and form; the second half will test a single conceptual idea through a series of projects in two or three fields. Possible field trips may include a visit to Tesla, America’s Cup events in SF, Baume (2 Michelin Star restaurant in Palo Alto), IDEO, and architecture firms.

Professor John Barton is Director of Stanford’s Architectural Design Program. He is an award-winning local architect who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from UC- Berkeley. He combines teaching and an active professional practice with significant community service. He loves cooking, design, cool cars, and travel.
Professor Barton’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Hip Hop as a Universal Language

School of Education
Prerequisites: None

This seminar-cipher considers the prospect of “Hip Hop as a Universal Language.” Hip Hop Culture has captured the minds of youth "all around the world, from Japan to Amsterdam" (like the homie Kurupt says), shaping youth identities, styles, attitudes, languages, fashions, and both physical and political stances. The field of global Hip Hop studies has emerged as scholars around the world grapple with what is arguably the most profound cultural, musical, and linguistic youth movement of the early 21st century. Participants in this seminar-cipher will be engaged in critical discussions around a particular constellation of concerns: Hip Hop Cultures, youth identities, the politics of language, race, and ethnicity, and the simultaneous processes of globalization and localization. Through the examination of various texts (scholarly readings, documentary films, guest speakers and artists), we span the Global Hip Hop Nation – through scenes as diverse as Hong Kong’s urban center, Germany’s Mannheim inner-city district of Weststadt, the Brazilian favelas, the streets of Lagos and Dar es Salaam, and the hoods of the San Francisco Bay Area – to explore Hip Hop’s global linguistic flows.

Professor H. Samy Alim is Director of the Institute for Diversity in the Arts. He writes about Hip Hop Culture extensively in Roc the Mic Right (Routledge, 2006) and Global Linguistic Flows (Routledge, 2009). Alim has lectured on Global Hip Hop Cultures throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
Professor Alim’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Language, Identity, & The Power of Public Discourse

School of Education
Prerequisites: None

Have you ever engaged in a conversation with someone who sounds different than you expect? This course explores instances like those that highlight the interaction between language and identity and its implications for learning. The theme of language and identity emerges as significant because of the subtle yet powerful impact it has on our cultural interactions. We have an inherent expectation of how we expect people to communicate. Yet, do these expectations interfere with teaching and learning practices? Many individuals take seminars and classes that focus on teaching professional modes of communication and discourse. This course will offer a detailed examination of scholarship that investigates the power of the subtle messages embedded in language. In addition, to gain a sense of the power of these interactions in practice, we will engage in the following research activities: (a) Participants will engage in school site visits to examine these interactions in practice; (b) Participants will engage in critical interviews of broadcasters at a local television station to discuss the role of language and identity in their presentation; and (c) We will visit a recording studio to discuss the role of language and identity with local hip-hop producers and artists.

Professor Bryan Brown is an Associate Professor of education. His research focuses on the relationship between students’ language practices and identities and classroom learning. Dr. Brown’s research examines how language is a critical mediator of learning that must be understood in an effort to improve classroom teaching and learning.
Professor Brown’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Learning Theater: From Audience to Critic at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Drama; Continuing Studies and Summer Session
Prerequisites: None

Who doesn’t love going to a play: sitting in the darkened theater, an anonymous member of the audience waiting to be entertained, charmed, and challenged? But how many of us know enough about the details of the plays, their interpretation, their production, and acting itself, to allow us to appreciate fully the theatrical experience? In this seminar, we will spend 13 days in Ashland, Oregon, at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), where we will attend these plays: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Henry V, and Troilus and Cressida; George Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind’s Animal Crackers; the world premiere of Robert Schenkkan’s All the Way; Bill Rauch and Tracy Young’s new adaptation, Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella; the world premiere of Party People, by UNIVERSES; and a new Shakespearean adaptation by Alison Carey, The Very Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa. (To read more about these productions, go to http://www.osfashland.org.) We will also spend time backstage, meeting with actors, designers, and artistic and administrative directors of OSF. Students will read the plays before the seminar begins. In Ashland, they will produce staged readings and design a final paper based on one of the productions. These reviews will be delivered to the group and turned in on Thursday, September 20. Note: This seminar will convene in Ashland on Monday, September 3, and will adjourn to Stanford on Sunday, September 16. Students must arrive in Ashland by 4:00 p.m. on September 3. Room and board in Ashland and transportation to Stanford will be provided and paid for by the program.

