Seminars

Elizabeth Labate 

Mondays 1-2 pm 

PAI 5.42 

This seminar examines styles of rock music through a variety of analytical perspectives. With active listening and historical contextualization, the seminar explores how and why people find meaning in music. The seminar is designed for a general audience and no prior musical experience is required. 

Rene Dailey 

Thursdays 11 am – noon 

PAI 5.42 

A major outcome in relationship science is relational stability. But what exactly is ‘stability’? In the research, it is rarely defined and is often measured as either length of the relationship or as a yes/no follow-up question (e.g., 3 months later, a year later) to see if couples are still together. New and/or increasingly prevalent forms of romantic relationships (e.g., on-again/off-again relationships) complicate these conceptualizations of stability. We’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of previous measurements and explore possible new definitions and measures to unpack this deceptively complex concept.    

David Taylor 

Mondays 2-3 pm 

PAI 5.42 

This is an honors-level seminar designed to introduce you to the biology, fiction, and ethics of monsters. What is a monster? Is it the terrifying thing lurking in your closet or under your bed? The word originated to describe something that is malformed or different than ourselves. In this seminar, we will talk about mutants: their genetic basis, their phenotypes, their transformation into literary symbols. There will be a combination of readings from scientific journal articles and gothic literature. Is Dracula an evil blood-sucking vampire or does he just have a slight sensitivity to light? You will learn to read, interpret, and discuss primary scientific literature articles, non-fiction science articles, and gothic fiction chapters in depth. By the end of this seminar, you should be able to judge for yourself if Dracula is a monster or just misunderstood. 

Sara Corson 

Tuesdays 12:30-1:30 

PAI 5.42 

This course is for sophomore Dean’s Scholars. Eligible students will be directed to enroll via their academic advisor. Students will engage in planning and preparation for their honors thesis project. Exploration of research, science communication, mentoring, and more.  

Josh Roebke/Sara Corson 

Mondays 2-3 PM 

Online 

Who writes about science and what are they trying to tell us? Poets, journalists, novelists, publicists, historians, and philosophers all write about science, but how do they communicate it differently? Are they even describing the same branch of knowledge? We will read a variety of texts—from tweets to memoirs, essays to poems, and popular articles to humorous sketches—to discuss the many ways that writers communicate science and the ways they depict real and imagined scientists. Each week, we will read some articles, essays, or short book excerpts to debate the merits of different writing styles by either scientists or non-scientists. Basically, we will discuss good writing about science and talk about why it is good and what it means. Students will have the chance to lead a discussion about the writing genre that they prefer or the area of science that they like best. Join if you love to read and love talking about great writing! 

Mike Mackert  

Thursday 12:30-1:30 pm  

PAI 5.42  

This seminar will focus on health communication and its role in individual and public health, including issues such as public health campaigns, prescription drug advertising, and depictions of health in the media.  

Pam Elias 

Mondays 3-4 pm  

PAI 5.42 

Working together proactively regardless of strengths and skills is critical in any workspace.  Find out more about how you work collaboratively to elevate the team and enhance your skills to be a better team member and leader.  This is an interactive class with many class discussions and problem-solving experiences to fine tune the skills of being an effective collaborative problem solver from problem challenges to escape room scenarios.  By the end of the semester, you will have solved many in class team challenges and improved your communication skills. 

Shelly Rodriguez 

Wednesdays 

11-12 PAI 4.08 

The College of Natural Sciences is one of the largest colleges of science in the United States, with a community of more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 700 tenure and non-tenure track faculty members, and 1,200 staff. The college is also a major source of future scientists, doctors, mathematicians, technologists, STEM educators, and entrepreneurs. 

As part of CNS and UT Austin, your voice matters. Students in this discussion section will serve as a sounding board and focus group for a variety of college and university initiatives. In this seminar CNS Honors students will have the opportunity to learn about and give input on issues such as: diversity initiatives, college infrastructure, hybrid learning, outreach, and more. This seminar will feature an array of guest speakers selected from college and university leaders looking for student input. This seminar will also be accompanied by optional volunteer activities that engage CNS Honors students with projects and events here at UT and in the community. Sign up and let your voice be heard. 

Brittany O’Malley 

Wednesdays 2-3:30 pm 

PAI 4.28

The current generation experiences higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than any prior generation. These issues are further exacerbated by the pressures of college-life and/or expectations of being high-achieving students. In this seminar, students will learn to practice strategies for cultivating and maintaining positive mental health and well-being in college and beyond, as well as ways to approach and help peers and colleagues struggling with related issues. Several guest speakers from various professional backgrounds—including staff from the Counseling and Mental Health Center and Longhorn Wellness Center—will help introduce students to wellness-related strategies and topics that can be carried and expanded upon through their education and career.  

Enamul Huq 

Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 pm

PAI 5.42 

How is biology connected to real world problems? Biology education is not only intricately connected to human health, but also day to day life. This course will emphasize on broad overview of various topics related to our daily life and how those are connected to biology. Each week, a pair of students will present on a topic of their choice. Other students will interrupt and ask questions followed by discussion on the topic. 

Viranga Perera 

Fridays  

11-12 PAI 5.42 

In this interdisciplinary seminar, we will explore the diverse connections that humans throughout the globe and over time have had with our Moon. Our goal is to derive new insights that can inform our future exploration of the Moon. This is timely as more countries and private companies ramp up their lunar exploration programs. While we can consider the Moon in a multidisciplinary manner by considering it from the perspectives of art, engineering, film, history, literature, music, mythology, politics, science, and social identities, here we aim to explore interdisciplinary connections to better address questions such as: Who gets to participate in the future exploration of the Moon? How would Earthlings interact with a potential future society of Lunarians? Students will actively ask their own interdisciplinary questions about the Moon and address them by conducting their own research and participating in class discussions. 

Stacey Jorgensen

Wednesdays 2-3 pm 

PAI 5.42 

From seat belts to vaccines to safe drinking water, we will learn how public health considerations impact decisions affecting our everyday lives.

Dee Silverthorn

Fridays 12-1 pm

PAI 5.42

The United States spends more money per capita on healthcare than any other high-income country but our health outcomes are among the lowest. In this seminar we will examine why this is so and will compare the US healthcare system to those of other high- and medium-income countries around the world.