Science Programs at Williams


Report Of Science At Williams College 1993  -  1994
A Record Of The Professional Activities Of
Faculty And Students In The Natural Sciences

Williams College admits men and women of any background to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the College. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or national ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other college administered programs. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1973, or the regulations thereunder, in the education programs or activities which it operates, including employment therein. The College does not discriminate on the basis of handicap in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973, or the regulations thereunder, in admission or access to its programs and activities. Inquiries concerning the College's non-discrimination policies may be referred to the Dean of The College, Hopkins Hall, Williamstown, MA 01267.

The Science Executive Committee wishes to express its gratitude to Mrs. Alice J. Seeley for her extensive efforts in preparing this report.

Co-Editors: Dr. Bryce Babcock and Professor Charles M. Lovett

SCIENCE PROGRAMS AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE

Students learn science best by formulating and testing 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 keep them current, so that the full range of science courses keep up with 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. Along with the construction of the Bronfman Science Center in the nineteen sixties we established the kind of facilities and support programs now recommended by studies such as the 1986 National Science Board Task Committee on Undergraduate Science and Engineering Education. As our science buildings have been continually upgraded to provide modern facilities for teaching and student-faculty research, the model of the entire science division as a programmatic unit has persisted. 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 its subcommittees. 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.

Over the past several years there has been dramatic growth in the sciences at Williams. Increased enrollments of first-year students with an expressed interest in scientific careers have led to unprecedented numbers of students collaborating with faculty on research projects. As documented later in this report, more than one hundred students were engaged in research with Williams faculty this year. More than sixty students conducted independent research during the academic year. Dozens of Williams students participated in conferences where they presented the results of their research, and more than twenty Williams students co-authored publications in peer- reviewed journals. It has long been recognized that a positive undergraduate research experience is the single most important inspiration for future scientists. In confirmation of this, we have seen a substantial increase in the number of Williams students who have gone on to graduate school in science in the past decade.

Concurrent with the increased student interest in science, Williams has attracted talented and vibrant science faculty engaged in competitive research and dedicated to teaching undergraduates. Correspondingly, the number of external grants awarded to support faculty research or curricular innovations has increased significantly. A large number of individual faculty grants, together with grants from the Essel Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kresge, NECUSE, and other sources have enabled us to purchase and maintain sophisticated equipment for teaching and research. Centered around close student-faculty interactions, the opportunities in undergraduate science education at Williams are exciting, diverse, and progressive.

As we face the next century, the Science Division has begun planning for a major expansion of laboratory, office, classroom and library space. Driven by the growth in the sciences since the construction of Bronfman Science Center, the project will include renovations to Bronfman and the Thompson Laboratories and a new building that will contain teaching laboratories and a library facility that will bring together the satellite science libraries to better serve our interdisciplinary and space needs. The planning committee is confronted with the challenging task of taking the science facilities well into the next century, while maintaining the architectural and historical integrity of the present structures.

Freshman & Sophomore Discovery Courses

Seven years ago Williams College was awarded a five-year grant from the Ford Foundation Initiative for Undergraduate Science Education to support the development of "discovery" courses in the sciences. Although the grant has expired, most of these special introductory science courses 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.

Observing the Sun and Stars (ASTR 106)

This course is centered on using the solar and nighttime telescopes including the 24 inch telescope, to observe not only sunspots and other solar activity in the daytime but also stars, nebulae, and galaxies at night. Special equipment includes an electronic CCD detector with computer control to sensitively image celestial objects in a short amount of observing time, and several workstations with special image-reduction software to display the data; this equipment has been provided by a grant from the Keck Foundation to a consortium of colleges of which Williams is a member. Solar observation uses a coronagraph with hydrogen-alpha filter, a coelostat, and a heliostat.

Concepts of Chemistry, Special & Advanced Laboratory Sections (CHEM 106 & 108)

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 series of organic/inorganic complexes in a series of closely related experiments using modern analysis techniques in a flexible laboratory format.

Introduction to Computer Science (CSCI 135)

The regular introductory course material is covered at an accelerated rate, providing opportunities to concentrate, during the second half of the course, on exploring exciting new research areas such as innovative architecture for high-speed, parallel computers.

