Students learn science best when they formulate and test their own hypotheses, using methods capable of producing convincing evidence. This is true at the elementary level, where students become interested in further study by encountering science as discovery rather than rote facts. It is even more important at advanced levels, where students are most likely to become interested in science careers by working as fully involved junior colleagues with professionally active faculty on research projects that develop new science. The ability to conduct competitive research at Williams helps to attract talented scientists as faculty and keeps them current, so that the diverse range of science courses reflects new results and perspectives. For faculty to involve students in research, to produce publishable results, to compete for research funding, to teach effectively in a formal classroom setting, and to continually bring modern ideas into course laboratories, requires substantial support in the way of modern facilities, instrumentation, supplies and technical support. Williams College long ago recognized this need. With the construction of the Bronfman Science Center in 1967, we established the kind of facilities and support programs recommended by studies such as the 1986 National Science Board Task Committee on Undergraduate Science and Engineering Education. As our science buildings have been upgraded to provide modern facilities for teaching and student-faculty research, the model of the entire science division as a programmatic unit has flourished. Funds for major equipment, for individual student-faculty research projects, and for stipend support of students doing research with faculty are coordinated on a division-wide basis by the Science Executive Committee and the Divisional Research Funding Committee. By working together, we are able to share not only facilities and equipment, but also ideas and enthusiasm, and so provide a “critical mass” of activity that might not be possible within an individual department at a small institution.
In the late 1980s, Williams College affirmed its commitment to training future scientists by identifying applicants with an expressed interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in science. Since then, about 15% of students in each class have expressed interest in careers in scientific research. The quality of the College’s science programs has nurtured this interest and nearly all of those students continue in science. Williams College has become a leader in the training of future scientists with more than 50 students going on to Ph.D. programs in science each year. As a result of this commitment, Williams has ranked first among predominantly undergraduate institutions in students receiving NSF pre-doctoral fellowships, averaging about 7 per year over the past ten years. We attribute this success to an energetic faculty and staff dedicated to providing an excellent educational experience and to the many research opportunities available to Williams students at both advanced and introductory levels. It has long been recognized that a positive undergraduate research experience is the single most important inspiration for future scientists. As documented in this report, more than 250 students were engaged in science research with Williams faculty this year. More than 85 students conducted independent research projects during the academic year and 166 students were engaged in full-time research with Williams science faculty during the summer. Dozens of Williams students participated in conferences where they presented the results of their research, and many Williams students co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Concurrent with the increased student involvement in science, Williams has attracted talented and vibrant science faculty engaged in competitive research and dedicated to teaching undergraduates. As a result, the number of external grants awarded to support faculty research or curricular innovation has increased significantly. With 24 active NSF grants this past year, Williams College ranks second among undergraduate institutions in the number of NSF grants awarded to science faculty. The large number of individual faculty grants, together with grants from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the Essel Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Keck Foundation, and other sources, has enabled us to purchase and maintain sophisticated equipment for teaching and research. Emphasizing close student-faculty interactions, the opportunities in undergraduate science education at Williams are exciting, diverse, and progressive. After years of careful planning by science faculty, a $47 million science facility was completed in fall 2000. This facility unifies all science departments in a single complex surrounding a central science library. The new Science Center, ensures Williams’ place as a leader in undergraduate science education in the 21st century.
Freshman and Sophomore Discovery Courses
Launched under a five-year grant from the Ford Foundation Initiative for Undergraduate Science Education, “discovery” courses in the sciences have become an integral part of our curriculum. Although the grant has expired, most of these special introductory science courses (described below) have become integral parts of our curriculum. Designed to excite the interest of beginning students through hands-on experiences, the discovery courses are taught in a manner that requires students to take a greater responsibility for their own education. They are expected to make observations, formulate hypotheses, gather data, conduct analyses, and evaluate outcomes without the faculty providing them with the anticipated results in advance. The success of these courses has led to the incorporation of the discovery approach to teaching science in upper-level courses as well.
CHEM 255 Organic Chemistry: Intermediate Level Special Laboratory Section
While covering the same lecture material as other introductory chemistry classes, a special, enriched laboratory program includes activities that more closely resemble the unpredictable nature and immediacy of true chemical research. Students synthesize, isolate, and characterize a family of unknown materials in a series of related experiments constituting an integrated, semester-long investigation.
ENVI 102 Introduction to Environmental Science
ENVI 102 is course with a hands-on approach to learning environmental science by going out and collecting data locally. It has been taught by professors Hank Art (Biology), Dieter Bingemann (Chemistry), and Mea Cook (Geosciences) with help from Jay Racela (Environmental Studies). This project-centered approach looks at local analogues of five themes of global importance: climate change and the carbon cycle, acid deposition, metals in the environment, water quality, and waste treatment and remediation. This year we again completed a biomass census in a permanent plot in Hopkins Forest to estimate the amount of CO2 taken up by forest re-growth in Williamstown, analyzed chemical processes in conventional and Living Machine sewage treatment facilities, measured heavy metals in soils from various locations in Williamstown, and evaluated water quality in local streams and ponds. Students in the course undertook a diversity of independent field/lab projects, ranging from a chemical and gustatory drinking water comparison and the design of an environmental discovery trail to maple syrup from the Hopkins Forest and the in-depth study of local ponds and rivers stressed by human impacts.
GEOS 105 Geology Outdoors
An introduction to geology through student field projects – the mountains, lakes, rivers, and valleys of the Williamstown area provide unusual opportunities for learning geology in the field. Guided by Paul Karabinos (Geosciences), student projects include the study of streams as active agents of erosion and deposition, the effects of glaciation on the New England landscape, and the history of mountain building in the Appalachians. Following several group projects introducing the techniques of field geology, students pursue independent projects on subjects of particular interest to them.
Kresge Foundation Equipment Grant
Williams was awarded a grant from the Kresge Foundation in 1990 to replace and update major items of scientific equipment and instrumentation. This three-part grant is used not only to purchase new equipment, but also to support maintenance contracts and the repair of existing instruments. One aspect of the grant is that the College sets aside endowment funds for the depreciation and eventual replacement of items purchased under the grant.
Through this grant the college has purchased and maintains a 24-inch optical telescope, a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, a transmission electron microscope, a UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer, and an x-ray diffraction instrument. In recent years, Kresge endowment funds were used to replace earlier models of a scanning electron microscope, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, an atomic absorption spectrometer and an ion chromatograph. These expensive pieces of core equipment are heavily used by faculty and students in collaborative research projects and in teaching laboratories associated with courses ranging from introductory to advanced levels.
Sherman Fairchild Foundation Grant
In January 2005, the Sherman Fairchild Foundation awarded a $500,000 grant to Williams College for the development of an interdisciplinary program in bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics (BiGP) at Williams College. This grant was used to purchase a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer, an HPLC-ESI mass spectrometer, a flow cytometer and qPCR instrument for the capstone BiGP laboratory course. The instruments have also been used in biochemistry, biophysical biochemistry, and organic chemistry courses as well as several student-faculty research projects.
SMALL
SMALL is a summer research program in mathematics funded by the National Science Foundation and the Science Center, now in its twenty-third year. Between 20 and 32 students split into groups of about four and work on solving open problems of current research interest. Each group has a faculty advisor. Students publish their results in mathematics research journals and give talks at math conferences around the country. In the summer of 2011, thirty one students are working in Commutative Algebra, Ergodic Theory, Geometric Origami, Geometry, Multidimensional Continued Fractions, and Number Theory and Probability, with six faculty members.
Major Programs
The Astronomy Department offers courses for students interested in studying and learning about the universe, and who would like to be able to follow new astronomical discoveries as they are made. Students can choose between broad non-mathematical survey courses (ASTR 101, 102 or 104) and a more intensive introductory course (ASTR 111) designed for those planning further study in astronomy or another science. All students in the introductory courses use the 24-inch telescope and other telescopes and instruments on the observing deck to study astronomical objects. The astrophysics major, administered jointly with the Physics Department, is designed primarily for students who plan graduate study in astronomy, astrophysics or a related field. The major emphasizes the structure of the universe and its constituents – including the Sun, stars and star clusters, galaxies and galaxy clusters, quasars and active galaxies, and the cosmic background radiation – in terms of physical processes. Majors in astrophysics usually begin their program with Introduction to Astrophysics (ASTR 111) as well as introductory physics courses. Intermediate and advanced level seminars introduce majors to current research topics in astronomy, while parallel study of physics completes their preparation for graduate work in astronomy or employment in a related field. The astronomy major is designed for students with a serious intellectual interest in learning about modern astronomy, but who do not wish to undertake all of the physics and math required for the more intensive astrophysics major. The astronomy major emphasizes understanding the observed properties of the physical systems that comprise the known universe. Students that are considering a major in the Astronomy Department, or a double major including Astronomy or Astrophysics, should consult with members of the Department about appropriate beginning courses. Independent research, extensive use of observational and image processing computer facilities, fieldwork at remote observatories or on eclipse expeditions and close working relationships with faculty are hallmarks of the Astronomy and Astrophysics majors.
