SPRING 2017
HONORS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
FIRST YEAR COURSES
These courses count toward the first-year Honors requirement. Also, see “Departmental Honors
Courses” for additional first-year options.
HON 151-001
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Humanities
Honors in Humanities: Aesthetics of Classical Mediterranean Literature
David Wilke
MWF 10:00-10:50 am
Donovan Hall 003
“The old paths are best,” counseled Goethe, but by old he did not mean old-fashioned but classical –
and by classical he meant Mediterranean. In this course we shall traipse through the old paths only to
find they are hardly well-worn or pedestrian. We shall read, in translation, five plays from Hellenic
Greece- the Agamemnon, Libation Bearers, & Eumenides of Aeschylus, followed by the Medea &
Bacchae of Euripides – after whish we shall sample a grab-bag’s worth of Pindaric odes, elegies (The
Archipelago, Bread & Wine), and hymns (Patmos) in translation by the German Romantic poet & critic
Friedrich Holderlin: the verse of Holderlin afford, in its way, the first traces of recognizably modern
criticism of Classical Greek literature. We shall also gain exposure to recent criticism of the three plays of
Aeschylus (collectively entitled The Oresteia) through a lengthy prose study entitled The Serpent and the
Eagle. The aim throughout will be to determine what makes a work of Classical Mediterranean literature
not only great but good (you read that correctly) and, as such, means to afford a learn-as-you-go course
in aesthetics or, in other words, the philosophy of criticism.
Worth considering:
• What is the secret to conveying ideas, notions, or concepts through the medium of the stage? In
the three-play Oresteia, how does Aeschylus use the Greek myths to pitch a philosophy – or are
these myths themselves philosophical by nature?
• Why do many find the prospect of reading a literary trilogy (such as the Oresteia) to be so
appealing?
• What could have possess the eminent contemporary translator of Mediterranean (both Greek
and Latin) literature, Robert Fagles, to compose a dense, nearly hundred-page-long introductory
essay interpreting The Oresteia of Aeschylus? How could one find the task of writing seriously –
and extensively – about classical literature to be so appealing?
• Given that classical (Athenian) Greek cultures is said to have championed the rational, why do
the Medea & Bacche of Euripides – plays that, themselves, all but give vent to an orgy of
irrationality – count among the great achievements of the era from which they arise? What does
the earlier Eumenides, of Aeschylus, urge about the place of the irrational in an otherwise
rational society such as that of classical Athens?
• How might one take Holderlin’s odes, elegies, and hymns to classical Greece to function as
analysis of the literary achievements of classical Greece? What does one listen for in Holderlin’s
verse in order to index the very artistic achievement that inspired it?
HON 151-002
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Humanities
Honors in Humanities: Staging Social and Cultural History
Kay Woods
MWF 11:00-11:50 am
Donovan Hall 001
The stage serves as a semiotic mirror reflecting a culture and society that beckons us, as audience, to
participate in the historical drama of life. This course explores the nuances of historical and/or
social/cultural events via theatrical performances. Thus the following important questions deserve our
consideration:
• What are the essential elements of effective historical drama?
• Is it more important to communicate essential truths or to communicate historical facts?
• Do “old” plays have anything of value to say to us today, or are the concerns of “old” plays
relevant only to the times in which they were written?
• What is the most effective way to stage historical content in the current political and social
climate of our time? (Think in terms of technical execution.)
• Is tragedy or comedy the more perfect dramatic form for modern audiences?
• Given our exposure to 24/7 news of global tragedies, is it right to consider witnessing others’
sufferings morally enriching?
These questions, along with many others arising from our study, will direct our discussions well beyond
the literary and visual criticisms generally applied to theatrical performances. Questions force us to look
in the mirror and to examine the reflection of ourselves as it is played out on the stage.
HON 151-003
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Humanities
Honors in Humanities: Eugene O’Neill
Herman Farrell III
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Donovan Hall 003
A course that explores the life, legacy and work of the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill.
Over the course of the semester, students will engage in critical analysis of plays, examine the
biography, short stories, poetry, drafts, notes and letters of America’s renowned dramatist as well as the
reviews, criticism and interpretation of O’Neill’s canon. During each class, students will participate in
peer-facilitated discussions of the life and work of Eugene O’Neill. Over the course of the semester,
working closely with the instructor, students will engage in research on a chosen O’Neill topic that will
lead to the development and drafting of a research paper.
• Who was Eugene O’Neill and what impact did he have on American drama and world theatre?
• What innovations in the form and content of plays did O’Neill experiment with in the course of
his career in theatre that spanned several decades during the first half of the 20th century?
• What was the relationship between O’Neill’s tumultuous life off stage and the worlds that he
created onstage in not only his autobiographical plays but in many of his experimental works?
Was O’Neill ultimately successful in his quest to purge himself of his personal demons and
haunting ghosts?
• What comment was O’Neill hoping to make about American culture in his multi-play cycle A Tale
Possessors Self-Dispossessed? Why is Long Day’s Journey Into Night considered to be the mother
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of all family dramas? What insight was O’Neill offering the American public when he crafted his
play of pipe dreams and hopeless hope The Iceman Cometh?
O’Neill was incredibly prolific, completing over 50 dramatic works. What was his creative
process and what artists and writers influenced him as he developed his great plays?