Professor Alice Rayner teaches dramatic literature and theory in the drama department, where she has been the Department Chair for the past year. Her interests include the phenomenology of theater, as well as comedy, genre theory, and rhetoric. She has taught freshman seminars on Shakespeare as interpreted on stage and in film. Her published books include Comic Persuasion; To Act, To Do, To Perform: Drama and the Phenomenology of Action; and Ghosts: Death’s Double and the Phenomena of Theatre.
Professor Rayner’s Bio Page

Linda Paulson is Associate Dean and Director of Stanford’s Master of Liberal Arts Program. She received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UCLA and has taught at Stanford since 1985. Her research focuses on the Victorian novel and on the development of a British woman’s novel. In 1989, she received Stanford’s Dinkelspiel Award for Distinctive Contributions to Undergraduate Education. She frequently lectures for Stanford Travel/Study groups in England and France and has been taking Stanford undergraduates to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival since 1995.
Linda Paulson’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Lives of Consequence

Graduate School of Business
Prerequisites: No prerequisites other than great interest in the topic!

This course examines how exceptionally creative individuals from a variety of domains (including the arts, sciences, politics, technology, and society) found a sense of purpose in their lives and then successfully pursued that purpose. In the creative domain, for example, we examine the lives of filmmaker George Lucas, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, lifestyle designer Martha Stewart, and master chef Thomas Keller. In the political sphere, we examine the lives of Margaret Thatcher, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy. We also explore the work of individuals engaged in philanthropic efforts around the globe, including Melinda Gates and Paul Farmer. We complement the study of these individuals, and others, with a variety of readings from the social science literature on happiness, meaning, and creativity. Students interested in psychology, philosophy, creativity, the arts and sciences, or business should find the course particularly useful and engaging. Students, working individually and in small groups, will have a chance to apply the course concepts to their own lives, using a series of reflective writing exercises. Students will complete an independent research project on a topic or person of interest to them. They will make a presentation to the class on the basis of their research. The course is designed to be highly discussion-oriented and interactive. Students may take this course for either a letter grade or on a pass/fail basis. Letter grades for the course will be based upon the quality of the independent library research and class presentation, along with the quality and consistency of class participation. Both components (research and class participation) are equally weighted.

Professor Rod Kramer is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Business School. He has written over one hundred articles and books on topics such as creativity, decision-making, leadership, power, and trust. He has taught and lectured around the world at Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and the London Business School.
Professor Kramer’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Measles and Sneezles and Things That Go Mumps in the Night

Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Prerequisites: Strong motivation to learn and have fun.

Until recently, measles was one of the leading causes of death in the world. Contributing to its feared reputation is the fact that measles is the most contagious disease agent ever studied. This course will look at measles and its relatives in the paramyxovirus family, including mumps, respiratory syncytial virus, hendra, and nipah as well as a number of important animal pathogens. We will use the paramyxoviruses as a paradigm to gain general insights into the nature of viruses. We will look at 1) the history of this devastating group of pathogens; 2) basic aspects of paramyxovirus taxonomy and molecular virology; 3) viral epidemiology, emergence, and eradication including the pioneering studies of Peter Panum; 4) the use, misuse, and abuse of science; 5) the interactions between pathogen and host and how this interplay leads to disease including the appearance of a bizarre brain complication with 100% mortality; and 6) the politics and economics of infection. We will devote a fair bit of time to examining how a putative link between the measles vaccine and autism entered the public eye, and how it refuses to disappear - despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Field trips will focus on historical aspects of measles as well as current research into the ways in which paramyxoviruses can be detected and controlled. Guest speakers will include experts in public health, clinical medicine, and the economics of disease, as well as representatives from the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Class time will be devoted to lectures, discussions, and student presentations. Students will also be expected to write a brief policy paper and contribute to the class blog and the class Twitter account. No science background is necessary and all majors are welcome, but you will encounter a fair bit of biology necessary to make informed policy choices.

Robert Siegel M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, the Program in Human Biology, and the Center for African Studies. He teaches classes on virology, Darwin, international health, and photography, and has won numerous teaching and advising awards including the Gores Award and the ASSU Teaching Award.  He was a Stanford undergraduate and earned two of his four graduate degrees at Stanford (M.A. in education and M.D.).

