Course listings | Case Western Reserve University

Term: Fall 2015

FSNA 104: Archaeoastronomy: Monuments and Ideas (100/11338)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Luck, R

The unifying theme of this course is how astronomical practice and knowledge is central to ancient civilizations and how that emphasis continues today as manifested through scientific endeavor and also as strongly through the power of unifying myth.

FSNA 111: Chemical Aspects of the Aging Mind (100/11486)

MW 04:00-05:15 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Zagorski, M

This seminar will focus on three age-related neurological disorders: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington disease. These diseases pose enormous social and economic impact, and current drug-based therapeutic approaches are limited and may not be suited to deal with the imminent problems. The seminar will examine lifestyle changes (i.e., diet, exercise, vitamins, and other habits such as reading) that are implicated in preventing or slowing down these disorders. The focus on a medical topic with important socioeconomic ramifications will provide a novel approach to enhancing critical thinking and communication skills.

FSNA 113: Facts and Values in Environmental Decisions (100/11339)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Saylor, B

This four-credit seminar will guide students to critically evaluate the evidence, uncertainties, and value judgments pertinent to some of the world's pressing environmental issues. We will begin by studying climate change. Students will decide the topics of exploration to follow. Through reading, field trips, discussions and writing we will investigate natural environmental processes and how they have changed with the growth in human population and technology. Students will learn about the scientific process and will consider the roll of science and technology and their limits in making decisions about shared resources.

FSNA 116: Cities (Under Construction) (100/11523)

MWF 11:30-12:20 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Jim, B

Based on the premise that cities are never "finished," and constantly being remade, we will look at the technological and cultural history of cities from the ancient world to the present day. Students will explore the history of building materials--wood, brick, steel, concrete, and glass--used in the construction of cities. We will also trace the development of city infrastructure such as water and sewage systems; streets, bridges, and subways; electricity, telephone and the internet. Specific technological innovations, such as the elevator and the automobile, will receive special consideration. We will move both geographically and temporally to visit the world's great cities, Athens, Mexico City, Tokyo, and New York City. As we do, we will study the examples of significant building projects, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chicago World's Fair, Washington, DC's Metro, and Cleveland's first skyscraper, the Rockefeller Building. The course will cover the history of the professions--engineering, architecture, and urban planning--that have contributed to the construction of cities, and will review the works of these practitioners, as well as that of artists, reformers, and utopians that have imagined new directions for the city. We will also explore first person narratives of the city, the impact of the city on personal and collective memory, and the possibilities and pitfalls of the "virtual" city. Through lecture, discussion, textual analysis, computer simulations, and writing assignments, Cities (Under Construction) will help students gain a deeper understanding of their role in remaking and sustaining the built environment.

FSNA 120: The Impact of Materials on Societal Development (100/11332)

MWF 03:00-03:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Lagerlof, P

This four credit-hour SAGES seminar provides an introduction to various dimensions of academic life through open-ended intellectual inquiry and guided by reading from primary and secondary sources. The course will require practice in written and oral communications in small groups. A primary focus of the seminar will be to examine the impact of engineering materials on societal development through human history using a few specific materials of interest as examples: concrete, steel, and semi-conductors. At the conclusion of the course, students will be encouraged to explore the impact of other materials on the development of specific technologies as a group project.

FSNA 120: The Impact of Materials on Societal Development (101/11407)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

McGuffin-Cawley, J

FSNA 124: The Challenge of Sustainability (100/11475)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Ruhl, J

This four-credit-hour course provides an introduction to collegiate writing and to various dimensions of academic life, but will focus on the critical appreciation of the challenges we face in transitioning--or failing to transition--to a sustainable society. Climate change, along with increased development and population, are altering the natural environment we live in and rely on. This course will review some of the current and future impacts of these changes, and explore alternate paths forward and how they might be forged. The class will involve both literacy and numeracy, and students will learn to become comfortable handling some of the quantitative measures relevant to sustainability issues. The class will be characterized by intense yet open-ended intellectual inquiry, guided by reading, lectures and discussion, and will include practice in written and oral communication.

FSNA 128: Naturally Spicy: Spices, History, Culture, Health and Cuisine (100/11340)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Srinivasan, R

This course will delve into the world of spices. Each commercially important spice will be discussed with the goal of understanding the influence spices and the spice trade had on the history, culture, and cuisines of different parts of the world. The chemistry of some of the natural compounds present in the spices and their effect on various diseases will be explored by reading and discussing scientific literature. Finally, the class will cook with some of these spices and sample other distinctly spiced foods to learn more about various cuisines and cultures.