HON 151-004
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Humanities
Honors in Humanities: Art and Epidemics: A Writing Class
Katherine Rogers-Carpenter and Rita Basuray
TR 12:30-1:45 pm
Donovan Hall 003
Poetry, novels, and plays conjure up a lyrical flow of words, strung together to create a beautiful or
compelling vision. We imagine scientific papers, on the other hand, as rigidly structured, to the point,
full of data, and invariably ending with a discussion section. By focusing on the relationship between
cultural and scientific responses to disease, “Art and Epidemics” bridges writing in the humanities and
sciences. In this class, students will investigate a range of epidemics including TB, cholera, AIDS, syphilis,
cancer, and Zika. We will study how scientists have written about these diseases, their spread, and
treatment. We will also explore the human face of disease represented in films, fiction, and visual art
produced in response to the same health crises. In addition to synthesizing their research in scientific
review papers, students will compose creative non-fiction and reflective pieces. This class uses team
based learning (TBL) principles and provides many opportunities to be creative, including role play.
Throughout the semester, we will pay special attention to the following questions:
• What does art/literature show us about disease processes? Or attitudes towards science and
health?
• How do commonly held beliefs about health and science inform or influence creative works?
• How do commonly held beliefs about health and science impede research or health policy?
• How has scientific writing changed over time?
• What is the difference between composing humanities-based essays and scientific review
papers?
• Is it possible to bridge creative and scientific approaches to writing?
HON 152-001
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Fingerprints of Evolution on Human Health
Francisco Andrade
MWF 8:00 – 8:50 am
Donovan Hall 001
We will study human health and disease from an evolutionary perspective: how we have adapted and
co-exist with our environment, how our “design flaws” explain the prevalence of certain diseases. We
will discuss a topic every class meeting. You will be expected to study basic evolutionary processes and
their consequences on common human conditions and diseases, for example, obesity, metabolic
disorders, autoimmunity, infectious disease, cancer and aging. To help you do so, I will provide links to
video presentations, selected readings from books, reviews, primary literature, or any other material I
find interesting and relevant. Learning and performance will be evaluated by participation in the
discussions, writing assignments, and a final class presentation.
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What is evolution and how does it shape humans and other organisms?
What is the nature of the interaction between humans and their environments?
How have humans evolved to avoid disease?
How does our life history explain some diseases?
Fads and fashions. The Paleo diet: truth or fiction?
HON 152-002
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: You, Me, Myself, and I: Psychosocial Influences
on Health
Mitzi Schumacher
TR 9:30-10:45 am
TBD
This interdisciplinary course focuses on how psycho- (individual thought and behavior) social
(interactions with others) factors influence health and wellbeing. Psychosocial factors are broadly
defined to include cognition, attributions, beliefs, personality, self-concept, social support, habits,
behavior change, mindfulness, stress, and decision making. Likewise, health and well-being are broadly
defined to include dementia, depression, coronary heart disease, rehabilitation after traumatic injuries,
addiction, obesity, and mortality. Putting them together, examples of course topics include cognitive
evidences of dementia, attributions causing depression, personality links to coronary events, beliefs
promoting placebo effects, and behavioral change for smoking cessation. Concepts are introduced via
charts with definitions and applications; quizzes are based on detecting the concepts in illustrative
narratives. For those interested in pursuing careers in the health care professions it provides a basic
understanding of the behavioral concepts that are included in professional school admissions tests as
well as board certification tests.
This course will answer questions such as:
• What is Medical Behavioral Science?
• What behavioral concepts are most useful to health care professionals?
• How do narratives illustrate these concepts in patient and physician behavior?
• What impact does this have on the health and well-being of society?
• How can we use them to improve our own health?
HON 152-003
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Human Aging: The Ticking Biological Clock
Melinda Wilson
TR 9:30-10:45 am
TBD
What makes our biological clock tick? This course will help both science and non-science majors explore
the basic mechanisms of human aging and the consequences of aging relative to human disease. We
will also address the effect of an aging population in the practice of medicine. The following are just a
few of the many questions we will explore:
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Why do we age?
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Why do some animals live for hours while others live for decades?
Is there really a fountain of youth?
Can we slow down the aging process?
Do we even want to slow the aging process?
HON 152-004
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Circadian Rhythms: Fitness in the Time Domain
Marilyn Duncan and Brian Delisle
TR 9:30-10:45 am
Donovan Hall 001
Nearly all living organisms have their own internal clocks that regulate their daily (circadian) rhythms.
Circadian rhythms prepare us for everyday situations by anticipating the daily changes in our
environment. For example, how effectively we exercise, study, sleep, and metabolize our food varies
over 24 hours, with peaks and troughs occurring at specific times of day. Circadian rhythms are
coordinated by a master clock in the brain and are also regulated by a multitude of clocks located in
virtually all cells in the body! These discoveries have introduced a new dimension to our overall fitness
level: TIME. The robustness of circadian rhythms is now recognized as important indicator of health,
while attenuation of circadian rhythms contributes to disease. This course provides you with the
fundamentals for understanding and interpreting physiological circadian rhythms, internal biological
clocks, and how they relate to human health. During this course we directly address the following
questions:
• Are you a night owl or a morning lark? How do you find out?
• What controls a person’s morningness or eveningness?
• How is the internal biological clock regulated by light and other environmental signals?
• What synchronizes our body’s clocks with each other and with the environment?
• What roles do circadian rhythms and sleep play in fitness, cognition, and disease?
• What happens to our clocks when shift work or jet lag disrupts our daily schedules?