The biological sciences are in a constant state of flux that is reforming our entire view of living systems. Significant breakthroughs are occurring at all levels; from the theoretical to the practical, from health related fields to environmental studies, from animal behavior to molecular biology and bioinformatics. In response to these needs the Williams College Biology Department curriculum has been designed not only to keep pace with new developments in the field, but also to afford students as broad a base as possible for understanding the principles governing life processes. Four courses, The Cell (BIOL 101), The Organism (BIOL 102), Genetics (BIOL 202) and a 400 level senior seminar, are required for the major. In addition, five electives may be selected from a range of courses including those in cellular biology, immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology, physiology, animal behavior, neurobiology, ecology and evolution. New courses have been added to our curriculum in recent years: Integrative Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics (BIOL 319), a new literature-based senior-level course dealing with topics of current research interest including developmental and genomic evolution of animal design and two 400-level tutorials, Frontiers in Muscle Physiology: Controversies (BIOL 426T) and Evolutionary Ecology (BIOL 428T). These courses change from year to year to emphasize the latest concepts and to introduce techniques and instrumentation used in modern biological research. To support our teaching objectives, the department continues to integrate state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation into our courses. Although the biology major is specifically designed to provide a balanced curriculum in the broader context of the liberal arts for any interested student, it is also an excellent preparation for graduate studies in medicine and life sciences.
The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BiMo) Program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore living systems on the molecular level. Biochemistry and molecular biology are dynamic fields that lie at the interface between biology and chemistry. Current applications range from the diagnosis and treatment of disease to enzyme chemistry, developmental biology, and the engineering of new crop plants. After completing the introductory biology and chemistry courses and organic chemistry, a student would normally take the introductory course in the program: Biochemistry I – Structure and Function of Biological Molecules (BIMO 321) and Biochemistry II- Metabolism (BIMO 322). These courses, taken in conjunction with courses in genetics and molecular genetics, establish a solid background in biochemistry and molecular biology. The advanced courses and electives available from the chemistry and biology department offerings encourage students’ exploration of individual interests in a wide variety of topics. A senior capstone course, Topics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BIMO 401), gives students the chance to explore the scientific literature in a variety of BIMO-related research areas. Completion of the BIMO Program provides exceptional preparation for graduate study in all aspects of biochemistry, molecular biology, and the medical sciences.
Through a variety of individual courses and sequential programs, the Chemistry Department provides an opportunity for students to explore chemistry, an area of important knowledge about ourselves and the world around us. For those who elect to major in chemistry, the introductory course, Introductory Concepts of Chemistry (CHEM 151, or for those who qualify, CHEM 153 or CHEM 155), is followed by intermediate and advanced courses in organic, inorganic, physical, and biological chemistry. These provide a thorough preparation for graduate study in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, environmental science, materials science, medicine and the medical sciences. Advanced independent study courses focus on the knowledge learned in earlier courses and provide the opportunity to conduct original research in a specific field. For those in other majors who wish to explore the science of chemistry, the Chemistry Department offers courses that introduce the fundamentals of chemistry in a context designed to provide students with an enriching understanding of our natural world. Chemistry courses for non-majors include: Chemistry and Crime: From Sherlock Holmes to Modern Forensic Science (CHEM 113); AIDS: The Disease and Search for a Cure (CHEM 115); and Applying the Scientific Method to Archaeology and Paleoanthropology (CHEM 262T).