Professor Siegel’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Mixed Race in the New Millennium: Crossings of Kin, Culture, & Faith in the 21st Century

English
Prerequisites: None

Recently, a New York Times article identified the vanguard of the future as young, global, and hybrid. The article gave this demographic a name: Generation E.A. (Ethnically Ambiguous). Our course examines the political and aesthetic implications of Generation E.A. We will look at the hot new vogue for “mixed race,” examining contemporary images of mixed race as represented in literature, art, performance, film, Internet, and popular culture. Galvanized by the 2000 census with its offer of a “mark one or more” (MOOM) racial option to check, mixed race advocates have acquired legal leverage and national recognition in the last decade. Dozens of organizations, websites, affinity and advocacy groups, modeling and casting agencies, television pilots, magazines, and journals--all focused on the mixed race and cross-cultural experience--have emerged in the last few years. Clearly all these cultural and legal events are changing the way we talk and think not only about race but also crossings and mixings across gender, nation, religion, and socioeconomic experience. Assignments explore the current controversies over mixed race identification and also the expressive and political possibilities for representing complex identities: requirements include three two to three-page analytical writing assignments and an individualized project. (Students can choose two options for this project: artistic project or written narrative.)

Professor Michele Elam is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor of English and past Director of the Program in African & African American Studies. She is the author of Race, Work, and Desire in American Literature, 1860-1930 (Cambridge University Press, 2003) and The Souls of Mixed Folks (Stanford University Press, 2011), and is currently working on a book on post-race and post-apartheid performance in the U.S. and South Africa.
Professor Elam’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Natural History, Marine Biology, and Research

Hopkins Marine Station
Prerequisites: A spirit of adventure and a beginner’s mind

Monterey Bay is home to the nation’s largest marine sanctuary and also home to Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station. This course, based at Hopkins, explores the spectacular biology of Monterey Bay and the artistic and political history of the region. The course focuses on issues of conservation, sanctuary, and stewardship of the oceans and coastal lands. We will meet with conservationists, filmmakers, artists, authors, environmentalists, politicians, land-use planners, and lawyers, as well as scientists and educators, to learn what is being done to appreciate, protect, and study the coastline and near-shore waters at local and national levels. We will take a look at the discipline of marine biology to discover the range of topics and methods of research it embraces and to help define some of the larger issues in biology that loom in our future. The course emphasizes interactions and discussions between individuals, groups, and our guests; it is a total immersion experience. We will be together all of the time, either at our base at the Belden House in Pacific Grove or hiking and camping in Big Sur. Students are expected to have read the several books provided as introductory material before the course begins, and each is also expected to become our local expert in an area such as plant identification, bird identification, poetry, weather prediction, photography, history, ethnography, etc. The course requires an individual research project of your choice on a topic related to the general theme. Final reports will be presented at the last meeting of the group and may involve any medium, including written, oral, and performance media. Note: This course will be held at the Hopkins Marine Station in the Monterey region, and housing will be provided nearby. Transportation from campus to the housing site will be provided once students arrive on campus on September 3. Transportation to campus from the Belden House in Pacific Grove will be provided on September 22.

Professor Stuart Thompson received his doctoral degree from the joint program for Zoology and Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Washington. He came to Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow and then joined the faculty of the Department of Biology. His current research concerns the flow of information at synapses between neurons, intracellular signal transduction and Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons, and the physiology of neural stem cells.
Professor Thompson’s Bio Page

Back to Top

People, Land, and Water in the Heart of the West

History (emeritus); School of Law; School of Education
Prerequisites: None

Salmon River. Sun Valley. Pioneer Mountains. The names speak of powerful forces and ideas in the American West. Central Idaho — a landscape embracing snow-capped mountains, raging rivers, sagebrush deserts, farms, ranches, and resort communities — is our classroom for this field-based seminar led by David Freyberg, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and David Kennedy, professor emeritus of History. This course focuses on the history and future of a broad range of natural resource management issues in the western United States. We will spend a week on campus preparing for a two-week field course in Idaho exploring working landscapes, private and public lands, water and fisheries, conservation, and the history and literature of the relationship between people and the land in the American West. After the first week spent on campus, we will drive to Idaho to begin the field portion of our seminar. In Idaho, we will spend time near Twin Falls, at Lava Lake Ranch near Craters of the Moon National Monument, in Custer County at the Upper Salmon River, and near Stanley in the Sawtooth National Forest. No prior camping experience is required, but students should be comfortable living outdoors in mobile base camps for periods of several days. Students will investigate specific issues in-depth and present their findings at the end of the course.