HON 152-005
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Sex and Society
Ok-Kyong Park-Sarge and Kevin Sarge
TR 12:30-1:45 pm
Donovan Hall 005
Aldous Huxley’s 1931 novel Brave New World described fantastical technological interventions in human
development and selection over 5 centuries into the future. Just a little more than 80 years later, our
modern society is almost there to mirror Huxley’s vision. Recent technical advancements in
reproductive medicine now force each of us to make decisions about what limits, if any, to place on
them as well as wrestle with the political challenges, ethical dilemmas, and societal impacts that flow
from them. Among the many exciting questions we will explore and deliberate on are:
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How many ways can a baby be conceived and what rights do a baby and its parents have?
Who is more important, a pregnant woman or her embryo/fetus?
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Are genetic counseling and prenatal genetic diagnosis valuable tools to reduce human suffering
or a cover for eugenics?
What are pros and cons of gene editing, therapeutic cloning, and human cloning for our
society?
Which plays more of a role, nature or nurture, in intersex, transgender, and sexuality?
HON 152-006
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Are You the Next Steve Jobs?
Chuck May
TR 2:00-3:15 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Using the Seven principles that Steve Jobs used we will study the impact of Innovation on the individual,
innovator, and the Society at large. We will seek to answer what future innovations are possible, what
impact they will have on our society by studying a couple of past innovations and how they changed the
world. The course objective is to examine the impact of Innovation on various cultures and to use that
foundation to inquire as to how the innovation of the future might look and how its occurrence will
impact the future society compared to the society of today. We will take a look at how innovation
affected the 13th Century and how innovation sparked the Industrial Revolution. We will then take a
look at how one of the most innovative people of our time, who changed the way we do the most basic
of endeavors, communications and how that affects the present and how it may impact the future.
HON 152-007
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Heart Disease, Public Policy, and Science
Jon Satin
TR 3:30-4:45 pm
Donovan Hall 001
This course is an introduction to concepts and methods for examining the heart and cardiovascular
health. Topics include discussion of causes and treatments of common cardiovascular diseases such as
heart attack (myocardial infarction), high blood pressure (hypertension), and heart failure. Introductory
level fundamental concepts will be presented. We will discuss the societal impact of cardiovascular
disease and common sense prevention such as diet, exercise and rest. An in-class training session for
breathless CPR and a tour of cardiac imaging facilities at UK Hospital will also be included.
• The heart is a muscle. When we exercise our muscles get stronger. What does exercise do to our
heart?
• How does the heart beat at a rate of about once per second, every second of your life?
• What is heart failure? What causes a heart attack? Does it matter if you butter your toast?
• How can we image heart function?
• How prevalent is cardiovascular disease in the population?
HON 152-401
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Natural/Physical/Mathematical Sciences
Honors in Natural, Physical and Mathematical Sciences: Frankenstein to Frankenfoods: Genetics,
Mutations and Society
Bruce Webb and Nancy Webb
MW 6:00-7:15 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Technical advances in molecular biology including the ability to sequence and modify the genetic code
have already revolutionized the way we produce our food and diagnose and treat human diseases. This
course focuses on understanding DNA and genetics, as well as the impacts (both real and imagined) of
biotechnology on agriculture and medicine. An important course objective is to empower students from
all majors to make informed decisions about how we as a society should move forward in the era of
recombinant DNA. Some of the topics and concepts that will be discussed:
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How does natural genetic variation influence our identity and susceptibility to disease?
How common are genetic mutations and how do they occur?
What were the major scientific advances that led to the era of recombinant DNA?
How are genetically modified crops produced, and what are the benefits and risks?
What are the pros and cons of human gene sequencing, human gene therapy, and human
genome editing for the individual and society?
HON 251-001
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Social Sciences
Honors in Social Sciences: Violence, Vice, Cops, and Corruption: The “Other America” in HBO’s “The Wire”
James Nicholson
MWF 10:00-10:50 am
Donovan Hall 001
Filmed on location in post-industrial Baltimore, HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire explores the interaction
of individuals and institutions in a city in decline, raising complex questions about the nature and causes
of violence, poverty, and corruption in urban America. We will use the series as a starting point for
discussions of complicated issues faced by all-too-often “invisible” pockets of urban America, including:
deindustrialization, failing schools, the war on drugs, police-civilian relations, persistent poverty,
gentrification, human trafficking, violent crime, and political corruption. Questions we will attempt to
answer will include the following:
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What does The Wire tell us about the cyclical nature of urban poverty?
What does the dysfunction of institutions such as the Baltimore Police Department, a drug
trafficking ring, a dockworkers union, the Baltimore Sun, and the Baltimore public school
system, as portrayed in The Wire, reveal about the nature of power in America?
Why, after a trillion dollars in expenditures, have those responsible for America’s War on Drugs
failed to achieve their goals?
How do market pressures affect the ways in which the American news media investigates and
reports news?
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Why do struggling school districts continue to underperform even when given increased
resources, and how does public education fit within the cycle of urban poverty, violence, and
incarceration?
HON 251-002
The Enemy Within: Culture and Health Behavior
Jean Wiese
TR 8:00-9:15 am
Donovan Hall 003
This seminar will acquaint students with the major social, cultural, and behavioral phenomena that affect
our reactions to variations in our health. Students will move from a knowledge of basic human universal
psychological processes to the social and cultural factors shaping our perceptions of health. With this
conceptual foundation, the rest of the semester will be spent investigating the impact of culture on health
and health care. Concurrent with the conceptual material the use of Rapid Appraisal (RA) will be
introduced and mastered. Four-student teams will select a condition/issue from a list of social/health
issues immediate to their living group (dorm, apartment complex, fraternity/sorority house), e.g., intimate
partner violence/date rape, drugs, alcohol, etc. These teams will then spend the rest of the semester
researching/discussing their topic and conducting a Rapid Appraisal of it in a particular setting, and writing
a “scope/solution” paper. Each team’s product will be discussed and appraised by the rest of the group.
