SCIENCE PROGRAMS AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE

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.

About twenty years ago, Williams College affirmed its commitment to training future scientists by establishing a mechanism for identifying applicants with an expressed interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in science. Since that time, about 15% of each incoming class have expressed interest in careers in scientific research. The high quality of the College’s science programs has maintained this interest and nearly all of those students continue in science. Thus, 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. The quality of this training is evidenced by the number of National Science Foundation (NSF) Predoctoral Fellowships awarded to Williams graduates in the past ten years. During that time, Williams has ranked first among predominantly undergraduate institutions, averaging about 7 NSF Fellowships per year. We attribute this success to an energetic science faculty dedicated to excellence in teaching and to the numerous research opportunities available to Williams students at advanced as well as introductory levels. It has long been recognized that a positive undergraduate research experience is the single most important inspiration for future scientists. As documented later in this report, more than 200 students were engaged in research with Williams faculty this year. More than 55 students conducted independent research projects during the academic year and 173 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, as the complex is now called, will ensure Williams’ place as a leader in undergraduate science education as we proceed into the new century.

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 typically 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 great success of these courses has led to the incorporation of the discovery approach to teaching science in upper-level courses as well.

While covering the same lecture material as other introductory chemistry classes, a special, enriched laboratory program includes activities which 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 remains a course with a hands-on approach to learning environmental science by going out and collecting data locally. It was taught by Jay Thoman (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 several permanent plots in Hopkins Forest to estimate the amount of CO₂ taken up by forest regrowth in Williamstown, analyzed chemical processes in conventional and Living Machine sewage treatment facilities, measured heavy metals in floodplain sediments along the Hoosic River in North Adams and Williamstown, and evaluated water quality in local streams and ponds. Students in the course undertook a diversity of independent field/lab projects. They ranged from the seasonally changing chemistry in vernal pools, to acid shocks associated with spring melt-off events in the Birch Brook watershed, to maple syrup from the Hopkins Forest, to local ponds stressed by human impacts.

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.

Since 1991, Williams College has received 3.9 million dollars from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in support of a broad array of science education initiatives. These funds impact science students of all ages, from “K through gray,” through research and education programs at Williams and through partnerships with local public schools. Though Williams did not receive HHMI funding in the 2008-2012 competition, grant funds remaining from the 2004-2008 award continue to support important initiatives. Professor Wendy Raymond, Biology, administers current HHMI-supported programming.

Involving college students in research is a central goal of HHMI’s undergraduate science education mission. In the summer of 2010, HHMI funds supported 17 students conducting original research in the life sciences. Through these research opportunities, we particularly aim to engage younger students from groups traditionally underrepresented at Williams (African American, Hispanic, and first-generation college students) in order to increase their retention in the sciences.

HHMI funding established two postdoctoral fellowships in Williams College’s newest life sciences academic program, Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Proteomics (BIGP). Dr. Christopher Himes, our second BIGP postdoctoral fellow, joined the research group of Biology Professor David Smith in August 2008. Dr. Himes’s expertise in evolutionary biology and biogeography has resulted in multiple mentoring and collaborative partnerships with Williams students and faculty. In our BIOL 305: Evolution course, Dr. Himes taught cutting-edge laboratories in molecular evolution. Dr. Himes’s appointment continues through November 2010.

Research and teaching partnerships with faculty at the Massachusetts College of the Liberal Arts (MCLA) in neighboring North Adams continue to benefit from HHMI funding. In the summer of 2009, MCLA Biology Professor Anne Goodwin collaborated with Williams Biology Professor Lois Banta and Electron Microscopy Technician Nancy Piatczyc to examine bacterial populations in sea anemones. Her genomic and ultrastructural work will provide the basis for continuing research projects with MCLA students as well as a new laboratory component in her zoology course.

Science education partnerships with three elementary schools in Williamstown and North Adams continued in 2009-10, partly supported by HHMI funding. Administratively, Dr. Paula Consolini, Williams College’s Coordinator of Experiential Education, now directs local science education outreach as a component of the College’s larger set of community partnerships. Williams College alumna Kate Dempsey served as Science Liaison to supervise over 40 Williams College students who worked as science assistants in classrooms at Williamstown, Brayton, and Greylock Elementary Schools. Tracy Baker-White worked as the science room coordinator at Williamstown Elementary School, where kindergartners through sixth-graders come to get messy and explore.

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 being used not only to purchase new equipment, but to support maintenance contracts and the repair of instruments as well. 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.

The College 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.

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 and an electron spray mass spectrometer 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 is a summer research program in mathematics funded by the National Science Foundation and the Science Center, now in its twenty-second year. Between 20 and 30 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 2010, thirty students are working in algebraic number theory, computational statistics, Diophantine arithmetic and analysis, ergodic theory, geometry, mathematical physics, number theory and probability, and physical knot theory with eight faculty.

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 a variety of 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 astrophysics 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 many aspects of 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 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 wide range of courses including those in cellular biology, immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology, physiology, animal behavior, neurobiology, ecology and evolution. Over the past few years several new courses have been added to our curriculum: Integrative Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics (BIOL 319) as well as new literature-based senior-level courses 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). Every course changes 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 Program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore living systems in molecular terms. 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 who elect to explore the science of chemistry while majoring in other areas, the Chemistry Department offers a variety of courses that introduce the fundamentals of chemistry in a context designed to provide students with an enriching understanding of our natural world. Non-majors may investigate chemistry through the following courses: Fighting Disease: The Evolution and Operation of Human Medicines (CHEM 111); Chemistry of Tropical Diseases: Charting the Course from Traditional to Modern Medicines (CHEM 112); 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 play enormously important roles 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 varying interest 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. The computer science major 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 the student whose future career 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 important 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 important concepts in computer science through the design and analysis of games. CSCI 108 provides an introduction to the field of artificial intelligence, and CSCI 109 introduces students to the techniques of computer graphics.

