Summer Session Course Offerings

Course Descriptions

ART179R HM – Outdoor Watercolor and Mixed Media

Instructor: Suzanne Fontaine

This is a hands-on studio course that will introduce you to basic watercolor materials and techniques useful for painting any subject matter. It will also provide a sampling of other media you can mix into your watercolor compositions. Geared to students with limited to no painting/watercolor experience, the course will develop your skill in observation, drawing, and watercolor painting, using a range of processes. Assignments will develop students’ technical and conceptual skills in visual media. You will paint from observation. The course will emphasize exploring the conversation between media and paper. You will be encouraged to experiment, play, creatively problem solve, push your thinking, and challenge your understanding of art. By the end of the course you will have produced many compositions and learned some basic design vocabulary, applicable to all art making. We will have a classroom home base but will do much of our actual painting outside. The course will include demos, critiques, reading and visual materials, and sketchbook practice

Prerequisite: None.

Materials Fee: $100 (refund deadline June 14, 2023)

Runs June 12, 2023 through July 21, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets in-person Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. with a break between 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. as well as an additional 2 hours per day of asynchronous studio time.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H4 2023

ASAM125 AA – Introduction to Asian American History, 1850-Present

Instructor: Alfred Flores

This survey course examines the history of Asian immigrant groups and their American-born descendants as they have settled and adjusted to life in the United States since 1850. We will explore issues such as the experience of immigration, daily life in urban ethnic enclaves, and racist campaigns against Asian immigrants. In addition, this course utilizes an ethnic studies framework that requires students to critically explore other themes such as class, community, empire, gender, labor, race, sexuality, settler colonialism, and war from the perspective of Asian Americans.

Prerequisite: Course not open to high school students.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 9, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H1 2023

CSCI005 HM – Introduction to Computer Science

Instructor: Zach Dodds

Introduction to elements of computer science. Students learn computational problem-solving techniques and gain experience with the design, implementation, testing, and documentation of programs in a high-level language. In addition, students learn to design digital devices, understand how computers operate, and learn to program in a small machine language. Students are also exposed to ideas in computability theory. The course also integrates societal and ethical issues related to computer science.

Prerequisite: None

Note to 5C and HS students: Students hoping to take additional CS courses or pursue a CS at Mudd are encouraged to review the relevant information on the computer science webpage for off-campus students.

Section 01 runs May 22, 2023 through June 9, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register for section 01 on the portal by searching for session SU H1 2023

Section 02 runs from June 12, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register for section 02 on the portal by searching for session SU H3 2023

CSCI035 HM – Computer Science for Insight

Instructor: Zach Dodds

This course extends CSCI005 HM in developing software-composition skills. Pairing lectures and lab sessions, the experience will deepen foundations in algorithms and data structures, introduce machine learning and its mindset, weigh tradeoffs between human- and machine-efficiency, and build sophistication in software, both assembling existing software packages and from-scratch design. Students will deploy and assess computing projects of their own design – with substantive application beyond CS itself – as the course’s final capstone. The course continues in the language of CSCI005 HM and especially encourages computing efforts which contribute to fields of interest beyond CS, whether academic or extracurricular.

Prerequisite: CSCI005 HM or CSCI005GR HM or equivalent background

Runs July 3, 2023 through July 21, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H5 2023

ENGR086 HM – Materials Engineering

Instructor: Albert Dato

Introduction to the structure, properties, and processing of materials used in engineering applications. Topics include: material structure (bonding, crystalline and non-crystalline structures, imperfections); equilibrium microstructures; diffusion, nucleation, growth, kinetics, non-equilibrium processing; microstructure, properties and processing of: steel, ceramics, polymers and composites; creep and yield; fracture mechanics; and the selec­tion of materials and appropriate performance indices.

Prerequisites: CHEM023A HM, CHEM023B HM, MATH019 HM, MATH073 HM, and PHYS024 HM, or equivalents (one year of general chemistry and one semester each of calculus, linear algebra, and mechanics, respectively.) High school students interested in taking the course should have completed AP-level coursework in chemistry, calculus, and physics (mechanics).

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. – 8:25 p.m. and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

GEOG105 HM – Place, Power and Difference

Instructor: David Seitz

This course introduces students to key concepts in social and cultural geography, including space, place and scale, as well as the “cultural turn” that led human geographers to re-think their understanding of what power is and how it operates. The course investigates the difference that thinking geographically makes to the study of race, class, gender, sexuality, and other relations of difference and power.

Prerequisite: None.