Assessment will focus on application and synthesis of concepts, with writing the focus of examinations
and papers. The following are some of the questions we will explore:
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How do we decide whether we are healthy/ill?
Why is “normal” health culture-specific?
How does culture influence human perception?
How does culture contribute to disparities in health?
How can Rapid Appraisal be used to assess a health issue?
HON 251-003
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Social Sciences
Honors in Social Sciences: A World of Migrants
Patricia Ehrkamp
TR 9:30-10:45 am
Donovan Hall 001
This course examines human migrations in the contemporary world as they emerged out of specific
historical and geopolitical space-time constellations. It will focus on current events such as the refugee
crisis in the Middle East, and immigration politics in the United States. The geographic focus of the
course is global, and it will highlight regional differences as well as differences in the types of, and
motivations for migration.
We ask the following questions with regard to human migration:
• What is the broader geopolitical context within which contemporary refugee movements, labor
migration, human smuggling, and immigration policies emerge across space and time?
• What (if any) are the differences between international migration and migration within
countries?
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What challenges and advantages does immigration bring for advanced economies (such as
Europe and the US)?
How do individual countries address the challenges of immigration and refugee movements, and
how successful are they in doing so?
What do migrants themselves tell us about their experiences, how do they negotiate the
process of traversing space, of immigrating and settling, and what do they find once they arrive?
HON 251-004
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Social Sciences
Honors in Social Sciences: Environmental Activism in Kentucky and Beyond
Shannon Bell
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Donovan Hall 005
Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region have long been the targets for environmental and public
health hazards, such as toxic waste sites, a chemical weapons incinerator, and natural gas liquids (NGL)
pipelines. In addition, controversial industry practices such as mountaintop removal mining and natural
gas “fracking” have also created threats to the health and safety of local residents. In response to these
threats, grassroots movements have risen up in an effort to protect the people and wider environment
from these hazards.
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What is the history of grassroots environmental activism in the region?
What risks have prompted the mobilization of grassroots environmental movements in
Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region?
What are the tactics, strategies, and frames these resistance efforts have used to organize and
mobilize across the region?
What are the political, economic, and micro-level challenges facing these movements?
How can economic development and a healthy environment coexist?
HON 251-005
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Social Sciences
Honors in Social Sciences: Exploring Health and Healthcare
Thomas Wallace
TR 3:30 – 4:45 pm
Donovan Hall 003
This course is an inquiry into the forces that affect our health and the delivery of health care services,
especially here in the United States. The United States has the most expensive health system in the
world and yet ranks well below most developed nations in health outcomes.
In this course we will study and explore answers to the following questions:
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How has society has chosen to deal with these basic human issues - our health and
preserving our health? This involves many moral and ethical choices.
In the United States how do we deliver health care – its history, structure and
relationships between healthcare facilities, services and personnel?
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What are the economic, financial and political forces affecting our health care system?
Who are the stakeholders, and how do they influence the system?
We are not unique in the United States in our struggles, as every country in the world
has had to address this issue. How are they addressing these issues and what can the
United States learn from their experiences?
Given what we have learned, propose solutions for our healthcare crisis, and then how
will we sell this to the stakeholders to accomplish change?
HON 251-006
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Social Sciences
Honors in Social Sciences: An Exploration of Social Justice in the 21st Century U.S.
Diane Loeffler
MWF 11:00-11:50 am
Donovan Hall 005
This course will examine social justice from the broad perspective that all people are deserving of
opportunities, rights, protections, obligations, and social benefits. Definitions, theories, and
perspectives as they relate to the context and impact of power, oppression, and privilege will be
examined within a historical and contemporary lens. This course will require students to examine values
and ethics related to social justice and will prepare students to become advocates and agents for
change.
As a class we will explore the injustice and oppression that impacts the daily lives of marginalized groups
within society. Social Justice – or lack thereof – will be explored as it relates to class, race, gender,
ability, sexual orientation, ethnicity age, religion… and more.
In this course we will study and explore answers to the following questions:
• What does it mean to live in a just society? What is social justice?
• How do different marginalized groups experience oppression and injustice?
• How do political, cultural, and social forces shape oppression and injustice?
• How can we affect change? What is our role as moral citizens in the fight for social justice?
HON 252-001
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Arts and Creativity
Honors in Arts & Creativity: Shakespeare Aloud
Walt Foreman
MWF 1:00-1:50 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Exploring Shakespeare as a product of voice. We will use two plays, probably The Merchant of Venice
and Twelfth Night. We will read aloud in class, tinkering with rhythm, stress, and silence, and watch
video versions to get a sense of how other people think the words should sound. (Grades will not be
based on skill as actors but on enthusiasm and diligence in class participation and weekly exercises and
on the writing and presentation of two longer projects.)
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How does the aural experience of Shakespeare's words provide a vital entry into the interacting
emotions and arguments of his characters, their ideas and doubts, their desires and needs, their
griefs and joys?
How does the blank verse meter contain clues about how the characters who speak feel from
moment to moment?
How can our imaginations as readers (either silently alone or aloud in a group) bring the words
on the page to life?
How can the same string of words have such different yet responsible interpretations?
What does all this have to do with Shakespeare's continuing appeal?
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HON 252-002
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Arts and Creativity
Honors in Arts & Creativity: Numb3rs & $ci3nc3 in the Arts
Kay Woods
MWF 12:00-12:50 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Dr. Alan Lightman, author of the cult novel Einstein’s Dreams, states, “Science and art are two different
ways of being in the world. Science is about questions that have answers. Art is about questions that do
not. It is the lack of answers and the sense of being haunted by them that gives art its power.” This
course explores attempts to provide some answers and is guaranteed to raise questions. Among the
plethora of questions we will encounter, the following will definitely be considered:
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What is the rationale behind art-sci collaborations; how valuable are they and to whom?
What elements are crucial to successful art-sci collaborations, and how do we evaluate success
or failure of such collaborations?
What possibilities do you see resulting from the interface of technology, digital art, the gaming
industry, architecture, biological science, physics and math?
Are art-sci methods compatible and able to generate new ideologies from the confluence of
different strategies and processes? In essence, should art- sci be considered a “third culture”
where distinction between the arts and sciences no longer make sense?
How are scientific ideas best communicated via the arts? Which medium do you find most
effective? Why?
HON 252-003
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Arts and Creativity
Honors in Arts & Creativity: Monsters: The Book
Oliver Leaman
TR 9:30-10:45 am
Donovan Hall 005
Monsters play an intriguing role in modern culture and have a long historical pedigree. The course will
look at how and why they are relevant today and will focus on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and linked
texts. The creative project will be a staged puppet performance based on the book in which everyone
will participate in one way or another.
The main questions addressed will be:
● Why are we still interested in monsters?
● What is a monster?
● How relevant is the place of monsters in history to the modern notion?
● Is Mary Shelly's Frankenstein a warning against modern science? Should we be worried?
● How are monsters involved in helping us cope with fear?
HON 252-004
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Arts and Creativity
Honors in Arts & Creativity: Parallel Visions in the Arts, Sciences, and Literature
Rayma Beal
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
TBD
The 20th Century had major historical, economic and political events that impacted the development
and creation of the arts and literature. Space, Time and Force/Energy were conceptual elements that
are embedded in both the arts and sciences. Exploring and developing and understanding of the
interrelationships in literature, dance, music, theatre, visual art, and physics through the lens of these
elements is the primary goal of this course. Developing skills in personal creativity will be accomplished
through the creative dance process, observation of live performances and art museums.
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artistic movements? How did 20th century culture evolve from previous time periods?
How can the elements of Space, Time, Force/Energy be related to 20th century
literature, arts and sciences? What type of relationship between the author’s writings
and the development of arts and science might be identified?
What are the possibilities of dance, music, theatre, visual art, poetry and literature being
related? How can physics and the arts be discipline specific yet share elements and
concepts?
How can attendance at dance and theatre performances along with art museums inform
our ability to critically observe, assess and reflect on art?
Is it possible for creating, performing and responding to the arts help inform our personal
creativity? How can active participation in the "creative process" contribute to enhancing
verbal and non-verbal communication?
HON 252-005
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Arts and Creativity
Honors in Arts & Creativity: Creative Nonfiction: Science and Nature Writing for Young Readers
Harry LeVine
TR 12:30-1:45 pm
TBD
Effectively communicating the wonder of life and our universe to children requires special writing skills
and a knack for explanation at just the right level for your audience. We will use the critique group peer
process and etiquette to provide supportive suggestions in class to continually improve each student’s
work-in-progress. Students will be guided through the writing process from conception, research,
drafting, critiquing feedback and editing, to submission. Submitting to magazine and book publishers will
be described and techniques suggested for writing competitive queries, proposals, and synopses to
make your work stand out. Information about local, regional, and national resources to help your writing
will be provided.
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How can creative storytelling be used to communicate complex concepts at an age-appropriate
level?
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What is the K-12 Common Core Curriculum and how does it influence what and how you write
for publication?
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Where do ideas come from and how can they be developed into an engaging story?
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Why is it important to have constant feedback on your work in progress?
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How can you make your queries, proposals, and synopses stand out to publishers?
DEPARTMENTAL HONORS SECTIONS
These courses count toward Honors coursework requirements at any level.
BIO 199 – Only sections with “Honors” in the Course Title! *Please note that this is a one-credit hour
course and only counts towards 1 credit honor of Honors coursework
Honors Research Experience in Biology
David Weisrock
Varies
Varies
BIO 199 engages students early in their academic career in an active research environment. This course
is designed to provide first year students an opportunity to participate in small group-based (ideally 1012 students per group) research projects to gain research experience while working with a faculty
member or several co-instructing faculty members in UK STEM departments such as those in the
colleges of A&S, medicine, agriculture and engineering. Each student will select a research project from
a list of pre-arranged projects.
BIO 315-001/002
Honors Introduction to Cell Biology
Rebecca Kellum
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm, M 9:00 – 11:50 am / TR 12:30-1:45 pm, M 1:00-1:50 pm
Biological Sciences 109, B0003 / Biological Sciences 109, B0003
The structure and function of the cells will be considered. Emphasis will be placed on the ultrastructure
of cell organelles and the molecules that compose them as a framework for understanding the
mechanisms of cell activity. Weekly hands-on laboratory exercises will reinforce concepts and utilize
experimental methods discussed in lecture. Some of the questions addressed by the course include: 1)
What components make-up cells? 2) How is a cell able to maintain order in a universe naturally moving
towards a state of disorder? 3) How does the cell regulate its own reproduction? 4) How do specific cell
types carry out their distinct activities in a multicellular organism? Research article discussions will
reinforce concepts and illustrate how some of these questions have been, and continue to be,
addressed. This course counts toward BIO 2nd tier core requirement and the BIO scholars program. It is
open to students who have completed pre-BIO major requirements, BIO 2nd tier requirements, or have
obtained instructor consent.
CHE 107-005
Honors Chemistry II
Lisa Blue
TR 3:30-4:45pm
Jacobs Science Building 121, Classroom Building 213
A continuation of CHE 105. A study of the principles of chemistry and their application to the more
important elements and compounds. Prereq: CHE 105 or CHE 108 or CHE 110 (with a C or better in any
one of these prereqs).
● What natural forces cause matter to act as it does?
● How do chemists design experiments to investigate the behavior of matter in the
universe?
● How do chemists interpret experimental data to gain a deeper understanding of the
natural world?
● How do chemists design and prepare new materials with properties that can enhance or
improve human life?
● How do chemists contribute to the solution of pressing societal problems, such as
disease and pollution?
ENG 339-001
Honors Introduction to Author Studies: George Orwell
Peter Kalliney
MWF 11:00-11:50 am
RRH 130
What makes George Orwell such a compelling writer, now? Is it his deceptively plain style, his
willingness to speak out against hypocrisy, his stubborn belief in democratic socialism? Even as the
major political concerns that animate his writing have passed into history--the Spanish Civil War,
fascism, totalitarianism, European imperialism, the Cold War--his writings somehow retain their ability
to speak to contemporary audiences. In this course, we will think about these questions as we read a
range of Orwell's writing: novels, documentaries, political essays, ethnographic writing, war reporting,
and book reviews. Highlights will include Down and Out in Paris and London, "Politics and the English
Language," and 1984.
HIS 104-001
UK Core Fulfilled: Inquiry in the Humanities or Global Dynamics
Honors History of Europe through Mid-17th Century
Bruce Holle
MWF 12:00-12:50
MW CB 106, F FB B4
The history of the evolution of Western culture is a long and complex journey, but its influences are felt
even today more than three thousand years after its beginnings. How does a play written in the fifth
century BCE still resonate with modern students? Or even more interesting, how does a tract from the
15th century CE on the use of power become the favorite work of a 20th century president (Richard M.
Nixon)? This narrative will try to explain: the rise and fall of cultures and their rise again; the everchanging elements which define cultures over time and place; the relationship between people and
their rulers and why this matters; how the past still influences the present. It is a terrific story; come
and be part of it.
HSM 241-002
Honors Health Care Delivery Systems
Tyrone Borders
TR 9:30-10:45 am
RF 115
This introductory course exposes students to the various components of the health care system and its
history, current status, proposed policy solutions, and expanding focus on improving population health.
The Honors section differs by requiring students to critically evaluate scholarly articles on health care
and population health, interpret population health and health care data, and engage in discussion of
readings with colleagues during class. It addresses the following health care delivery, management, and
policy issues:
• What are the historical and current trends in population health within the United States?
• How is the health care system organized across hospitals, clinics, professional groups, insurers, and
government?
• How do the accessibility, quality, and costs of care compare between the United States and other
nations?
• What initiatives are being taken to attempt to improve the performance of the health care system?
• How is American health policy shaped by diverging consumer, provider, insurer, and governmental
interests?
JPN 400G-001
Honors Topics in Japan Studies: Animals, Humans, Disasters in Japan
Doug Slaymaker
MWF 10:00-10:50 am
FPAT 253
This course examines animals and disaster in films and fiction. We will approach the questions broadly,
but will focus on Japan. In particular, we will be examining the increased numbers of art works following
the triple disasters—earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown--of March 11, 2011, that feature
animals. This is to understand the surprising number of works that are told by, or via, animals.
We will begin with the questions of animal studies—How do we look at animals? How do we think with
animals? How do we portray animals? What does it mean when animals appear in fiction and film?
The other question will be about disasters: Is it possible to speak and represent something so
overwhelming? What art can one produce in the face of such disaster? How might such imagination be
mobilized in the face of the inexpressible?
Readings will include texts by Theodor Adorno, Jacques Derrida, and Susan Sontag.
Fiction includes that of Kawakami Hiromi, Tawada Yōko, Furukawa Hideo.
Films include those by Sono Sion, and those from the Godzilla series
• What does it mean to be an animal? What does it mean to be human?
• Is it possible to tell a non-human story?
• What does it mean to live through disaster? Is it possible to convey the reality of it to another
being?
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What does it mean when an animal speaks?
How do differing cultural traditions impact all of this?
MA 213-009/010
Honors Calculus III
TBD
MTWRF 11:00-11:50 am / MWF 11:00-11:50 and TR 12:00 – 12:50 pm
MWF – CB 114, TR – CB 337 / MWF – CB 114, TR – CB 341
MA 213 Honors is a third-semester calculus course for students who are interested in mathematics and
how it is used to solve problems in other disciplines. This course includes the topics which appear in MA
213, such as vector calculus and integration and differentiation of functions of several variables. The
main goal of the course is to study extensions of the Fundamental Theorems of Calculus to functions of
more than one variable. We will include applications to biology, chemistry, environmental sciences,
population studies, number theory and physics. The course will meet for three lectures and two
recitation sessions each week. We assume the complete material covered in Calculus I and II and that it
was covered well. We will cover similar material to what is in MA 213, but will cover some topics more
deeply and some topics that are not addressed in the regular sections of MA 213.
PGY 412G-002
Honors Principles of Human Physiology
Ok-Kyong Park-Sarge
WF 1:00 – 2:50 pm
TBD
Principles of Human Physiology is a 4 credit course designed for students of the Health Sciences and
others who are interested in an in depth exposure to human physiology. The objective of this course is
to provide the basic physiological mechanisms of human body function and physiological integration of
the organ systems to maintain homeostasis. Students will be learning what the different organ systems
do and how they do it. The emphasis is on basic principles with a focus on concepts and problem solving
skills. With this knowledge a student should be able to form a general understanding of how the body
functions in health and disease. The Honors section of the course is designed to guide and challenge
students to acquire critical thinking skills through the flipped classroom approach that allows students to
review fundamental human physiological concepts and apply them to real-life scenarios. Through
interactive group discussion formats, students will advance their critical thinking and problem solving
skills by tackling complex questions and clinical case studies.
PGY 417-001
Honors Genomics and Epigenetics
Timothy McClintock
Tim McClintock and Kuey-Chu Chen
TR 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Nursing 613C
This computer lab course emphasizes analysis of “big data” from gene expression and gene regulation
experiments - microarrays, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq – as well as methods to find emergent patterns
consisting of co-regulated genes and interacting proteins (networks). Students perform analyses of data
while simultaneously learning underlying concepts. No programming expertise is required; on-line tools
are used instead. Experimental design and basic statistical concepts are taught so that students
experience the interplay between ideas and experimentation that drives science forward.
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How has big data changed the study of biomedical science?
What is bioinformatics and how is it applied at the various levels of biological organization:
genes, cells, tissues, organisms and populations?
Is proper experimental design critical for global analysis of gene expression?
How can I rigorously test global patterns of gene expression and gene regulation?
How do I detect overrepresented patterns of functional relationships between the products of
the genes identified in these global analyses?
PLS 103-004
UK Core Fulfilled: Global Dynamics
Honors Plants Soils and People
Timothy Phillips
MWF 12:00-12:50 pm
Thomas Poe Cooper 109
This course will examine and attempt to answer the following questions:
• What factors drive human population trends, and how can food production meet the needs of
increasing numbers of people?
• How have human societies developed over the past 10,000 years from the beginning of the
Agricultural Revolution up to the 21st century, and how has food availability affected the
development process?
• What do people around the world eat, and why?
• What factors control crop growth and yield of food products, and how can these be managed to
increase food availability?
• How are food security and the sustainability of food production being addressed around the
world?
WRD 401-001
Honors Topics in Writing: Jewish Graphic Novel
Janice Fernheimer
MWF 9:00-9:50 am
BH 301
This course provides an introduction to graphic novels and Jewish culture by focusing on Jewishauthored graphic novels on “Jewish” subjects. Students will learn about the creation of the graphic novel
genre, its specific rhetorical affordances combining visuals and text in sequence, and how it came to be
associated with Jews, Jewish culture, and “Jewish writing.” After tracing the genre’s historical origins,
we will read and analyze key works by pioneers Will Eisner and Art Spiegelman as well as texts by Jewish
American artists and Jewish cartoonists working in Hebrew and French (note: all reading will be in
English). Student work will focus on writing both traditional academic analyses and producing graphic
criticism. Course readings will include a selection of the following: Scott McCloud’s Understanding
Comics, Will Eisner’s The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Joan Sfar’s The
Rabbi’s Cat I and II, JT Waldman’s Megillat Esther, Miriam Katin’s We are on Our Own, Ben Katchor’s The
Jew of New York, James Sturm’s America: God, Gold, and Golems Art Spiegelman’s Maus I and II, Miriam
Libicki’s Jobnik!, Sarah Glidden’s How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less.
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Why is it that comics have been dubbed an explicitly “Jewish” form of writing?
What are the defining characteristics of long-form comics or graphic narratives/novels, and how
do they differ from film, cartoons, and other texts that mix media?
What makes graphic narrative so powerfully engaging and provocative?
What does this “Jewish” writing have to tell us about “Jewish” and international culture?
How does what we learn about comics and Jewish identity impact how we write our own
identities and history?
What does writing comics teach me about writing?
PROSEMINARS
These courses count toward Honors upper-level coursework requirements (first-year students may not
register for them except by special permission of the Honors College).
HON 301-001
Discoveries in Cancer Biology
David Orren and Amrita Machwe
TR 2:00-3:15 pm
Donovan Hall 003
Cancer is an insidious and often deadly disease that was poorly understood and, in most cases,
ineffectively treated until recently. Due to the advent of better molecular and cellular biology research
tools and sophisticated animal models, we now understand many aspects of cancer biology that were
completely unknown three decades ago. Although we still have much to learn, this research indicates
that cancer is not one disease, but instead is a group of diseases with some shared characteristics but
many individual differences. This research also has important implications for development of new and
more effective cancer treatments. This course will cover many aspects of cancer biology, but emphasizes
the following questions:
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What research strategies have been employed to investigate the biology of cancer?
What have been the key scientific breakthroughs that have clarified our understanding of the
molecular and cellular changes relevant to cancer development and metastasis?
What are the similarities and differences between various types of cancers?
What has been the rationale behind traditional anti-cancer treatments?
How is better understanding of cancers changing the priorities in designing future anti-cancer
therapies?
HON 301-002
Frontiers of Alternative Medicine
Lee Blonder
TR 9:30-10:45 am
Donovan Hall 003
In this course we will explore answers to the following questions:
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What are the historical and global factors that have influenced the fields of integrative,
functional, and alternative medicine?
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From a philosophical perspective, how do integrative and alternative approaches differ from
“conventional” medicine?