Professor David Kennedy is the Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History emeritus and co-director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West. His work has been recognized with the Hoagland, Bancroft, Parkman, and Pulitzer Prizes. In his spare time, he can be found fly-fishing, bicycling, river-rafting, or backpacking.
Professor Kennedy’s Bio Page

Professor David Freyberg is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where his teaching and research center on water in the environment and the human use of water, especially in the North American West. He spends as much time as possible outdoors, for both teaching and research.
Professor Freyberg’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Responses to the AIDS epidemic

School of Medicine
Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with national and international AIDS issues and concepts. Experience in HIV prevention, care, or research programs preferred.

This course focuses on the HIV epidemic, in particular the history of HIV in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We will meet the people and visit the institutions which played key roles in the Public Health prevention, care, and treatment of HIV. This will include key locations in the City, including the AIDS Grove, San Francisco General Hospital, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the Castro, and local AIDS service organizations. Students will hear from patients, physicians, and activists who are living with AIDS. We will also meet with scientists at UCSF, Stanford, and local pharmaceutical companies who are at the forefront of new prevention, therapeutic, and diagnostic research. The course will emphasize the multi-disciplinary and multi-sector approach to epidemic infectious disease and how physicians, patients, epidemiologists, pharmaceutical companies, and policymakers developed effective responses to the AIDS epidemic.

Professor David Katzenstein, professor of Infectious Disease at Stanford, encountered HIV in the early 1980’s in the Bay Area as a physician and continued his work in Africa and at the FDA. Dr. Katzenstein was an investigator in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, an academic consortium for trials of antiretroviral therapy.
Professor Katzenstein’s Bio Page

Back to Top

Spanish Immersion

Iberian and Latin American Cultures
Prerequisites: Spanlang 3 or equivalent.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could quickly increase your Spanish proficiency through an intensive immersion experience right here at Stanford? Wouldn’t you love to gain the cultural and historical knowledge necessary to begin taking literature and culture courses generally reserved for advanced students? This intensive Spanish immersion course is designed to help students who have completed a year of Spanish to move forward quickly toward greater linguistic and cultural competence. After a year of Spanish, students tend to be able to handle straightforward interactions related to basic needs and personal information, but they generally lack the ability to handle more abstract discussions or to combine short utterances into sustained presentations of their ideas. Most students likewise have little knowledge of the rich and complex history that surrounds the Spanish language or the central role that Spanish has played in the cultural and political life of California. In this course, a team of experienced instructors will help students improve their Spanish through intensive lessons that incorporate film, literature, and social issues. Through a focused discussion of the themes of immigration and democracy in Spain, Latin America, and the United States, as well as excursions and guest lectures by Stanford faculty and community leaders, this course will immerse students in Spanish and help them to gain advanced proficiency much more quickly.

Professor Vincent Barletta is Associate Professor of Iberian and Latin American cultures. His research focuses on Iberian literatures and cultures, with an emphasis on the anthropological, ethical, linguistic, and philosophical implications of early European imperial expansion into Africa and Asia. He has published widely in each of these areas, including three books and numerous articles written in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Professor Barletta’s Bio Page

Back to Top

The Meaning of Life: Moral and Spiritual Inquiry Through Literature

Ethics and Society
Prerequisites: None

Short novels and plays will provide the basis for reflection on ethical values and the purpose of life. Some of the works to be studied are F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, Jane Smiley’s Good Will, Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Nadine Gordimer’s None to Accompany Me. We will read for plot, setting, character, and theme using a two-text method— looking at the narrative of the literary work and students’ own lives— rather than either deconstructing the literature or relating it to the author’s biography and psychology. The questions we will ask have many answers. Why are we here? How do we find meaningful work? What can death teach us about life? What is the meaning of success? What is the nature of true love? How can one find balance between work and personal life? How free are we to seek our own destiny? What obligations do we have to others? We will draw from literature set in the United States and elsewhere; secular and religious world views from a variety of traditions will be considered. The authors chosen are able to hold people up as jewels to the light, turning them around to show all of their facets, both blemished and pure, while at the same time pointing to any internal glow beneath the surface. Classes will be taught in a Socratic, discussion-based style. Study questions will accompany each reading and provide a foundation for class discussion. Grading will be based 50 percent on class participation, 25 percent on one-page reflection papers on reading assignments, and 25 percent on a four-page final paper due on September 15. Field trips will include an overnight camping experience.

Professor Scotty McLennan, Dean for Religious Life, is an ordained minister and an attorney. He taught previously at Tufts University and the Harvard Business School. His books include Finding Your Religion: When the Faith You Grew Up With Has Lost Its Meaning and Jesus Was a Liberal: Reclaiming Christianity for All.
Professor McLennan’s Bio Page

Back to Top