The Program in Environmental Studies commenced in 1970, soon after the 1967 establishment of the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams, while the Major in Environmental Science was approved by the faculty forty years later, 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. The major in Environmental Science allows students to focus on 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 so that students will grow to realize the complexity of issues and perspectives and to appreciate that many environmental issues lack distinct, sharp-edged boundaries. The goal is to aid students in becoming well-informed, environmentally literate citizens of the planet who have the capacity to become active participants in their communities ranging from the local to the global scale. To this end, 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 at 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 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 adjacent to the 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. Gulf of California Tectonics and Coastal Ecosystems (GEOS 254T) will be offered in the fall and is linked to a 10-day trip to the lower Gulf of California near La Paz in Baja California Sur (Mexico) 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 its 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. Relatively less concerned with distant historical development and philosophical understanding of the ideas and institutions of science and technology, Science and Technology Studies focus more on current ethical, economic, social and political implications. Although many of us acknowledge that science and technology has played a major role in shaping modern industrial societies, few of us, including scientists and engineers, possess any critical or informed understanding of how that process has occurred. We do not have much knowledge of the complex technical and social interactions that direct change in either science or society. The STS program is intended to help students interested in these questions create a coherent course of study from a broad range of perspectives provided in different departmental curricula`. Courses examine the history and philosophy of science and technology, the sociology and psychology of science, the economics of research and development 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.

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 2010 WSP science offerings are given below:

The myth of Icarus illustrates the powerful attraction of flight. Some of us love the very notion of moving through the air with three full spatial degrees of freedom. While many of us do this routinely inside large aluminum tubes, personally flying an aircraft adds another dimension of excitement. Though we will not be flying full-size airplanes, we can do a great deal with miniature aircraft in an indoor setting. The course will be conducted in semi-tutorial fashion, with student presentations, construction sessions, flying sessions, and traditional lectures. We will cover the history and physics of heavier-than-air flight (balloons are boring!), and visit an air museum. No previous experience or coursework is required; students will learn the necessary fundamentals in class. On the practical side, students will start out building and flying simple gliders. Students will eventually build their own remote-controlled airplanes, and learn to fly them. We hope to have the course culminate with our own airshow. A 5-page paper on some aspect of the material will be required. Evaluation will be based on completion of projects, student presentations, and the paper. There are no are no prerequisites other than enthusiasm for flight and willingness to learn some basic physics.

This course will provide you with tools and knowledge that you can use to repair and maintain your own or others' bicycles. Working with a student grader at Mt. Greylock, you will repair and refit a donated bicycle so as to turn it into a functional machine that can be donated to someone in need of basic transportation. Demonstrations and explanations will be provided and the historical context of specific aspects of bicycle design will be covered, but the majority of the class time will be spent working with your partner, your tools, and the bicycle.

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.

This course will introduce the stages of computer animation production including design, storyboarding, modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, lighting and compositing. The course will consist of lectures in which the field of computer animation will be explored from an historical context, using video examples. In addition, students will participate in actual production projects on an intern level, and learn how software development initiatives are applied to solve real-world production problems.

A vicarious trip through selected national parks of the U.S. and Canada with emphasis on the geological basis for their unique scenery. Areas to be studied will be chosen in order to portray a wide variety of landscapes and geologic processes (volcanism, glaciation, etc.). The class will meet most mornings during the first two weeks for highly illustrated lectures and discussions, supplemented by the interpretation of topographic and geologic maps and the study of rock samples. Readings will be from a paperback text (Plates and Parks) as well as short publications of the U.S. Geological Survey and various natural history associations. The second part of the month will involve independent study and the preparation of an oral presentation about the geology of a national park or monument of the student’s choice. The oral reports during the final week will be comprehensive, well-illustrated explanations using maps, slides, and reference materials available within the department and on the internet. A detailed outline and an accompanying bibliography will be submitted and distributed to all at the time of the oral presentation.

The Rubik's cube, one of the greatest toys ever invented, hides deep and subtle mathematical concepts. In this course the students will learn how to solve the Rubik's cube and will investigate the solution using abstract mathematics and geometric intuition. The mathematical model associated with the cube is the Rubik's Group, an algebraic structure with more than 43 quintillion elements. We will study the basics of Group Theory, an area of algebra used in the study of symmetry in two- and three-dimensional geometric figures. The mathematical theory will help us understand the beauty and some of the complexity of the Rubik's cube. We will also briefly investigate the other Rubik's cubes: the 2x2x2 Mini Cube, the 4x4x4 Rubik's Revenge and the 5x5x5 Professor's Cube.

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.

This class will examine the representations of vampires in terms of both symbolism and socio-cultural context. How do portrayals of vampires reflect the hopes and fears of their time and place? How are themes such as living a meaningful life, balancing our animal instincts with our moral values, and constraining or releasing our sexuality played out in books, movies, and television shows about vampires? This class will focus on novels such as Interview with a Vampire and Twilight, movies such as Nosferatu and The Lost Boys, and TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood.