Environmental Science

Environmental science is the study of interactions between and among Earth, ecological, infrastructure, and social systems. The study of environmental science allows us to understand the processes behind many of our most urgent societal challenges, including climate change, water-resource management, biodiversity conservation, public health, and environmental justice. Environmental science also provides a unique lens through which we can study the dynamics of our planet in settings as diverse as a serene tidal marsh, an Arctic glacier, a wastewater treatment plant, or a community garden.

Students at Sarah Lawrence College have the opportunity to take environmental-science courses that provide the deep understanding needed to overcome the socioenvironmental challenges of the coming decades. In combination with courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, students can build the foundation required to conduct their own environmental-science research. They can also gain fundamental technical skills—including experience with geographic information systems (GIS), numerical modeling, and data science—which can be applied across disciplines.

Environmental Science 2023-2024 Courses

Global Warming

Open, Lecture—Fall | 5 credits

The Earth’s climate has changed dramatically throughout its approximately 4.5 billion-year history, but the recent warming caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases poses a unique threat to humanity and many natural ecosystems. This course will cover the basic climate and Earth-system science needed to understand human-caused global warming. We will learn about the history of Earth’s climate and the diverse methods that scientists use to understand how it is changing. We will also explore current issues in climate-change science and how they are commonly miscommunicated or misrepresented in popular media. This course will meet as a weekly lecture with a weekly group conference.

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Climate Resilient Futures

Open, Small Lecture—Spring | 5 credits

Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge currently facing humanity. If allowed to continue unabated, its future impacts will be catastrophic for both natural ecosystems and human society. But while some climate change is “locked in” due to past greenhouse gas emissions, there is still time to develop infrastructure systems and environmental management policies to avoid many of the worst potential impacts. In this course, we will explore the concept of “ecological resilience” and how it can be applied to environmental management challenges such as climate change. We will learn about how natural and social scientists collaborate to develop projections of climate-changed futures, along with the science underlying climate-change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This course will meet as a weekly lecture with a weekly group conference. During group conference, students will have the opportunity to work together on a “visioning” project to develop a plausible scenario of a hopeful, climate-resilient future.

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Geospatial Data Analysis

Open, Seminar—Fall | 5 credits

Geospatial data are information associated with locations on the surface of the Earth. These can include a variety of different types of data used in environmental science, such as sample collection locations at a field-study site, the areal extent of a forest biome, or the output generated by global climate models. The analysis of geospatial data also allows social scientists to identify disparities in access to natural resources or exposure to pollutants and hazards and has been critical to the study and practice of environmental justice. This course provides an introduction to foundational concepts in cartography and geostatistics, along with practical experience in geospatial data analysis using open source Geographic Information Systems software (QGIS). Although we will focus primarily on environmental applications, the skills learned in this course can be utilized in many natural and social-science disciplines—and can also help you avoid getting lost!

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Environmental Data

Open, Seminar—Spring | 5 credits

The global environmental movement of the past half-century coincided with a technological revolution that has allowed us to collect many types of new data about our planet. From remote data generated by satellites, to data generated by sensors operating under harsh environmental conditions, to crowdsourced observations submitted by the general public, environmental scientists now have access to a wealth of new information that can be used to better understand Earth systems and the ways that human activities impact our environment. In this seminar, we will explore a variety of types and formats of environmental data and their applications. Participating students will develop a foundation in scientific computing and data visualization using SciPy, a collection of open-source software packages in Python. We will also consider broader issues when using data in environmental science, including privacy, accessibility, communicating uncertainty, and ethics. Through conference work, students will design and implement an environmental data-analysis project focused on a topic of their choice.

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Histories of Art and Climate Justice

Open, Seminar—Spring

How have artists visualized the climate crisis from the vantage point of environmental justice? How can art help us understand the past and shape discourses for the future? This course looks closely at modern and contemporary art through the lenses of the environment, ecology, and climate justice. We will ask how Euro-American artists portrayed ideologies of settler colonialism through the genre of landscape and explore how Indigenous artists have defined place, land, and embodiment as counter histories to a dominant settler norm. We will take up the sanitization of enslavement through landscape painting and consider contemporary representations of reparative landscapes by Black artists working in the wake of enslavement, including artworks that engage the effects of climate crisis on BIPOC communities. We will look at the aesthetics and politics of representations of climate change and what it means to visualize petrochemical and extractivist sites and the communities impacted by them. We will consider artists engaging in forms of attention, slowness, indigenous futurity, and care work in dialogue with a Heimbold Gallery exhibition on climate justice and care. This course will fully participate in the spring 2024 Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) Mellon course cluster, with a focus on environmental and climate justice and a strong involvement with local organizations and field trips. The semester will include two interludes during which students will engage in collaborative projects across disciplines and in partnership with students from Bronx Community College. Conference projects will entail writing a long-form research paper or presenting your research in a digital humanities format.

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General Biology: Genes, Cells, and Evolution

Open, Small Lecture—Fall

Biology, the study of life on Earth, encompasses structures and forms ranging from the very minute to the very large. In order to grasp the complexities of life, we begin this study with the cellular and molecular forms and mechanisms that serve as the foundation for all living organisms. The initial part of the semester will introduce the fundamental molecules critical to the biochemistry of life processes. From there, we branch out to investigate the major ideas, structures, and concepts central to the biology of cells, genetics, and the chromosomal basis of inheritance. Finally, we conclude the semester by examining how those principles relate to the mechanisms of evolution. Throughout the semester, we will discuss the individuals responsible for major discoveries, as well as the experimental techniques and process by which such advances in biological understanding are made. Classes will be supplemented with weekly laboratory work. This course serves as the gateway course into the biology department curriculum.

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Evolutionary Biology

Open, Lecture—Spring

What biological processes led to the development of the incredible diversity of life that we see on Earth today? The process of evolution, or a change in the inherited traits in a population over time, is fundamental to our understanding of biology and the history of life on Earth. This course will introduce students to the field of evolutionary biology. We will interpret evidence from the fossil record, molecular genetics, systematics, and empirical studies to deepen our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. Topics covered include the genetic basis of evolution, phylogenetics, natural selection, adaptation, speciation, coevolution, and the evolution of behavior and life-history traits. Students will attend one weekly 90-minute lecture and one weekly 90-minute group conference where scientific papers in evolutionary biology will be discussed in small groups.

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Animal Behavior

Open, Seminar—Fall

Behavior is the complex manifestation of multifaceted phenomena. Behavior involves the integration, synthesis, and sorting of vast amounts of biological information—from the molecular, cellular, and physiological to the cognitive, emotional, and psychological. Genetics, lived experience, embodied knowledge, and evolutionary legacy are all at play in the existence, persistence, and shaping of behavioral expression within and across lineages. Studying behavior provides insight into the interior lives of other animals and how they relate to and respond to their worlds, including a better understanding of their abilities to contend with environmental, social, and emotional challenges. Behavior can be studied at the level of the individual, group, and species. Studying animal behavior also provides awareness into our own species. In this course, we will explore the fascinating and complex world of other animals through the lens of behavior. We will begin to understand the relationship between nonhuman animal and human behavior, realizing that an understanding of human behavior depends to a large part on understanding nonhuman animals. We will develop skills to articulate the evolutionary history of a species’ behavior, the developmental history of an individual’s behavior, and the impact of evolution and development on natural selection. We will also investigate anthropogenic effects on animal behavior and begin to understand and articulate the ethical dilemmas posed when studying animals.

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Giving, Taking, and Cheating: The Ecology of Symbiosis

Open, Seminar—Fall

From gut flora of animals to fungi living in tree roots, symbioses are important and widespread throughout the natural world. We can broadly define symbiosis as different species living together in a close association of any nature, from mutualism to parasitism. In this seminar course, we will explore how symbioses are developed, maintained, and broken down and also consider the scientific challenges to understanding the function of such associations. We will read and discuss papers from the primary literature—exploring a broad range of taxonomic groups, including fungus-farming ants, bioluminescent bacteria living in squid, figs and their wasp pollinators, parasitic butterflies, and sloths and the moths that live in their fur. We will place a special emphasis on mutualisms, or interactions in which both partners benefit—unless, of course, one cheats. We will think carefully about how to design scientific experiments to understand the nature of symbioses and also design and carry out a class experiment on mutualisms between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

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Ecology

Open, Seminar—Fall

Ecology is a scientific discipline that studies interactions between living organisms and their environments, as well as processes governing how species are distributed, how they interact, and how nutrients and energy cycle through ecosystems. Ecologists might ask questions about how plant growth responds to climate change, how squirrel population size or behavior changes in response to acorn availability, or how nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous cycle in rivers and streams. In this course, students will develop a strong foundational understanding of the science of ecology at the individual, population, community, and ecosystem scales. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on how carefully-designed experiments and data analysis can help us find predictable patterns despite the complexity of nature. Students will be expected to design and carry out a field experiment, either individually or in small groups. The course will include a weekly lab section, with most labs held outdoors.

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Genetics

Sophomore and Above, Seminar—Fall

At the biological core of all life on Earth is the gene. The unique combination of genes in each individual ultimately forms the basis for that person's physical appearance, metabolic capacity, thought processes, and behavior. Therefore, in order to understand how life develops and functions, it is critical to understand what genes are, how they work, and how they are passed on from parents to offspring. In this course, we will begin by investigating the theories of inheritance first put forth by Mendel and then progress to our current concepts of how genes are transmitted through individuals, families, and whole populations. We will also examine chromosome structure and the mechanisms and molecular functions of genes and DNA within cells and how mutations in DNA can lead to physical abnormalities and diseases such as Trisomy 21, hemophilia, or others. Finally, we will discuss the role of genetics in influencing such complex phenotypes as behavior or traits such as intelligence. Classes will be supplemented with weekly laboratory work.

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Wild Animals and Conservation

Open, Seminar—Spring

We live in an increasingly human-dominated world where the places for wild animals are shrinking, causing animals to face an increasing number of threats and translating into populations, species, and ecosystems being in jeopardy. The modern conservation movement developed from concerns over the loss of wilderness and the extinction of species through exploitation. As a result, the well-being of individual wild animals has not been a focus of our conservation practices. Instead, we have tended to focus on the health of populations, preservation of species, and overall biodiversity. But in light of habitat loss, climate change, increased human-wildlife conflict, and the current global extinction crisis, we are wise to rethink how we care for wildlife and nature. While conservation biology and the science of animal well-being share a guiding ethic of the protection of animals, the presence of animal well-being has been slow to emerge in the field of conservation. Recent changes in our understanding of human activity on wildlife—such as overharvesting, pollution, climate change, and habitat loss, as well as the intensification of conservation programs—have necessitated a reevaluation of this separation. This course introduces students to the emerging fields of animal well-being science, compassionate conservation, conservation welfare, and wild-animal welfare. We will explore the shared and conflicting concerns of animal well-being and conservation from both historical and current perspectives. In doing so, we will examine these issues in popular media (film and press, for example) and academic (including scientific) literature. We will explore why some wild animals are considered pest species, why endangered species get special treatment (and if the animals of these species are better off), as well as the issue of keeping animals in zoos in the name of conservation. Major questions for the course will be: When we think about wildlife as individuals…how do our decisions on their behalf change? How do our conservation practices change? How does our relationship with wildlife change? Some topics that we will cover in this course include: human values and attitudes relating to conservation decision-making and norms of conservation practice; the role of science in conservation decisions; ethical questions in conservation practice; presuppositions about nature; human attitudes toward animals; perils of animals in the wild; and application of animal well-being science to conservation issues.

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Viruses and Pandemics

Open, Seminar—Spring

Ebola, smallpox, influenza, rabies...these and other viruses are the smallest lifeforms on Earth, yet they are some of the most powerful and devastating biological forces ever unleashed. Throughout human history, pandemics caused by viruses have periodically ravaged human populations, altering the social fabric, confounding political and medical responses, and revealing the fragility of the human species. Examples range from the Antonine Plague that killed five million people during the time of the Roman Empire, to the 15 million deaths during the Cocoliztli epidemic of the 1600s in Mexico and Central America, to the Spanish Flu pandemic of the early 20th century that claimed an estimated 50-100 million victims. The current COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world of the dominance of viruses and exposed the challenges of confronting these microscopic pathogens on a global scale. This course will examine the biology and behavior of viruses, the role of such pathogens in inducing different pandemics throughout the course of history, and the means by which they can emerge and spread through a population. We will explore how viral outbreaks are traced through epidemiological means and modeling and how vaccines, quarantines, and other medical, social and political responses work to mitigate and eventually overcome such outbreaks. During the course, we will consider the representation of viruses and our response to pandemics through readings drawn from texts such as John Barry’s The Great Influenza, Laurie Garrett’s The Coming Plague, and Michael Lewis’s The Premonition.

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Cell Biology

Intermediate, Seminar—Spring

Cells are the most basic unit of life on the planet. All life forms are simply conglomerations of cells, ranging from the individual bacterial cells to higher-order plants and animals. Humans, themselves, are made up of trillions of cells. So what exactly is a cell? What is it made of? How does it function? In a complex organism, how do cells communicate with one another and coordinate their activities? How do they regulate their growth? What role do genes play in controlling cellular function? This course will address these questions and introduce the basic biology of cells while keeping in mind their larger role in tissues and organs. If we can understand the structures and functions of the individual cells that serve as the subunits of larger organisms, we can begin to understand the biological nature of humans and other complex life forms. Classes will be supplemented with laboratory work.

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Microbiology

Intermediate, Seminar—Spring

Humans are bathing in a sea of microbes. Microbes coat our environments, live within our bodies, and perform functions both beneficial and detrimental to human well-being. This course will explore the biology of microorganisms, broadly defined as bacteria, archaea, viruses, single-celled eukaryotes, and fungi. We will study microbes at multiple scales, including the individual cell, the growing population, and populations interacting with one another or their environments. Microbial physiology, genetics, diversity, and ecology will be covered in depth. Particular emphasis will be given to the role of microbes that cause infectious disease in humans and microbes that play critical roles in ecological processes. Seminars will be supplemented by a weekly lab section to learn key microbiological techniques and methods, most notably culturing and identifying bacteria.

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First-Year Studies: The Extraordinary Chemistry of Everyday Life

FYS—Year

Everything that we eat, wear, and do involves chemistry. This yearlong course examines the chemistry of our everyday life—the way things work. The emphasis of this course is on understanding the everyday use of chemistry. We will introduce chemistry concepts with everyday examples, such as household chemicals and gasoline, that show how we already use chemistry and reveal why chemistry is important to us. We will concentrate on topics of current interest, such as environmental pollution, and the substances that we use in our daily lives and that affect our environment and us. We will emphasize practical applications of chemistry to issues involving food and nutrition. In this FYS course, we will have weekly one-on-one conferences for the fall semester and biweekly for the spring semester.

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General Chemistry I

Open, Small Lecture—Fall

This course is the first part of a two-semester sequence that provides a broad foundation for the scientific discipline of chemistry, introducing its fundamental principles and techniques and demonstrating the central role of chemistry in biology and medicine. We first look at basic descriptions of elemental properties, the periodic table, solid and molecular structures, and chemical bonding. We then relate these topics to the electronic structure of atoms. The mole as a unit is introduced so that a quantitative treatment of stoichiometry can be considered. After this introduction, we go on to consider physical chemistry, which provides the basis for a quantitative understanding of (i) the kinetic theory of gases (which is developed to consider the nature of liquids and solids); (ii) equilibria and the concepts of the equilibrium constant and of pH; (iii) energy changes in chemical reactions and the fundamental principles of thermodynamics; (iv) the rates of chemical reactions and the concepts of the rate determining step and activation energy. Practical work in the laboratory periods of this course introduces the use and handling of basic chemical equipment and illustrates the behavior of simple chemical substances. In addition to the two regular class meetings and laboratory session each week, there will be an hour-long weekly group conference. This lecture course will be of interest to students interested in the study of chemistry or biology and to those planning on a career in medicine and related health.

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General Chemistry II

Intermediate, Small Lecture—Spring

This course is a continuation of General Chemistry I. We will begin with a detailed study of both the physical and chemical properties of solutions. This will enable us to consider the factors that affect both the rates and direction of chemical reactions. We will then investigate the properties of acids and bases and the role that electricity plays in chemistry. The course will conclude with introductions to nuclear chemistry and organic chemistry. Weekly laboratory sessions will allow us to demonstrate and test the theories described in the lecture segment of the course.

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The Chemistry of Art Materials

Open, Seminar—Fall

Do you admire paintings? Color? Yes, of course. As they age, paintings develop cracks and blisters and discolor. What is going on? In this course, we will learn about the investigative tools used by art conservation scientists as they diagnose the aging issues associated with paintings and other artworks. The course will cover chemical aspects of art materials, including the preparation and discoloration of artists’ pigments with emphasis on inorganic pigments, toxicology of art materials, and the aging of the oil matrix of oil paintings. Students will be taught how to use chemical mechanism, based on changes in structure as a common language that applies to the aging of art materials. Students will develop an individual project that is based on the chemistry of art materials. The approach will be nonmathematical.

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Organic Chemistry I

Open, Seminar—Fall

Organic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds whose molecules are based on a framework of carbon atoms, typically in combination with hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Despite this rather limited set of elements, there are more organic compounds known than there are compounds that do not contain carbon. Adding to the importance of organic chemistry is the fact that very many of the chemical compounds that make modern life possible—such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, pigments, and dyes—can be classed as organic. Organic chemistry, therefore, impacts many other scientific subjects; and knowledge of organic chemistry is essential for a detailed understanding of materials science, environmental science, molecular biology, and medicine. This course gives an overview of the structures, physical properties, and reactivity of organic compounds. We will see that organic compounds can be classified into families of similar compounds based upon certain groups of atoms that always behave in a similar manner no matter what molecule they are in. These functional groups will enable us to rationalize the vast number of reactions that organic reagents undergo. Topics covered in this course include: the types of bonding within organic molecules; fundamental concepts of organic reaction mechanisms (nucleophilic substitution, elimination, and electrophilic addition); the conformations and configurations of organic molecules; and the physical and chemical properties of alkanes, halogenoalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, and alcohols. In the laboratory section of the course, we will develop the techniques and skills required to synthesize, separate, purify, and identify organic compounds. Organic Chemistry is a key requirement for pre-med students and is strongly encouraged for all others who are interested in the biological and physical sciences.

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Organic Chemistry II

Intermediate, Seminar—Spring

In this course, we will explore the physical and chemical properties of additional families of organic molecules. The reactivity of aromatic compounds, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids and their derivatives (acid chlorides, acid anhydrides, esters, and amides), enols and enolates, and amines will be discussed. We will also investigate the methods by which large, complicated molecules can be synthesized from simple starting materials. Modern methods of organic structural determination—such as mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy—will also be introduced. In the laboratory section of this course, we will continue to develop the techniques and skills required to synthesize, separate, purify, and identify organic compounds. Organic Chemistry II is a key requirement for pre-med students and is strongly encouraged for all others who are interested in the biological and physical sciences.

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First-Year Studies: Political Economy of Environmental and Climate Justice

FYS—Year

Environmental pollution and climate change disproportionately impact people who are economically and politically powerless. Evidence shows that low-income and minority communities and people in the Global South tend to face higher levels of environmental pollution, have less protection from environmental and natural hazards, and suffer more losses caused by climate change. In this FYS, we will focus on the what, why, how, and what to do. What are the facts of environmental and climate injustice in developing countries, developed countries, and between developing and developed countries? Why is environmental and climate injustice happening? Why is focusing on climate and environmental justice important? How do the climate and environmental justice paradigms challenge the social, political, economic, and cultural structures of capitalism; for instance, corporate and elite environmentalism? How have corporations and governments responded to environmental and climate justice quests? Has the energy transition been fulfilling its promises? What remains to be done to make environmental and climate justice real? Along with discussing these pressing questions, the course will attempt to help you get familiar with and improve your skills that are essential for conducting independent research, analytical thinking and writing, and critical inquiry. This FYS will entail biweekly conference meetings, alternating with in-class, evidence-based group activities focusing on research and critical thinking.

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Critical Political Economy of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Economic Development

Intermediate, Seminar—Spring

This course focuses on the intersection of economic development and environmental and natural-resource management. We will focus on the unique environmental and natural-resource challenges faced by developing countries and seek to understand how economic-development goals can be achieved without sacrificing the economic and environmental well-being of future generations. We will bring together relevant theoretical and empirical insights obtained from environmental economics, ecological economics, political economy, and development studies. A sample of questions to be addressed in the course includes how the relationship between economic growth, demographic change and environmental pollution has evolved; how globalization distributes and redistributes environmental benefits and costs between the Global South and Global North; whether a Global Green New Deal can address both environmental sustainability and economic development; why developing countries suffer from the natural-resource curse; what local communities in developing countries can teach us about sustainable resource management; what property-right regimes work for sustainable development; and what renewable energy policies work for developing countries; etc.

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An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Analysis

Open, Lecture—Spring

Variance, correlation coefficient, regression analysis, statistical significance, margin of error...you’ve heard these terms and other statistical phrases bantered about before, and you’ve seen them interspersed in news reports and research articles. But what do they mean? How are they used? And why are they so important? Serving as an introduction to the concepts, techniques, and reasoning central to the understanding of data, this lecture course focuses on the fundamental methods of statistical analysis used to gain insight into diverse areas of human interest. The use, misuse, and abuse of statistics will be the central focus of the course; specific topics of exploration will be drawn from experimental design theory, sampling theory, data analysis, and statistical inference. Applications will be considered in current events, business, psychology, politics, medicine, and many other areas of the natural and social sciences. Statistical (spreadsheet) software will be introduced and used extensively in this course, but no prior experience with the technology is assumed. Group conferences, conducted in workshop mode, will serve to reinforce student understanding of the course material. This lecture is recommended for anybody wishing to be a better-informed consumer of data and strongly recommended for those planning to pursue advanced undergraduate or graduate research in the natural sciences or social sciences. Enrolled students are expected to have an understanding of basic high-school algebra and plane coordinate geometry.

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Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Vector Calculus, and Differential Equations

Intermediate, Seminar—Year

Rarely is a quantity of interest—tomorrow’s temperature, unemployment rates across Europe, the cost of a spring-break flight to Fort Lauderdale—a simple function of just one primary variable. Reality, for better or worse, is mathematically multivariable. This course introduces an array of topics and tools used in the mathematical analysis of multivariable functions. The intertwined theories of vectors, matrices, and differential equations and their applications will be the central themes of exploration in this yearlong course. Specific topics to be covered include the algebra and geometry of vectors in two, three, and higher dimensions; dot and cross products and their applications; equations of lines and planes in higher dimensions; solutions to systems of linear equations, using Gaussian elimination; theory and applications of determinants, inverses, and eigenvectors; volumes of three-dimensional solids via integration; spherical and cylindrical coordinate systems; and methods of visualizing and constructing solutions to differential equations of various types. Conference work will involve an investigation of some mathematically-themed subject of the student’s choosing.

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Calculus I

Open, Seminar—Fall

Our existence lies in a perpetual state of change. An apple falls from a tree; clouds move across expansive farmland, blocking out the sun for days; meanwhile, satellites zip around the Earth, transmitting and receiving signals to our cell phones. The calculus was invented to develop a language to accurately describe and study the changes that we see. Ancient Greeks began a detailed study of change but were scared to wrestle with the infinite; so, it was not until the 17th century that Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, among others, tamed the infinite and gave birth to this extremely successful branch of mathematics. Though just a few hundred years old, the calculus has become an indispensable research tool in both the natural and social sciences. Our study begins with the central concept of the limit and proceeds to explore the dual topics of differentiation and integration. Numerous applications of the theory will be examined. For conference work, students may choose to undertake a deeper investigation of a single topic or application of the calculus or conduct a study in some other branch of mathematics. This seminar is intended for students interested in advanced study in mathematics or science, students preparing for careers in the health sciences or engineering, and any student wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.

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Calculus II

Open, Seminar—Spring

This course continues the thread of mathematical inquiry, following an initial study of the dual topics of differentiation and integration (see Calculus I course description). Topics to be explored in this course include the calculus of exponential and logarithmic functions, applications of integration theory to geometry, alternative coordinate systems, infinite series, and power series representations of functions. For conference work, students may choose to undertake a deeper investigation of a single topic or application of the calculus or conduct a study of some other mathematically-related topic, including artistic projects. This seminar is intended for students interested in advanced study in mathematics or science, preparing for careers in the health sciences or engineering, or simply wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.

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Calculus II

Open, Seminar—Fall

This course continues the thread of mathematical inquiry, following an initial study of the dual topics of differentiation and integration (see Calculus I course description). Topics to be explored in this course include the calculus of exponential and logarithmic functions, applications of integration theory to geometry, alternative coordinate systems, infinite series, and power series representations of functions. For conference work, students may choose to undertake a deeper investigation of a single topic or application of the calculus or conduct a study of some other mathematically-related topic, including artistic projects. This seminar is intended for students interested in advanced study in mathematics or science, preparing for careers in the health sciences or engineering, or simply wishing to broaden and enrich the life of the mind.

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Ethics of Eating in the Age of Climate Change

Open, Seminar—Fall

Food systems are deeply intertwined with climate change. On the one hand, industrial food production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. On the other, environmental degradation, decreased soil fertility, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are among the many factors that impact food systems around the world. This course explores the ways in which climate change and food systems are interwoven and the ethical implications that emerge from this entanglement. Topics of the course will intersect with the philosophy of food, animal ethics, environmental ethics, environmental justice, and global climate justice.

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Literature, Art, and (Environmental) Ethical Attention

Open, Seminar—Spring

This course explores the ways that narrative and creative expression can shape our ethical perspective on the world—particularly around ethical questions related to nature, nonhuman animals, environmental justice, and climate change. First-person narratives, novels and fiction, film, art, dance, and other creative expressions are significant for shaping the way that we understand ourselves and what it means to be in ethical relation with the world around us. Together, we will explore the ways in which these forms of expression shape ethical decision-making and ethical theory by centering values of care, reciprocity, community, and attention. This course will fully participate in the spring 2024 Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) Mellon course cluster, with a focus on environmental and climate justice and a strong involvement with local organizations. The semester will include two interludes during which students will engage in collaborative projects across disciplines and in partnership with students from Bronx Community College. Students will have the opportunity to develop field-based conference projects.

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Classical Mechanics (Calculus-Based General Physics)

Open, Seminar—Fall

Calculus-based general physics is a standard course at most institutions; as such, this course will prepare you for more advanced work in the physical science, engineering, or health fields. The course will cover introductory classical mechanics, including kinematics, dynamics, momentum, energy, and gravity. Emphasis will be placed on scientific skills, including: problem-solving, development of physical intuition, scientific communication, use of technology, and development and execution of experiments. The best way to develop scientific skills is to practice the scientific process. We will focus on learning physics through discovering, testing, analyzing, and applying fundamental physics concepts in an interactive classroom, as well as in weekly laboratory meetings.

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Thermal Physics

Intermediate, Seminar—Fall

Some bears like their porridge very hot. Others like their porridge very cold. And then there are certain bears that like their porridge to have a temperature that is just right. What is temperature, anyway? In this course, we will not be cooking any porridge but will provide an introduction to thermal physics. Topics will include: thermodynamics (energy, temperature, work, heat, ideal gases); statistical mechanics (entropy, partition functions, distributions, chemical potential, non-ideal gases, bosonic gas, fermionic gas); and applications from physics, chemistry, and engineering (engines, refrigerators, Bose-Einstein condensates, maybe black holes). Previous experience with introductory physics (velocity, forces, energy) and chemistry is helpful but not required.

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Electromagnetism & Light (Calculus-Based General Physics)

Open, Seminar—Spring

Calculus-based general physics is a standard course at most institutions; as such, this course will prepare you for more advanced work in the physical science, engineering, or health fields. The course will cover waves, geometric and wave optics, electrostatics, magnetostatics, and electrodynamics. We will use the exploration of the particle and wave properties of light to bookend our discussions and, ultimately, finish our exploration of classical physics with the hints of its incompleteness. Emphasis will be placed on scientific skills, including problem-solving, development of physical intuition, scientific communication, use of technology, and development and execution of experiments. The best way to develop scientific skills is to practice the scientific process. We will focus on learning physics through discovering, testing, analyzing, and applying fundamental physics concepts in an interactive classroom, as well as in weekly laboratory meetings.

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Creative Reuse

Open, Seminar—Fall

By adopting creative reuse strategies in art-making practices, we can transform everyday objects, remnants, and trash into treasures. When researching a common object’s history, its use, circulation, and disposal, we see the devastating consequences of extractive practices and overconsumption on our planetary health. How can we, instead, use our junk and leftover scraps to hold memory, tell stories, and evoke regenerative possibilities? While salvaging and repurposing materials, students explore innovative ways to infuse personal meaning, cultural significance, and ecological urgency in their artwork. The course is structured around assignments, hands-on experimentation, research, and field trips. Students will develop a conference project that gives discards a second life.

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What Remains: Presenting Absence

Open, Concept—Spring

How do we notice the traces of what’s no longer here? How do surfaces and forms bear the lingering presence of human use? This course will consider the artistic and philosophical concept of absence in its many forms: vanishing, dematerialization, disappearance, nothingness, forgetting, loss, and grief. Through lectures, readings, and studio exercises, we will experiment with multiple artistic and conceptual frameworks for bearing witness to acts of removal, erasure, and temporality. The class will explore how these strategies can, in fact, bring more visibility to suppressed bodies, histories, and ecologies. Some of the artists whose works we will consider include Gordon Matta-Clark, Félix González-Torres, Ana Mendieta, David Hammonds, Doris Salcedo, Rachel Whiteread, Walid Raad, Do Hoh Suh, Danh Võ, Janine Antoni, and Stephanie Syujuco, among others.

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Activating Art in Public Places

Open, Seminar—Spring

The course will guide students in navigating the complexity of working in the public realm. The class explores methodologies and precedents for how artists translate their concepts, research, materials, processes, and scale into proposals for public works that respond to the needs of place and community. How can your work be in direct dialogue with its surroundings—physically, historically, and metaphorically—to activate the site? How can art mobilize the public into civic engagement, social change, and ecological repair? Through intentionality, projects engage audiences in participation, collaboration, or even disruption. Students will propose and develop a conference project with regular feedback, critique, and support from faculty and peers.

Faculty

Creative Nonfiction

Intermediate/Advanced, Seminar—Fall

This is a course for creative writers who are interested in exploring nonfiction as an art form. We will focus on reading and interpreting outside work—essays, articles, and journalism by some of our best writers—in order to understand what good nonfiction is and how it is created. During the first part of the semester, writing will be comprised mostly of exercises and short pieces aimed at putting into practice what is being illuminated in the readings; in the second half of the semester, students will create longer, formal essays to be presented in workshop.

Faculty