FSNA 129: Engineering Design for the World's Poorest (100/11333)

TR 01:15-02:30 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Lacks, D

Almost half (47%) of the people in Africa have incomes less than $1.25 per day. Most of these people live as subsistence farmers in small villages with no electricity, running water or automobiles (but with cell phones). Through readings, group discussions, writing assignments, and open-ended experiential learning activities, the course will address ways that engineering solutions can improve peoples' lives within these severe economic constraints. A hands-on component of the course will involve designing and building affordable devices to meet specific needs. We have developed interactions with villages in Senegal, Malawi, and Botswana, and the engineering solutions will be explored within the context of these villages.

FSNA 133: Engineering Innovation and Design (100/11334)

TR 02:45-04:00 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Cooke, M

Innovation and design are cornerstones of the engineering profession and are responsible for many of the improvements in the quality of life that have taken place over the last century. Innovation is also viewed as the essential skill that will drive economies and solve many of the challenges facing societies around the globe. This seminar-based course will provide a disciplined approach to engineering innovation and design. The course requires students to engage in written and oral communications as well as working in small teams to complete open-ended design/build-related assignments. The course will culminate in the design, fabrication and validation of a prototype product to meet an identified need. The design, fabrication and validation of these products will be carried out in think[box] 1.0 (Prentke-Romich Collaboratory), and the Reinberger Design Studio.

FSNA 133: Engineering Innovation and Design (101/11406)

TR 10:00-11:15 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Wnek, G

FSNA 134: Fuel Cells (100/11335)

MW 04:00-05:15 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Savinell, R

Fuel Cells convert hydrogen and other fuels directly to electricity and are viewed as a key technology for non-polluting, oil-independent energy in the future. In this course, we will study and critically analyze the prospects, technical and economic barriers, and impact of broad implementation of fuel cells, focusing on the transportation sector and portable power. Major topics of the course include: (i) World and US energy outlook; (ii) Potential role and impact of fuel-cells; their advantages, principles of operation, design and materials issues, limitations and prospects for improvements; (iii) Special focus on details of a polymer type fuel cells (PEMFCs) for transportation and portable power; (iv) Modeling fuel cell performance and evaluation of controlling mechanisms that limit performance. The course is designed for students from all disciplines. Students will be expected to read assigned texts and articles and critically analyze statements and points of view presented. Quantitative analysis will be encouraged and developed. Student teams will develop a hypothesis to improve fuel cell performance by modifying the design of a component of the fuel cell. The new component design with then be fabricated and tested in an operating prototype fuel cell. Data analysis, hypothesis conclusion, and reporting of results are expected.

FSNA 135: BioDesign Basics: The Art of Finding Patient Needs (100/11336)

MWF 11:30-12:20 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Drummond, C

BioDesign basics explores the art of finding patient needs. No prior clinical or medical education is required, as we focus on acquiring and refining the underpinning critical thinking skills needed to identify and articulate unmet clinical patient needs in contemporary healthcare settings. Many--if not a majority of--ideas leading to healthcare innovation are derived from issues that arise during the daily activities of caring for patients. Whether it is frustration with the use of a specific surgical instrument, processes that interfere with health care delivery, better waiting rooms for the family, designing more comfortable hospital gowns, or materials inadequate for intended outcomes, patient needs cover a broad range of physical and emotional states. Many students find the idea of identifying a "patient need" quite ambiguous at first, but the BioDesign process for defining patient need is a widely use national model developed at Stanford University that the student will find contains easy-to-follow steps that are simple and appealing. As an interactive and "hands-on" course, students will be engaged in discussions, events and activities to promote a first-hand understanding of "needs finding" to support individual mastery of writing and oral presentation skills. The Fourth Hour will be centered on "walking tours" of local medical institutions around University Circle as well as actual use of medical devices (wheelchairs and crutches) on campus as ways to help your efforts identify a patient need based on those observations. In short, you will create your own experiences leading to stories that make writing fun. The course requires students to engage in written and oral communications as well as working in small teams to complete open-ended assignments.

FSNA 136: Saving the World from Poverty, Disease, Injustice and Environmental Exploitation (100/11469)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Rollins, A

Half of the world's population lives in poverty. The causes of poverty and injustice are complex and the ramifications are numerous and serious and include grave risk to human health and to the environment. Through reading, analysis, writing, and rigorous discussion the class will investigate issues surrounding poverty and disparities in health and opportunity. We will also explore how innovation and engineering design can help address causes of poverty and disparity and meet needs of people at risk. Design teams will work throughout the semester to identify an unmet need to engineer a solution to benefit an under-served or under-resourced population. Fourth-hour activities will include interviewing knowledgeable stakeholders (locally and abroad via teleconference), learning about and volunteering with service organizations, and visiting local institutions and/or companies addressing these issues.

FSNA 144: Is Mind What the Brain Does? (100/11341)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Thompson, L

Together we will explore the nature of the human mind by asking the question, "Is the mind what the brain does?" Through an exploration of neurological and psychological case studies, empirical research studies, direct experimentation, and readings and films about brain structure and function, we will form hypotheses about the relationship between the mind and the brain and gather evidence to test our hypotheses. Writing assignments will explore ideas about your own mind and brain, examples of other individuals with unusual or atypical brains and minds, and a research topic of your choice.

FSNA 145: Hostile Water (100/11495)

MWF 03:00-03:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Jennings, A

Water is an essential, valuable resource that is protected by a wide variety of social, legal, and technical institutions. However, not all water is desirable. Hostile water is unwanted water from which we seek to protect ourselves. Hostile waters challenge our understanding of the natural world and the social doctrine upon which our understanding is based. This course will examine how historical "hostile water" events have altered our social perceptions and legal institutions, led to structural flood control, "damn" engineering, the National Flood Insurance Program, Landsat satellites, "Wild Rivers," FEMA, wetlands preservation, detention basins, etc., and to homeowner stormwater management options such as rain barrels and rain gardens. The course will begin with a review of the original documentation and modern interpretation of the Johnstown Flood. Students will then conduct research on historical events and prepare written briefing documents and oral presentations focusing on the physical impacts and social consequences of dramatic hostile water events. The course will end with a critical review of the Hurricane Katrina event. Class discussions will examine how hostile water events have impacted U.S. policies and institutions, and appears to be leading to stormwater management obligations for individual homeowners.

FSNA 150: Hobbies - Engineering fun (100/11337)

TR 02:45-04:00 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Capadona, J

This seminar introduces students to the idea that engineering can be found in all sorts of unexpected places, even in our hobbies. To test our hypothesis, we will examine the hobbies enjoyed by the course instructors: baseball and building synthetic coral reef aquariums. Students will then work under the instructors' guidance to analyze how principles of engineering can be used to understand the successes and failures they have encountered in their own hobbies, with the ultimate goal of developing a proposal for improving their experience of these hobbies.

FSNA 154: The Green Energy Transformation in Germany (100/11342)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Yang, P

This First Seminar will consider the ongoing energy revolution driven by technological advances in renewable energy and energy efficiency. To better understand the technological and social opportunities and challenges of this transition, we will focus on Germany's plan, commonly referred to as Energiewende, which consists of proactive energy policies to promote the development and deployment of renewable energy and energy conservation technologies. We will consider such questions as: What are the implications of this German success story, both for the US and the rest of the world? What lessons can be applied to other situations? What factors might limit the utility of those lessons? In the process of our investigation, we will examine such important issues as globalization, resource finiteness, and sustainability challenges, including economic crises, climate change, energy insecurity, and global competition.

FSNA 155: The Engineering of Things (100/11360)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Merat, F

Robots, smart cities, wind energy, modern prosthetics, 3-D printing, and smart phones are but a few examples of the pervasiveness of modern engineering. This seminar will examine what engineers do, the skills needed to be successful in engineering and many other professions, how some things work, and how to actually design and build something. We will examine the engineering design process, how things are designed and built, and how things work and/or fail. Successful engineers also need to be good at communications, teamwork, time management and organization, and understand professional responsibility and ethics. The class will read and discuss in a seminar format the skills engineers need to know, how things are designed, how to evaluate a design, and how to build something of their own design. Writing assignments will refine your ability to communicate information and opinions and persuade others to your viewpoint. The course will conclude with student teams proposing, designing, and prototyping designs of their choice. Multiple opportunities will be available for seminar students to interact with engineering faculty and upperclass engineering students. The course will use the Sears Design Lab and Think[box].

FSNA 156: The Chemistry, Physics and Engineering of Chocolate (100/11387)

MW 04:00-05:15 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Hore, M; Korley, L; Pokorski, J; Schiraldi, D

Chocolate--beloved by the masses, and humorously described by some as its own food group. You may know some of the history of this New World product, which when brought back to Europe, spawned a gastronomical industry. In addition to learning more about this history, in this seminar we will examine chocolate's remarkable chemical and physical properties. Students will learn how to produce a chocolate mold by 3D printing in CWRU's Think[box] facility. By molding chocolates of varying compositions, they will also learn about different crystal structures, as well as how to use x-ray scattering experiments to determine those structures. They will then apply differential scanning calorimetry experiments to determine the thermal behaviors of these various chocolate compositions. Through this investigation of the science of chocolate, students will be introduced to the engineering behaviors of other materials, especially polymers. Of course, we will also consider chocolate's other virtues, both as a flavorful food and as a mood enhancer, by consulting with local experts in cuisine and neurochemistry.

FSNA 157: Plastics Recycling: Re-use of Plastic Waste (100/11388)

MWF 11:30-12:20 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Blackwell, J

About 300 million tons of plastics are produced globally each year, but only about 10 percent of these products are recycled, despite the fact that recycling uses significantly less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than does manufacture of the virgin materials. This course will address the scientific, economic, environmental, and political issues involved in plastics recycling. Following an introduction to the chemical structures and properties of commodity plastics, we will discuss the actual recycling of plastics in municipal waste including the problems faced in collection and sorting of plastic waste and recycling economics. Then we will address the commercial applications and properties of recycled plastics and why they generally have inferior properties to virgin materials, which significantly reduces their market value. Finally we will look at biodegradable alternatives to oil-based materials as well as some options to plastics recycling, including land filling, burning for power generation, and monomer reclamation.

FSNA 158: What is Making and Manufacturing Today and Why is Innovation Part of the Story? (100/11471)

TR 08:30-09:45 AM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Camp, L; Duerk, J

The rise of the creative class into the world of "making" has resulted in new economic models, new definitions of manufacturing, and new ways of working. "Making" is inclusive of a wide variety of activities, from the arts and crafts, to woodworking, to high technology integrating with traditional craftsmanship, to products with embedded sensors in traditional materials, to the use of 3D printing of everything from polymers to metals to chocolate. Within all of these approaches, "innovation" is often the buzzword, the common denominator. What does innovation mean in this context? Are innovators and makers today any different from the innovators and manufacturers of the past? What role does science and math have in making and manufacturing? Through both a hands-on and historical approach, we will explore the commonalities between today's makers and yesterday's manufacturers, and arrive at an understanding of innovation and apply this understanding to a project that could continue throughout your time at CWRU.

FSNA 159: Nanotechnology in Medicine: The Fantastic Voyage (100/11503)

TR 01:15-02:30 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Sen Gupta, A

This seminar is designed to explore the advent and applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology, in the world of biomedicine. The seminar will begin with a brief overview of the history, science, and terminology of "nano scale", "nanotechnology," and "nanomedicine". Subsequently, we will turn to the exciting opportunities and daunting challenges that "nano" poses in biomedical applications. Our discussion won't be limited to the scientific and engineering aspects of these opportunities and challenges. We will also consider the ethical, economic, and social implication of current and future applications of this technology field. The seminar will draw on a variety of texts including book sections, newspaper articles, editorials, scientific journal articles, fiction, and movies to understand the realm of nanoscience and nanotechnology in biomedical applications.

FSNA 160: Technological Development and Popular Perception (100/11664)

MWF 02:00-02:50 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, W 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Bachmann, R

The central theme of this seminar is the basic functioning of engineered devices and systems. The devices/systems covered will be 1) automobiles, 2) airplanes, and 3) production of electric power. Material for the seminar will come from a wide range of sources, including a reference book "How Things Work", historical references, popular pseudo-technical periodicals, and technical journal articles. We will discuss topics ranging from a) how to characterize the basic physical principles at work in the devices/systems to z) how popular opinion can affect the adoption or abandonment of sound technology.

FSNA 161: Making Sense of Place (100/11708)

MW 04:00-05:15 PM Aug 24-Dec 04, M 12:30-01:45 PM Aug 24-Dec 04

Chilton, E

In this course, we examine how places become imbued with certain meanings, and how these meanings change over time. In turn, we ask how concepts of space and place affect the way we interact with the physical environment and with each other. Although the texts and places we examine this term will be diverse in subject, style, and form, we will attempt to unify our inquiry by returning to common questions: How does this text or place "map" certain values or political priorities? What other kinds of maps might be possible in this context? A strong emphasis will be placed on writing and thinking that is both critical and imaginative. We borrow terms and concepts from geography and other fields, but our inquiry is open to many disciplines and interdisciplinary approaches. The formal writing will be analytical and argument-based. Through field trips and discussion, we will explore the Case Western Reserve environment, University Circle, and Cleveland more broadly.