Computers and computation are pervasive in our society. They are enormously important in areas as diverse as education, business, industry, and the arts. The Computer Science Department seeks to provide students with an understanding of the nature of computation and the ability to explore the great potential of computers. The Department recognizes that students’ interests in computer science vary widely, and attempts to meet these varied interests through 1) its major program; 2) a selection of courses intended for those who are interested primarily in an introduction to computer science; 3) recommended course sequences for the non-major who wants a more extensive introduction to computer science in general or who seeks to develop some specific expertise in computing for application in some other discipline. A major in computer science equips students to pursue a wide variety of career opportunities. It can be used as preparation for a career in computing, for graduate school, or to provide important background for students whose future careers will extend outside of computer science. The first course for majors and others intending to take more than a single computer science course is Introduction to Computer Science (CSCI 134). Upper-level courses include computer organization, algorithm design and analysis, principles of programming languages, computer networks, distributed systems, theory of computation, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, operating systems, and compiler design. For those students interested in learning more about new ideas and developments in computer science, but who are not necessarily interested in developing extensive programming skills, the department offers three courses. CSCI 107 introduces concepts in computer science through the design and analysis of games. CSCI 108 provides an introduction to artificial intelligence, and CSCI 109 introduces students to the techniques of computer graphics.
The Program in Environmental Studies commenced in 1970, after the 1967 establishment of The Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Williams. The Major in Environmental Science was approved by the faculty in 2010. The ENVI Program allows students to major in traditional departments while taking a diverse series of courses in an integrated, interdisciplinary examination of the environment. Environmental Science majors can choose one of three tracks (Environmental Biology, Environmental Geoscience, or Environmental Chemistry) while taking a diversity of required methodological and project courses that represent the breadth and depth of a major. Both the ENVI Program and the ENVS Major are designed to help students understand the complexity of issues and perspectives and to appreciate that many environmental issues lack distinct boundaries. The goal is to help students become well-informed, environmentally literate citizens of the planet who have the capacity to become active participants in their communities from the local to the global scale. The major and program seek to develop abilities to think in interdisciplinary ways and to use holistic-synthetic approaches in solving problems while incorporating the knowledge and experiences they have gained as undergraduates at the College. For more information on the ENVS major and ENVI program, please visit: http://catalog.williams.edu/catalog.php?&subjinfo=envs>
The CES maintains and operates the 2600-acre Hopkins Memorial Forest and its Rosenburg Center Field Station, 1.5 miles from campus, and is in the final phase of adding lands of the old Wire Bridge Farm along the Hoosic River near the Vermont border. The Environmental Science Laboratory in the Morley Science Laboratory is a joint venture between the CES and the science division at Williams and is overseen by Technical Assistant Jay Racela.
Professor David Dethier serves as chair of the Hopkins Memorial Forest Users Committee and continues to supervise activities in the Environmental Science Laboratory. Professor Hank Art is the Principal Investigator on a 5-year grant from the Luce Foundation Environment and Policy Program to incorporate renewable energy and sustainability into the environmental studies curriculum. He, along with the Hopkins Forest Manager Drew Jones, continued their collaboration with faculty and students from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Berkshire Community College monitoring amphibian and reptile utilization of two vernal pools near Hopkins Forest.
The study of vegetation and landscape changes in the Hopkins Memorial Forest and on-going meteorologic and hydrologic measurement have led to the designation of the Hopkins Memorial Forest as a gradient site in the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Williams College is a founding member of NEON with David Dethier as our institutional representative.
The Geosciences major is designed to provide an understanding of the physical and biological evolution of the earth and its surrounding ocean and atmosphere. Dynamic internal forces drive the development of mountain ranges and ocean basins. Waves, rivers, glaciers and wind shape the surface of the earth, providing the landscapes we see today. Fossils encased in sedimentary rocks supply evidence for the evolution of life and record the history of the earth, including a unique record of changing climates. Four introductory courses open to all students include Biodiversity in Geologic Time (GEOS 101), An Unfinished Planet (GEOS 102); Global Warming and Natural Disasters (GEOS 103); and Oceanography (GEOS 104). A special course limited to ten first-year students, Geology Outdoors (GEOS 105), presents geology through fieldwork and small group discussions. Evolution of and on Volcanic Islands (GEOS 220T) will be offered in the spring and is linked to a two-week trip to Hawaii during spring break. Courses in the major are designed to provide a foundation for a professional career in the earth sciences, a background for commercial activity such as the marketing of energy or mineral resources, or simply an appreciation of our human heritage and physical environment as part of a liberal arts education. Students often choose electives so as to concentrate in a particular field: for example, environmental geology, oceanography, stratigraphy and sedimentation, or petrology and structural geology. In addition, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GEOS 214); Climate Changes (GEOS 215); and Renewable Energy and the Sustainable Campus (GEOS 206) offer surveys of these areas for both non-majors and majors, and especially for students interested in environmental studies.