Introduction to Environmental Science (ENVI 102)

Taught by a biologist, a chemist and a geologist, the lectures, readings, laboratories and discussions in this course concentrate on integrating basic aspects of each of these disciplines as they apply to the analysis of environmental problems. Laboratory work includes botanical and geological observation in the field and the use of sophisticated instruments to perform chemical and biologic measurements in the laboratory.

Geology Outdoors (GEOL 105)

An introduction to geology through student field projects and small discussion sessions. The mountains, lakes, rivers and valleys of the Williamstown area provide unusual opportunities for learning geology in the field. Emphasis is placed on learning through active participation in field projects reinforced by group discussion sessions on related readings in geology. Following several group projects introducing the techniques of field geology, small teams are formed to work on independent research projects.

Essel Foundation Grant for Neuroscience

In May of 1992, the college received a grant in the amount of $1,050,000 to support research in the neurosciences. The primary intent of the award is to involve students in state-of-the-art neuroscience research. During the summer of 1993, ten Williams students were selected as Essel fellows. These students spent the summer working in individual faculty laboratories. Most of them will continue their research as either honors thesis or independent study students during the 1993-94 academic year. Additionally, two high school students were selected as Essel fellows. These students rotated among the neuroscience laboratories during the summer.

The Essel foundation grant also greatly facilitated the implementation of expanded laboratory exercises in the Introduction to Neuroscience course. In conjunction with the Hughes Foundation Grant and support from the college, a new neuroscience teaching laboratory has been established. Funds were also provided to support two full-time technicians to assist in running this laboratory. The establishment of the laboratory has allowed students in the introductory course to gain hands- on laboratory experience in neuroscience that is not generally available to beginning students. It has also allowed a greater number of students to participate in advanced research.

In future years, the Essel award will continue to fund these programs as well as additional endeavors, including extended visits by prominent neuroscientists, summer research support for faculty, and support for student research during the academic year. The Neuroscience Program is very fortunate to have such generous support for this rapidly growing area of science

Hughes Grant (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

In June 1991 the college received a five year, $900,000 grant for the biological sciences from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The institute awarded grants to 44 public and private colleges and universities for programs designed to attract students into careers in scientific research and teaching. At Williams, the grant is being used to support new and established programs in five areas: 1) introductory courses in biochemistry, biology, and neuroscience; 2) summer science research opportunities; 3) the Summer Science Program for minorities; 4) a Math and Science Resource Center; 5) an outreach program for Berkshire County high school teachers and students.

The grant is particularly timely for the introductory curriculum in biochemistry, biology and neuroscience. Enrollments in these courses have nearly doubled over the last few years and the Hughes grant provides equipment, staff support, and opportunities for curricular development. The grant also funds fellowships for students in the Bronfman Summer Science Research Program and supports additional students and initiatives in the Summer Science Program for minority students. The Math and Science Resource Center, staffed with a part-time director and teaching assistants, help students with course work and laboratory reports in the sciences, and with quantitative skills.

The high school outreach program brings high school biology teachers and students to spend a month with Williams College faculty in biological research. Efforts to tailor these programs to the specific needs of the participants have been well received, and should provide them with a better means of integrating their experiences into their own curriculum.

In September of 1993 Williams College was awarded a four-year Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant to augment the five-year grant it received in 1991. The $500,000 grant includes an outreach program to assist the Williamstown Elementary School implement an inquiry-based science curriculum. A science liaison coordinates the activities of Williams undergraduates working with elementary teachers and administrators. In addition the grant will be used to support undergraduate student research during the summer, and to purchase equipment for introductory biology, neuroscience and biochemistry.

Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium

The Astronomy Department and the Hopkins Observatory join with seven other colleges in a program in astronomy sponsored by the Keck Foundation. The program has provided and continues to provide summer job opportunities for undergraduates at institutions not their own, research travel to major observatories for undergraduates, short-term faculty visits and exchanges, a summer student research symposium, and proceedings of that symposium. Members of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium include Colgate, Haverford, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Williams, and Vassar. The program is funded so far at about 1% of the cost of the giant 10-meter Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, now the world's largest telescope. A goal is to make undergraduates literate in the most modern methods and equipment used at the major observatories. Copies of the proceedings of the four past Keck student research symposia are available from the Astronomy Department. During the summer of 1995, Keck-sponsored students from other colleges will work with Williams students on campus and with Prof. Kwitter on planetary nebulae, on Prof. Pasachoff on the solar-corona eclipse data, and with Ms. Maraziti on observations of galaxies. Williams also participates in a subset of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium--including Williams, Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Vassar--to use a guaranteed number of nights on the 60-cm Burrell Schmidt telescope (owned by Warner and Swasey Observatory of the Case Western Reserve University) located at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona. Williams faculty and students join other faculty and students in taking data on site. The data are then studied with the computers in Williamstown.

Kresge Foundation Equipment Grant

In 1990 Williams was awarded a grant from the Kresge Foundation 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 is setting aside endowment funds for the depreciation and eventual replacement of items purchased under the grant.

To date, the College has purchased and is maintaining a 24 inch optical telescope, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with graphite furnace, a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, a transmission electron microscope, an ultraviolet/visible/near infrared spectrophotometer, an x-ray diffraction instrument with these funds. In conjunction with funds awarded through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant, the Kresge grant was recently used to purchase a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer. These expensive pieces of core equipment are heavily used by faculty and students, especially in collaborative research projects.

NECUSE (Pew Charitable Trust)

The New England Consortium of Undergraduate Science Education is made up of 16 universities and colleges, of which Williams is one. The consortium is funded until 1995 by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trust and through contributions made by the member institutions. The purpose of the consortium is to improve science education by bringing together faculty and students of member institutions through conferences, workshops, summer undergraduate research fellowships, and exchange visits. Elsewhere in this report you will find references to NECUSE sponsored summer research students, the SMALL program, curricular developments in various departments, and conferences where Williams students present the results of their research.

New Liberal Arts Program

Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the New Liberal Arts Program involved the development of courses designed for students planning to major outside the sciences. The goal of the program was to increase the awareness of students majoring in the humanities and social sciences of the importance of technology and quantitative reasoning in their major disciplines and in other aspects of modern life. Although the grant has expired, many of the courses developed in this program are still offered including: (CHEM 117) Chemistry and Crime, (MATH 148) Probability, (MATH 180) The Spirit of Mathematics, and (MATH 102) Mathematics of Finance. Because of the NLA grant, technological and quantitative material in the Williams curriculum is more prevalent than it otherwise might have been. There are also NLA courses and modules outside the sciences, for example in Studio Art, Music, Political Science and Psychology, but the greatest curricular response to the program's possibilities can be seen in the sciences.

SMALL

SMALL is a special summer research program in Mathematics and Physics. Students break into groups of about five, each with a student leader and faculty advisor, and work on solving one or more research problems. Each student is a member of two research teams. Recent research areas have included topology, geometry, algebraic geometry, graph theory, combinatorics, differential geometry, number theory, quantum physics, and quasi-crystals.

Major Programs

Departments offer major programs in Astronomy, Astrophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. There are coordinate programs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, and Science and Technology Studies, and courses are offered in Environmental Studies and in the History of Science. Students can also design interdepartmental majors through the contract major program. Within departments and programs, faculty advisors help students to select individualized major programs that reflect each student's interests, yet satisfy prerequisites for graduate study, medical school or other postgraduate plans.

All Williams students are required to take at least three semester courses in mathematics or science. More than a dozen courses are offered to help provide non-specialists with a broad introduction to a particular scientific area.

The Astronomy Department offers courses for anyone who is 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 and a more technical introductory course designed for those planning further study in astronomy or another science. As part of the astronomy observing program, 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 Astronomy major is designed for students with a serious intellectual interest in learning about many aspects of modern astronomy, but who might not have planned to undertake the more structured and intensive astrophysics major. The Astronomy major emphasizes understanding the observed properties of the physical systems that comprise the known universe, from the Sun and solar system to the evolution of stars and star clusters, to the Milky Way Galaxy, to external galaxies and clusters of galaxies, out to quasars and active galaxies. Students considering a major in astronomy, or a double major including astronomy, should consult with members of the Department about appropriate beginning courses. The Astrophysics major is designed primarily for students who plan graduate study in astronomy, astrophysics or a closely related field. The major emphasizes the structure of the universe and its constituents in terms of physical processes. Majors in astrophysics usually begin their program with ASTR 111 Introduction to Astrophysics as well as basic 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. Independent research, extensive use of the observational and image processing computer facilities, field work 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 the midst of a renaissance 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 biochemistry. In response to these needs the Biology 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 principles governing life processes. Four courses: BIOL 101 The Cell, BIOL 102 The Organism, BIOL 202 Genetics, 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, neurophysiology, ecology and animal behavior. Every course emphasizes the latest concepts and introduces techniques and instrumentation used in modern biological research. 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 core courses in the program: BIMO 321 Biochemistry I - Structure and Function of Biological Molecules, and BIMO 322 Biochemistry II - Metabolism. These courses, taken in conjunction with courses in genetics and molecular genetics, establish a solid background in biochemistry and molecular biology. The advanced courses, including BIMO 406 Topics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and electives available from the Chemistry and Biology Department offerings, encourage students' exploration of individual interests in a wide variety of topics. 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 achievement for knowledge about ourselves and the world around us. For those who elect to major in chemistry, the introductory courses, CHEM 101, 102 Concepts of Chemistry (or CHEM 103, 104 for those who qualify) are followed by intermediate and advanced courses in organic, inorganic, physical, and biochemistry that provide thorough preparation for graduate study in chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, environmental science, medicine and the medical sciences. Advanced independent study courses focus the knowledge learned earlier 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: CHEM 113 Chemistry and Crime: From Sherlock Holmes to Modern Forensic Science and CHEM 115 AIDS: The Disease and Search for a Cure.

Computers play an enormously important role in our society. The Computer Science Department seeks to provide students with an understanding of the principles underlying computer science that will enable them to understand and possibly participate in exciting research developments in this young field. The department recognizes that students' interests in computer science vary widely and attempts to meet these varying interests through 1) its major program; 2) a selection of courses intended primarily for those who are interested in a brief introduction to computer science or who seek to develop some specific expertise in computing for applications in some other discipline and 3) recommendations for possible sequences of courses for the non-major who wants a more extensive introduction to computer science. Color Macintosh IIcx computers, and powerful SUN workstations, connected via an Ethernet network, enhance computing opportunities for students at all levels. The first course for majors and others intending to take more than a single computer science course is CSCI 134 Introduction to Computer Science, with CSCI 135 available as an enriched version for selected first and second-year students. Upper level courses include computer organization, algorithm design, computer graphics, principles of programming languages, artificial intelligence, theory of computing, operating systems and compiler design. The computer science major is designed to provide preparation for advanced study of computer science and high level career opportunities, as well as simply a deeper appreciation of current knowledge and the challenges of computer science. 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 two courses. CSCI 109 introduces students to the techniques of computer graphics used for special effects in film, visualization in the sciences and the creation of artistic images. CSCI 107 takes a wider view of the field, exploring questions about what computers can (and cannot) do, how they are constructed, and how they work.

Historically, the Program in Environmental Studies commenced soon after the Center for Environmental Studies was established in 1968. This program allows students to major in a conventional department and take a series of courses in an integrated, interdisciplinary examination of the environment. The intent of the program is to both broaden the student's experience in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and to simultaneously explore the relationship between the discipline that she or he is specializing in and the larger environmental arena. The Center for Environmental Studies, located in Kellogg House, is responsible for maintaining and operating the 2400-acre Hopkins Memorial Forest, and its Rosenburg Center field station, 1.5 miles from campus. The CES also shares responsibility with the Bronfman Science Center for operating the Environmental Analysis Laboratory in Bronfman.

During 1991 the Hopkins Forest acquired a 90-acre parcel known as the "Driver Lot" through a gift from an anonymous donor. This land has particular importance since it completes the holdings of the Forest in the South Branch of Birch Brook upstream of the stream gauging station that was installed by the US Forest Service in the 1930s. In the summer of 1992 the vegetation of the Driver Lot was inventoried and the data collected was added to the substantial data base on vegetation, meteorology, hydrology, and land-use that is maintained on the Forest. This past year the Hopkins Forest served as the major focus in the ENVI 102 Introduction to Environmental Science course. The object of this field and lab course, was to integrate perspectives on biological, geological, and chemical processes using a 60-acre tract known as the "Moon Lot" as a case study. Courses in ecology, field botany, studio art, geology, and various winter study offerings also made excellent use of the Hopkins Forest facilities.

The Geology major is designed to provide an understanding of the physical and biological evolution of the earth. Forces within the earth are responsible for the development of mountain ranges and ocean basins. Wind, waves, rivers and glaciers have shaped 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. Five introductory courses open to all students include: GEOL 101 Earth History and Evolution of Life, GEOL 102 The Shifting Earth, GEOL 103 Environmental Geology and the Earth's Surface, GEOL 104 Oceanography and GEOL 166 Climates Through Time. A special course limited to twelve freshmen, GEOL 105 Geology Outdoors, presents geology through field work and small group discussions. 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. GEOL 206 Geological Sources of Energy, GEOL 208 Water and the Environment, and GEOL 223 The Mineral Resources Dilemma offer surveys of these areas for both non-majors and majors.

History of Science, fundamentally an interdisciplinary subject, seeks not only to trace the historical development of the social relations between science and society, but also 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 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 transformed western civilization and which are today transforming cultures the world over. Science majors are introduced to the richness and variety of scientific activity, as well as to its relationships to society as a whole.

The major program in Mathematics is designed to meet two goals: introducing some of the central ideas in a variety of areas in Mathematics, and developing problem-solving ability by teaching students to combine creative thinking with rigorous reasoning. A new unified major includes special recommendations to students interested in applied mathematics or other sciences, engineering, graduate school in mathematics, statistics and actuarial science, and teaching. The major requires calculus, a course in applied/discrete mathematics, three core courses in algebra and analysis, electives, a senior seminar, and participation in the undergraduate colloquium.

Neuroscience is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding the relationship between brain, mind, and behavior. The interdisciplinary nature of the field is apparent when surveying those who call themselves neuroscientists. Among these are anatomists, physiologists, chemists, psychologists, philosophers, computer scientists, linguists, and ethnologists. Combining this wide range of disciplines and areas of research for the study of a single remarkably complex organ, the brain, requires a unique interdisciplinary approach. The Neuroscience Program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to explore this approach. It consists of five courses, including an introductory course, three electives, and a senior course. In addition, students are required to take two courses, BIOL 101, and PSYC 101, as prerequisites to 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 Freshman or Sophomore year. Either BIOL 101 or PSYC 101 serves as the prerequisite. Electives are designed to provide in-depth coverage including laboratory experience in specific areas of neuroscience. At least one elective course is required in Biology Group A and in Psychology Group B. The third elective course may also come from Group A or Group B, or may be selected from offerings from other departments. Topics in Neuroscience NSCI 401 is designed to provide an integrative culminating experience. Most students will take this course in the senior year.

The major program in Physics serves as preparation for further work in pure or applied physics, 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 begin to master the mathematical techniques and theories that make sense of it. They become well grounded in the fundamentals of the discipline: classical mechanics, electrodynamics and optics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. In addition, many students take special courses on such topics as condensed matter physics and electronics. About half of our physics majors typically do senior honors projects, in which the student works together with a faculty member in either experimental or theoretical research.

The ten regular faculty members of the Psychology Department offer a wide variety of curricular and research opportunities to both major and nonmajor students. Courses are grouped into the areas of biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality and clinical psychology. After completing PSYC 101 Introductory Psychology, majors follow a sequence of preparation in the PSYC 200 level, advanced PSYC 300 - level courses, and a senior seminar. A wide variety of research opportunities are offered through independent study, senior thesis work and the summer program. The psychology major provides sound preparation for graduate study in both academic and professional fields of psychology and is increasingly relevant to careers in business, law, and medicine.

Science and Technology Studies (SCTS) is an interdisciplinary program concerned with science and technology and their relationship to society. In addition to being concerned with the historical development and a philosophical understanding of the ideas and institutions of science and technology, SCTS also examines their ethical, economic, social and political implications. The role that science and technology have played in shaping modern industrial societies is generally acknowledged, but few members of those societies, including scientists and engineers, possess any understanding of how that process has occurred or much knowledge of the complex technical and social interactions that direct change in either science or society. The SCTS program is intended to help students interested in these questions create a coherent course of study from amongst a broad range of perspectives provided in the curriculum. Courses examine the history of 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 complete 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 Sciences, 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 requirements.