Runs June 12, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H3 2023

GEOG125 HM – Geographies of Disease and Health Justice

Instructor: David Seitz

This course examines the uneven geographical distribution of disease and health, the spatial, social, and political processes that shape that uneven distribution, and some of the ways in which differently marginalized people contest health inequalities and the power relations that generate them. The course introduces a set of core concepts and theories around economic, racial, environmental and reproductive (in)justice, which help to put disease and health into geographical, historical, and political-economic context. It also introduces some of the health justice movements that have sought to address these concerns.

Prerequisite: None.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 9, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H1 2023

HIST150 HM – Technology and Medicine

Instructor: Vivien Hamilton

This course explores the increasingly technological nature of medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries, investigating the impact of new technologies on diagnostic practices, categories of disease, doctors’ professional identities, and patients’ understanding of their own bodies. Technologies studied include the stethoscope, electrotherapy devices, X-rays, ultrasound, and MRI.

Satisfies HMC HSA writing-intensive requirement.

Prerequisite: HSA010 or equivalent. Course not open to high school students.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 12, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H3 2023

MATH049F HM – Mathematics of Games and Puzzles

Instructor: Peter Kagey

Using simple mathematical tools, many popular games and puzzles can be analyzed, leading to improved performance and a more enjoyable experience. In this class we will derive probabilities, expected values and optimal strategies for games like roulette, craps, blackjack, backgammon, and poker. The theory of zero sum games will be introduced, along with optimal wagering strategies. We will also explore solution methods for classic puzzles like Lights Out, Sudoku, and Rubik’s Cube.

Prerequisites: none.

Runs June 12–June 30 (3-week course). Class meets in-person Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H3 2023

MATH055 HM – Discrete Mathematics

Instructors: Dagan Karp (3 week remote course, May 22–June 9) and Francis Su (6 week remote course, May 22–June 30)

Topics include combinatorics (clever ways of counting things), number theory, and graph theory with an emphasis on creative problem solving and learning to read and write rigorous proofs. Possible applications include probability, analysis of algorithms, and cryptography.

Corequisites: MATH073 HM or equivalent. Course not open to high school students unless approved by the instructor.

Section 01 (Prof Karp) runs from May 22, 2023 through 10, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register for section 01 on the portal by searching for session SU H1 2023

Section 02 (Prof Su) runs from May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register for section 02 on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

MATH062 HM – Introduction to Probability and Statistics

Instructor: Susan Martonosi

Sample spaces, events, axioms for probabilities; conditional probabilities and Bayes’ theorem; random variables and their distributions, discrete and continuous; expected values, means and variances; covariance and correlation; law of large numbers and central limit theorem; point and interval estima­tion; hypothesis testing; simple linear regression; applications to analyzing real data sets. Possible additional topics include ANOVA, multiple regression, and logistic regression.

Prerequisites: MATH019 HM or equivalent.

Corequisites: MATH073 HM or equivalent.

Runs June 12–June 30 (3-week course). Class meets in-person Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H3 2023

MATH082 HM – Differential Equations

Instructors: Darryl Yong and Jon Jacobsen

Modeling physical systems, first-order ordinary differential equations, existence, uniqueness, and long-term behavior of solutions; bifurcations; approximate solutions; second-order ordinary differential equations and their properties, applications; first-order systems of ordinary differential equations. Applications to linear systems of ordinary differential equations, matrix exponential; nonlinear systems of differential equations; equilibrium points and their stability. Additional topics.

Prerequisites: (MATH019 HM and MATH073 HM) or equivalent. Course not open to high school students unless approved by the instructor.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets in-person Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

MATH189AF HM – Mathematics for Human Flourishing

Instructor: Francis Su

What is the purpose of mathematics or a math education? How does society’s view of the nature of mathematics change our perceptions of who it’s for or why we do it? Why are the most rewarding parts of doing mathematics often not part of our educational experiences? Through a variety of readings, discussion, and reflection on historical, philosophical and mathematical sources, students will consider questions like these and develop a coherent view of how mathematics might connect to what it means to be a human being.

Prerequisite: None

Runs May 22 – June 30 (6-week course). Class meets online Tuesday through Thursday from 1:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

MUS118 HM – Music in the United States

Instructor: Charles Kamm

A survey of the history and development of music in the United States, this course will examine the diverse musical cultures and traditions, including European, African, Latin American, Native American, Asian, and others that have come to this country and have influenced the works of musicians and composers in the United States. Musical examples from American popular culture (jazz, rock, country, and pop), from religious services and practices of various denominations and sects, from ethnic groups and folk cultures within the United States and from art music in the United States will be studied as expressions of important concerns and values in our society, and as influences on music in other countries as well.

Prerequisite: None. Course not open to high school students unless approved by the instructor.

Runs May 22 – June 30 (6-week course). Class meets online Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

PHIL179E HM – Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

Instructor: Kyle Thompson

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic. It is depicted in sci-fi films and fiction, in worries and excitement about self-driving cars and chatbots, and in discussion about rights for future robotic systems. In this course, students explore the philosophical ideas that give life to AI debates. First, the course examines the nature of AI itself. What is the difference between learning and programming, or between genuine understanding and its counterfeits? Can consciousness arise in human-made machines? Second, the course interrogates the looming ethical concerns: what do we owe to AI systems? Do AI systems undermine or enhance human social life?

Prerequisite: None

Runs June 12, 2023 through July 21, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H4 2023

POST114 HM – Comparative Environmental Politics

Instructor: Paul Steinberg

An examination of the political challenges faced by environmental advocates in diverse countries around the globe. Drawing on the fields of comparative politics and public policy, topics include comparative political institutions, environmental movements, corrup­tion, authoritarian regimes, democratization, lesson-learning across borders, policy reform, gender analysis, decentralization, and European unification.

Prerequisite: None.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

POST188 HM – Political Innovation

Instructor: Paul Steinberg

Under what conditions do novel political ideas become realities? This course explores the origins and impacts of political innovations large and small—from the framing of the Constitution to the development of major social policies, the creation and reform of government agencies and non-profit organizations, and experimentation with new forms of social protest and political mobilization.

Satisfies HMC HSA writing-intensive requirement.

Prerequisite: None.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

PSYC108 HM – Introduction to Social Psychology

Instructor: Anup Gampa

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors are influenced by other people, imagined or real, and the world around them. We will begin the course by covering the basics of scientific methodology and proceed to topics such as the self-concept, stereotyping and prejudice, close relationships, aggression, persuasion, conformity and liberation psychology. In general, this course will introduce you to the theories and research methodologies of social psychology and how these are used to understand, predict, and even control social behavior, with special attention paid to connecting social psychology to liberation.

Prerequisite: None.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 9, 2023 (3-week course). Class meets in-person Tuesday through Friday from 1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H1 2023

RLST113 HM – God, Darwin, Design in America: A Historical Survey of Religion and Science

Instructor: Erika Dyson

Course examines the relationships between science and religion in the United States from the early 19th century to the present. Starting with the Natural Theologians, who made science the “handmaid of theology” in the early Republic, we will move forward in time through the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and Andrew Dickson White’s subsequent declaration of a war between science and religion, into the 20th century with the Scopes trial and the rise of Creationism, the evolutionary synthesis, and finally the recent debates over the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools.

Satisfies HMC HSA writing-intensive requirement.

Prerequisite: Course not open to high school students.

Runs May 22, 2023 through June 30, 2023 (6-week course). Class meets online Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H2 2023

STS179O HM – Feminist Science and Technology Studies

Instructor: Alysse Kushinski

This course explores the foundational and contemporary discourses of Feminist Science and Technology Studies (STS). It challenges students to consider the social and material roots of Feminist Technoscience approaches and contemplates the discourse’s continuous and shifting potential as an interdisciplinary framework. Together we will trace the beginnings of Feminist STS as a response to the rigidity of modern epistemologies. The readings for this course frame some of the key concerns of feminist technoscience approaches to culture through the lenses of labor, post-colonial theory and ecology. Further, we will explore contemporary contributions to STS that seek to radicalize the discourse even further by critiquing some of the discipline’s continued conservative entanglements. This course concludes by asking students to speculate about the feminist futures offered through STS modes of thought.

Prerequisite: Course not open to high school students.

Runs July 3–July 21 (3-week course). Class meets online Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H5 2023

WRIT179C HM – Navigating linguistic and cultural identities through creative writing

Instructor: Suzanne Fontaine

“This course revolves around the question: How does being multilingual play into my experiences, choices, and perspectives as a person, scientist, engineer?

In this course you will produce creative writing in English, reflecting on your experience and exploring questions around class readings that draw from various disciplines such as linguistics, neuroscience, intercultural communication, anthropology, literatures, and contemporary media. Readings and discussion used as springboards may consider such topics as how multilingualism affects the brain, how multilingualism manifests in ways of being in the world, how it complicates identity and ethics, how it impacts sense of belonging. Assignments will develop students’ critical thinking, creativity, and written expression, as well as the skills and ability to provide and make good use of constructive feedback. You will be encouraged to dive deep inside yourself, develop sensitivity to yourself and others, play and experiment with the language, draw new connections conceptually, push your thinking, and challenge your understanding of yourself. By the end of this course you will have produced a number of written works in English, and will have workshopped and repeatedly revised a select subset of them.

Prerequisite: Writ 1 or permission from instructor.

Runs June 12–July 21 (6-week course). Class meets in-person Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Note: HMC students can register on the portal by searching for session SU H4 2023