History of Science, fundamentally an interdisciplinary subject, traces the historical development of the social relations between science and society as well as the development and mutual influence of scientific concepts. The “external” approach emphasizes the relations between science and society, attempting to relate changes and developments in each to the other. The “internal” approach concerns primarily the ways in which technical ideas, concepts, techniques, and problems in science developed and influenced each other. Courses offered in the History of Science Program introduce students who do not major in a science to the content and power of the scientific and technological ideas and forces which have in the past transformed western civilization and which are today transforming cultures the world over. Science majors are introduced to the historical richness and variety of scientific activity, as well as to how that activity reflects upon the changing nature of science itself and upon science’s relationship to society as a whole.
The major program in The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is designed to meet two goals: introducing some of the central ideas in mathematics, and developing problem-solving ability by teaching students to combine creative thinking with rigorous reasoning. The department has recommended coursework for students interested in applied mathematics or other sciences, engineering, graduate school in mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, and teaching. The major requires calculus, linear algebra, a course in applied/discrete mathematics or statistics, two core courses in algebra and analysis, two electives, a senior seminar, and participation in the undergraduate colloquium.
Neuroscience is a rapidly growing field concerned with understanding the relationship between brain, mind, and behavior. The study of the brain, a remarkably complex organ, requires a unique interdisciplinary approach ranging from the molecular to the clinical levels of analysis. The Neuroscience Program draws faculty members from the Psychology and Biology Departments and designs its courses to provide students the opportunity to explore these approaches with an emphasis on hands-on learning. The curriculum consists of five courses, including an introductory course, three electives, and a senior seminar. In addition, students are required to take two courses, BIOL 101, and PSYC 101, as prerequisites for the program. Introduction to Neuroscience (NSCI 201) is the basic course and provides the background for other neuroscience courses. Ideally, this will be taken in the first or second year. Electives provide in-depth coverage of areas such as hormones and behavior and developmental neuroscience, and include laboratory experiences that incorporate independent projects. Topics in Neuroscience (NSCI 401) offers an integrative culminating experience in for seniors. This past year 12 Neuroscience concentrators graduated, and three completed senior theses. The Neuroscience Program also sponsored or co-sponsored a number of speakers in the Class of 1960 Scholars colloquium series.
The Physics Department offers two majors, the standard physics major and, in cooperation with the Astronomy department, an astrophysics major. Either route serves as preparation for further work in pure or applied physics, astronomy, other sciences, engineering, medical research, science teaching and writing, and other careers requiring insight into the fundamental principles of nature. Physics students experiment with the phenomena by which the physical world is known, and the mathematical techniques and theories that make sense of it. They become well grounded in the fundamentals of the discipline: classical mechanics, electrodynamics, optics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. We offer a variety of summer research opportunities in theoretical and experimental physics, and invite interested students at all stages of their Williams careers to participate. Physics offers several tutorial courses each year, and nearly all of our majors take more than one. Many majors do senior honors projects, in which the student works together with a faculty member in either experimental or theoretical research.
The 15 faculty members of the Psychology Department offer a wide variety of curricular and research opportunities to both major and non-major students. Courses are grouped into the areas of behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, and psychology of education. After completing Introductory Psychology (PSYC 101), majors take Research Methods and Statistics (PSYC 201), in which they learn the tools used to generate knowledge in psychology, and at least three 200-level courses, which are comprehensive surveys of each of the subfields. They then take the 300 level courses, which are advanced seminars; many of these are lab courses in which students do an original empirical study, others are discussion seminars, and some are also tutorials or writing intensive courses. In each, the professors expose students in depth to their specialty areas, and students read and discuss primary literature. The major sequence ends with a capstone course, Perspectives on Psychological Issues (PSYC 401), a discussion/debate-oriented seminar. A variety of research opportunities are offered through research assistantships, independent study, senior thesis work and the Bronfman Summer Science Program. The psychology major provides an opportunity for liberal arts students to consider the nature of mind and behavior from different perspectives. It provides sound preparation for graduate study in both academic and professional fields of psychology and is relevant to careers in education, business, law, and medicine. A recent external review of the department highlighted the “rigorous curriculum that exposes students to the core areas of the discipline; provides training in the methods and writing of psychologists; engages students in the development of research ideas, hypothesis testing, data collection and analysis; and provides an opportunity to get senior majors engaged in cross disciplinary discussion and writing.” The reviewers found that the depth and breadth of these activities, particularly our 300-level lab courses, “set Williams apart from even the best undergraduate programs in psychology” as well as undergraduate programs at major universities, and “are likely contributors to the success of Williams in producing students who are coveted by the finest Ph.D. programs in the sciences.” In addition to the psychology major curriculum, our students often become concentrators in related programs across the college including Cognitive Science, Leadership Studies, Legal Studies, Public Health, and Neuroscience.
Science and Technology Studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary program concerned with science and technology and their relationship to society. Less concerned with historical development and philosophical understanding of the ideas and institutions of science and technology, the STS program focuses on current ethical, economic, social and political implications. Although many acknowledge that science and technology has played a major role in shaping industrial societies, few, including scientists and engineers, possess a critical, informed understanding of how that process has occurred. We have little knowledge of the technical and social interactions that direct change in science or society. The STS program is intended to help students create a coherent course of study from a broad range of perspectives in different departmental curricula. Courses examine the history and philosophy of science and technology, the sociology and psychology of science, the economics of R&D and technological change, science and public policy, technology assessment, technology and the environment, scientometrics and ethical value issues. To fulfill the requirements of the program, students must complete six courses. The introductory course and senior seminar are required and three elective courses are chosen from the list of designated electives. Students may choose to concentrate their electives in a single area such as technology, American studies, philosophy, history of science, economics, environment, current science or current technology, but are encouraged to take at least one elective in history, history of science or philosophy. The sixth course necessary to complete the program is one semester of laboratory or field science in addition to the College’s three-course science requirement.
Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program is an interdisciplinary, cross-divisional program that examines the literature, history, policy issues, and science of the ocean. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the course of study, the professors and concentrators have a variety of majors and primary areas of study, ranging from theatre to economics to geology to history. All share, however, a deep respect for the world’s oceans. In 1975-1976 the Williams faculty and the Mystic Seaport’s board of directors voted to establish the Williams-Mystic Program in American Maritime Studies. In 2002- 2003 Professor Ronadh Cox and several other Williams faculty wrote a proposal for a concentration in maritime studies. In the fall 2003, the faculty voted almost unanimously to establish the Maritime Studies concentration. This new concentration is designed to utilize the Williams-Mystic program, but requires courses both before and after the Mystic semester at Williams. Candidates for the concentration in Maritime Studies must complete a minimum of seven courses: the interdisciplinary introductory course, GEOS 104 Oceanography, four intermediate core courses at Williams-Mystic, an elective, and the senior seminar.
Winter Study Science Offerings
The January Winter Study Period (WSP) at Williams offers a unique opportunity for concentrated study and research in science. It is particularly valuable for senior thesis research students who are able to devote their full time for a month to their developing projects. Many departments also offer research opportunities to sophomores and juniors during WSP. Projects of lesser complexity than senior thesis projects also are undertaken, often with guidance from more experienced students as well as the supervising faculty member. In addition, the science departments offer many interesting and unusual opportunities to students regardless of whether they intend a science major. Full descriptions of science WSP offerings can be found in the Williams College Bulletin. A few highlights of the 2011 WSP science offerings are given below:
ASTR 12 Mars! A Passion for the Red Planet
This course, meant for non-majors, will deal with the scientific, historical, and literary aspects of the planet Mars. It will be based on the content of the instructor’s 2008 book, A Passion for Mars: Intrepid Explorers of the Red Planet. Dreamers and space scientists, engineers and biologists, backyard astronomers and artists have devoted their lives – sometimes at the expense of their careers – to the quest for Mars. Over half a century, they have transformed the Red Planet from a projection of our wildest fantasies into an even more amazing real place of spectacular landscapes, beguiling mysteries, and fantastic possibilities – as an abode for life, and even as a second home for humanity. In A Passion for Mars, Andrew Chaikin, who covered Mars exploration as a science journalist and took part in the first Mars probe landing, chronicled this epic quest and the enduring dream of going there. Based on first-person interviews and animated by the author’s own passion, this course will deal with the story of Earthbound humans and their robotic surrogates caught in the irresistable pull of the Red Planet. The humans include astronomer Carl Sagan, fierce champion of the search for life; rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, who envisioned human Mars expeditions years before the space age; and science-fiction titan Ray Bradbury, standard-bearer for Mars as human destiny. The course will discuss four decades of photographs and other observations sent back by robotic explorers as well as visionary artwork that renders our Martian future.
BIOL 11 Project BioEyes
Project BioEyes brings tropical fish to 4th and 11th grade classrooms in Williamstown and beyond, in a science teaching workshop. Elementary and high school students will breed fish in the classroom, then study their development and pigmentation during one week per school. Williams students will write lesson plans that adapt the project to the science curriculum for the grades we visit, work with classroom teachers to introduce concepts in genetics and development, help the K-12 students in the classroom, and assess student learning. A final eight-page paper describing the goals and outcomes for each grade level is required. No zebrafish experience is necessary; during the first week students will learn to set up fish matings, and learn about embryonic development and the genetics of fish pigmentation, as well as about supporting the K-12 curriculum with hands-on experiments using living animals. In the subsequent two weeks we will work at the schools, and in the final week, students will write up the assessment data.
CHEM 16 Glass and Glassblowing
This course provides an introduction to both a theoretical consideration of the glassy state of matter and the practical manipulation of glass. We do flameworking with hand torches for at least 12 hours per week. While no previous experience is required, students with patience, good hand-eye coordination, and creative imagination will find the course most rewarding. The class is open to both artistically and scientifically oriented students.
CSCI 14 LEGO Robotics
In this course, students will explore the theory and practice behind the construction of autonomous robots. Working in small teams, students will construct robots from battery powered microprocessor control boards, assorted sensors and motors, and LEGO components, and will then program them. Control programs will be written in a subset of the C programming language. The majority of class time will be spent in the laboratory. Students will be expected to complete appropriate structured exercises to develop basic skills in robot construction and programming. By the conclusion of the course, each team will be required to construct a robot designed to perform a pre-determined task such as obstacle avoidance, maze navigation, etc. Each team’s project goals will be selected with both the interests and prior backgrounds of the team members in mind. Each team will give a brief presentation describing their final project (including a demonstration of their robot’s performance) and submit a written report summarizing the design process.
GEOS 012 Landscape Photography
This class will broaden students’ appreciation for the appearance and history of the landscape and teach the skills of making a successful photograph. Williamstown, situated in a valley between the Green and Taconic Mountains and bisected by the Green and Hoosic Rivers, is a place of great natural beauty. The local landscape is a subject that inspires both professional and amateur photographers alike. While Williamstown will be the subject of most of our work, we will use it to learn principles of universal application. Students will discover the importance of light in making a photograph. They will also learn camera skills and the mechanics of digital photography, which will be reviewed at biweekly class meetings. In addition to photographing and critiquing images, the class will visit collections at the Clark Art Institute and WCMA to see original work and examine and discuss books on reserve at Sawyer Library. An overview of the history of landscape photography will be provided with an emphasis on American workers such as Carlton Watkins, Eadweard Muybridge, Alfred Stieglitz, Eliot Porter and Ansel Adams. We will also demonstrate examples of different cameras such as medium format, view cameras, and panorama cameras. Students will produce a body of successful photographs that will be projected at the Winter Study presentation day and on display at http://drm.williams.edu/projects/. Students will submit short written explanations with each of their photographic assignments.
STAT 10 Displaying Multivariate Data
Ever wished you could go beyond the capabilities of your current software and actually create the graph you had in mind for a particular data set? We are going to introduce the free software program R (just google “R”) and then use a very powerful add-on called Lattice to create beautiful (and correct!) graphs, starting with simple histograms and barcharts for one-dimensional data and scatterplots and time series plots for two-dimensional data. We will finish with three-dimensional surface plots or plots that show the distribution of a variable over a map (the states) of the US. Examples of graphs can be found at http://lmdvr.r-forge.r-project.org/figures/figures.html. In the first two weekly meetings, we will use the textbook by the author of Lattice to introduce the many ways (multivariate) data can be displayed effectively and how this is coded in R. The third meeting each week is dedicated to student presentations, where students present their “graph of the week” (and the corresponding R coding steps) based on a dataset of their interest.
PHYS 010 Light and Holography
This course will examine the art and science of holography. It will introduce modern optics at a level appropriate for a non-science major, giving the necessary theoretical background in lectures and discussion. Demonstrations will be presented and students will make several kinds of holograms in the lab. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, we have seven well-equipped holography darkrooms available for student use.
PSYC 10 Introduction to Complex Skill Acquisition
Come learn how to juggle. Beginners welcome. Learning to juggle is fun, but it is also a highly complex procedural learning task. We will talk about factors that affect skill learning and design experiments, which we will conduct on ourselves, to learn more about what makes skill acquisition effective. There might also be unicycle access.
