This course will function like a summer reading group: we will read fiction and talk about it as a collective via Blackboard’s discussion board with several weekly touchpoints. Framing our discussion will be the question: “What is Black literature now?” That is, we will read novels and short stories published in the past few years to explore how writers use the imaginative space of fiction to evaluate the conditions of black life in the twenty-first century. The fiction we will read takes place in the United States, England, Africa, and the Caribbean. Therefore, we will examine black cultures and identities rooted in different historical experiences while paying close attention to how contemporary globalization and diasporas engender cross-cultural interactions and transformations. In addition to geographical and historical diversity, we will consider the ways gender, sexuality, and class affect racialized experience, and how these experiences impact black cultural expression. Lastly, we will pay attention to the ways popular media outlets and prestigious literary prizes are responding to and engaging with this body of literature, and we will attempt to determine what this says about the world we live in now.  

In addition to weekly discussion board participation, students will write a research paper on a chosen topic related to the theme of the course. Each week, we will focus on a different phase of the research and writing process. 

Writing intensive.

Cross-listed with 21:014:401:HQ:01981.

Lecture and laboratory course on principles and techniques of molecular biotechnology. Emphasis on recent techniques in molecular biology. Laboratory exercises include isolation, cloning, and sequencing of genetic material; protein purification; gel electrophoresis of proteins and nucleic acids; DNA synthesis; RFLPs and PCR techniques; construction and screening of DNA and genomic libraries. Industrial applications of molecular biology presented.

Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 21:120:355 or 21:120:356 or 21:120:360, with a grade of C or better.

Lab Fee: $100

Focus on translating a business problem into a research project: formulate hypotheses, identify and locate data sources, consider ways to gather primary and secondary data, perform analysis using major statistical computer packages, effectively present findings and interpretation.Prerequisites: 21:220:231 or equivalent; 29:623:220.

Focus on translating a business problem into a research project: formulate hypotheses, identify and locate data sources, consider ways to gather primary and secondary data, perform analysis using major statistical computer packages, effectively present findings and interpretation.Prerequisites: 21:220:231 or equivalent; 29:623:220.

Microcomputer-based course that provides a comprehensive understanding of computer systems and application software. Hands-on approach to learning widely used spreadsheet, database, word processor, and presentation application packages and internet tools.

Studies on organs, tissues, and cells of the plant body. Exploration of the diversity of mosses to flower plants. Exercises in photosynthesis, respiration, and plant hormones. (Note: Course number will change to 21:216:110 effective Fall 2023)Pre- or corequisite: 21:120/216:109. Not open to majors or to those who have taken or plan to take 21:120:101,102.

Lab Fee: $50.00

The objective of this course is to gain a deeper understanding of cell function through the study of the structure, function, and metabolism of its component molecules.Prerequisites: 21:120:201, 21:120:202, 21:160:335, and 21:160:336, with a grade of C or better.

The basic principles and mechanisms of transmission genetics. Sex-linked traits. The role of probability in genetics. Gene expression and regulation. Gene organization in the prokaryotic genophore and the eukaryotic chromosome. Genetics of model organisms. Use of mutants in genetic studies. Genomes, genomics, and the use of nucleic acids and protein databases. Epigenetics, extranuclear inheritance, and cytoplasmic factors. Generalities of population, quantitative, and evolutionary genetics.Prerequisites: 21:120:201, 21:120:202, 21:120/216:205, and 21:120/216:206, with a grade of C or better.

Cellular structure and metabolic pathways of microorganisms. Prokaryotic gene expression and genome structure. Taxonomy and environmental adaptations of microorganisms. Methods to grow and control microorganisms. Use of microbes in biotechnology. The laboratory includes basic techniques in microbiology, and extensive exercises in identification of organisms based on their peculiar metabolic pathways.Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisites: 21:120:201, 21:120:202, 21:120/216:205, and 21:120/216:206, with a grade of C or better.

Lab Fee: $50