What are the key approaches utilized by integrative, functional, and alternative medicine to
prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and improve human health?
What are common dietary supplements in use and how are dietary supplements regulated in
the US?
How are the fields of integrative, functional, and alternative medicine organized in the US and
what educational opportunities are available?
HON 301-003
Art in the Ancient Mediterranean: 700 BCE to 300 CE
Paolo Visona
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
TBD
Our seminar encompasses a thousand years of artistic achievement, broadly understood as
developments and innovations in art, architecture, and town planning. The geographical span of the
course material extends across the entire Mediterranean, from present-day Turkey to Spain, and from
Lebanon to Morocco. In addition to providing the intellectual framework for understanding the
emergence and evolution of Greek and Roman art – the main items in this course – we will examine the
meanings and functions of art in a variety of cultures in the Near East, North Africa, and Italy, which
contributed, each in its unique ways, to Mediterranean civilization until the rise of Christianity. Using a
postcolonialist, non-hellenocentric and non-romanocentric approach to the study of antiquity, we will
address the following questions:
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How did Greek art develop after the end of the Bronze Age and until the time of the Persian
Wars in the early 5th century BCE? What formative influences from other Mediterranean
cultures helped to define the unique features of Greek art?
What is ‘classical’ about classical Greek art, and how was classical art adopted and adapted in
Greece, Anatolia, North Africa and Italy?
Who were the artistic precursors of the Romans in Italy, and in what ways did native and Greek
cultures in the Italian peninsula helped to shape Roman art under the Republic?
What artistic language did each imperial dynasty use to articulate its political message to the
people of Rome and of the Roman Empire?
In what ways was Roman art received and interpreted across the Mediterranean in each of the
provinces of the Empire?
HON 301-004
Psychology of Innovation
Phil Kraemer
TR 12:30-1:45 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Innovation is central to life in the 21st Century. It is a topic that reaches broadly and deeply into
American culture, and it has profound significance for the entire global community. The process of
Innovation affects economic, social, educational, and political institutions in ways that influence the lives
of individuals and entire cultures. Despite its importance, this social phenomenon is just beginning to be
rigorously scrutinized as a legitimate topic in psychology. There has been, however, considerable
research into various components of innovation. For example, psychology features an expansive
literature on how the human mind creates new ideas. Similarly, psychology and related disciplines have
studied the process by which ideas diffuse across populations, and the there is an expansive literature
on attributes of successful inventors and entrepreneurs. It is now possible to integrate this research
agenda within a common framework that emphasis how the mind works. This course will use that
framework to explore the empirical and theoretical foundations of innovation as a social phenomenon.
Beyond the core content, this course will enable students to acquire a richer perspective on their
personal behavior, the behavior of others, and what it is to live within the innovation Zeitgeist.
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How does the mind create a new idea? What factors contribute to successful idea generation
relevant to invention?
How do ideas spread across a population? What factors promote or inhibit the diffusion of
ideas? What role does social influence play in the spread of ideas? What determines which ideas
get adopted?
What do entrepreneurs do to foster innovation? What psychological variables distinguish
successful entrepreneurs?
What are the attributes of organizations that promote creative thinking, invention, discovery,
and problem solving?
How is innovation affected by social climate and the ecology of technology?
HON 301-401
Positive Authentic Leadership
Gordon Holbein
M 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Donovan Hall 003
This course is designed to help you to develop and apply the most vital and relevant skills required in
today’s competitive and demanding world of work. Your employers, colleagues, subordinates and
customers expect you to use interpersonal, leadership, communication, team-building, and decisionmaking skills with professionalism, expertise and integrity. They look to you to not only show
competence in delivering results, but also to deliver those results while coping with ambiguity, adversity
and conflict. They expect complete integrity.
The distinctive feature of this course is that it is predominantly designed to allow you to actually work
on your self. Your own personal change, development, and improvement are our objective. “Book”
knowledge is not our sole emphasis, although you certainly will be offered key actionable principles that
will empower you to become a better leader, manager and worker. You will learn about your self. You
will come to improve your self. You will then be able to work with others in helping them optimize their
own personal effectiveness.
In order to help you work toward the above, we will maximize your interaction with both the instructor
and your fellow students. We will learn from real world managers and leaders, and will apply the things
we learn to real tasks and real world organizations.
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What is a leader? How does it differ from being a manager?
How do leaders in different domains and cultures differ, and how are they similar?
What does it mean to be a “successful,” a “good,” and an “effective” leader?
What challenge(s) in your life have shown you what matters most/least in your life?
What is your personal development plan for the next 5 – 10 years?
HON 301-402
International Short Story
Morris Grubbs
TR 6:00-7:15 pm
Donovan Hall 001
Modern Tales of Humanity follows the short story genre from it 19th-century romantic and realistic roots
in America, Russia, Germany, and France to its flowering in the 20th and 21st centuries by writers in
Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Latin America, Europe, and North America. The journey offers a
richly diverse reading experience with an extended look at the structural and thematic tendencies of the
modern short story. While we gather what the stories reveal to us about their authors’ times and places,
we will look closely at how the stories work as literary art. Among the driving questions in the course are
these:
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Aside from length, what characteristics distinguish literary tales and short stories from
novels?
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What themes pervade literary short stories across time and geographical space?
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How do fiction writers use style, structure, character, setting, tone, conflict, and point
of view to engage readers and develop meaning?
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What can literary fiction achieve that other media, particularly screen media, cannot?
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How do we fully appreciate multiple and competing interpretations of literary art?