This course traces knowledge of the universe from astronomy’s ancient roots to the modern study of extrasolar planetary systems, cosmology, and black holes. Topics include Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation, Kepler’s laws, orbital dynamics, and space travel. Additionally, students will contemplate the nature of light, the nature of matter, and nuclear physics. This knowledge to will be used to explore the properties of our sun, solar system, further galaxies, the creation of chemical elements, and the expansion of the universe. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to explore dark energy and the fate of the universe as we know it.

From climate change to resource management, today’s environmental challenges call for creative, interdisciplinary solutions. This course invites students to explore what it means to build a sustainable future that balances human needs with the health of our planet.

Using a systems-thinking approach, students investigate the interconnectedness of ecosystems, food systems, energy systems, and the built environment. Through interactive lectures, hands-on lab activities, and design-based projects, students will examine topics such as ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, energy-efficient design, and sustainable transportation. Field experiences bring these ideas to life through visits to locations such as the Hudson River, the Billion Oyster Project, vertical farms, and examples of green architecture. Students conduct water and air quality testing, experiment with renewable energy through projects like solar cars and water wheels, and collaborate on case studies that analyze real-world strategies for sustainability.

By the end of the course, students gain practical insight into how science, engineering, and social systems can work together to design a more resilient and sustainable world.

Is the universe infinite or finite? What is the curvature and overall shape of the space we live in, and how might we detect this? In this course, participants learn how models for topological spaces relate to theories on the shape of the physical universe. Philosophical discussions are informed by pencil and paper computations, experiments with common household materials, and interactive online games and modules.Participants gain, in addition to early exposure to modern content at the intersection of topology and physical cosmology, an appreciation for rigorous mathematical thinking that is motivated not so much by numbers and quantity as by profound questions about the nature of our world.

Do rats laugh? Do dogs pretend? Can birds use tools? While it has traditionally been assumed that animals are not capable of thoughts, emotions, or anything comparable to human intelligence, researchers working with animals from rats and bats to wolves and whales now have an impressive and growing body of evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that strongly challenges those earlier suppositions.

This course surveys the fascinating field of cognitive ethology—the study of animal minds—and explores questions of what animals think and feel, the complexity of their thought, and the depth of their emotions. Students examine cutting-edge research from fields such as cognitive neuroscience, psychology, endocrinology, and ethology that support the theoretical ideas first proposed by Darwin, who is often credited as the first scientist to seriously study the emotional lives of animals. Darwin’s ideas were later advanced by Donald Griffen, the “father of cognitive ethology,” whose big questions about animal consciousness laid the groundwork for the explosion of research we see today. What we are learning about animal sentience is transforming our understanding of non-human animals, creating impetus for new research into how they experience the world, each other, and possibly themselves.

In this seminar-style class, students read and discuss the research of ethologists such as Marc Bekoff, Konrad Lorenz, James Gould, Jane Goodall, Franz De Waal, and E.O Wilson. These pioneering researchers fundamentally changed our understanding of the animal mind, shedding new light on the extraordinary and diverse abilities of our fellow species to learn, problem-solve, use tools, express emotions, and even mourn their dead. What’s more, we are learning that animals communicate complex information in ways we could never have imagined.

A field excursion to the Wolf Conservation Center offer participants an opportunity to observe animal behaviors up close, emulate observation techniques used by scientists in the field, and speak to experts about their research. This first-hand experience provides context for the material covered in class, and gives rise to important questions and rich, stimulating discussions. Students also have an opportunity to explore the broad array of academic and career paths that relate to cognitive ethology, including evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, psychology, philosophy and ethics, cognitive neuroscience, science writing, and animal law.

Course requirement include assigned readings of scientific literature and excerpts from books on animal cognition, daily participation in class and small-group discussions, and a final project that demonstrates students’ understanding of the course concepts and content.

Laptops are required for this course.

Chemistry, the central science, is the science of molecules and bonds. Its signature is change in all its manifestations, from geological to instantaneous, and from the cosmological to subatomic. Chemistry provides powerful scientific tools that extend our ability to sense and predict matter’s changes, and stretches the limits of what we know of our universe.

Intensive Modern Chemistry Laboratory is designed for highly motivated students who want to strengthen their understanding of chemistry and current research methods.  Students are expected to attend both the morning and afternoon sessions for this course.  Note that this extended laboratory and class engagement time will restrict student attendance at other events during the program.

Topics for laboratory experiments, data analysis and class discussions have been selected because they stand out as essential themes of current research, illustrate the methods of science, lend themselves to historical development, and highlight the role of chemistry as the central science. Through integrative experiments and collaborative projects, students discover the synthetic and analytic dimensions of chemistry in medicinal, environmental, and materials solutions. Students will simultaneously develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Formal training includes instrumental methods in spectroscopy, chromatography, and computer simulations with state-of-the-art equipment in the department’s modern laboratories. Guest lecturers, from numerous scientific realms of both academia and industry, round out the program. Students are expected to complete a small research project, prepare a scientific paper and group presentation, and participate regularly in class discussions.

This course introduces students to the mathematical and conceptual foundations that underlie modern physics. Designed for students with interests in physics, mathematics, or engineering, the course emphasizes the powerful analytical and computational tools used to model and interpret physical phenomena.

Through interactive lectures, collaborative problem-solving, and coding-based simulations, students explore essential topics such as probability and statistics in physics, coordinate transformations, complex numbers, Fourier and Laplace transforms, and linear algebraic methods. These tools are applied to real-world systems including oscillations, waves, and circuits. By the end of the course, students will have gained practical experience applying mathematical methods to understand and predict the behavior of the physical world, ultimately building a strong foundation for future study in physics or related STEM fields.

Designed for aspiring physicists and mathematicians, students will delve into the powerful mathematical tools essential for understanding and solving complex physical problems.

Students will develop an understanding of these methods by learning to model, analyze, conduct theoretical investigations and interpret physical phenomena. Through engaging lectures, hands-on problem-solving, and interactive projects, participants will gain proficiency in applying concepts to real-world scenarios. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical thinking skills and intuition to tackle challenges encountered in theoretical and experimental physics.

This course provides a valuable head start for those planning to pursue studies in physics, engineering, mathematics, or related fields at the collegiate level. 

This course delves into the fundamentals of Quantum Computing, bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and its groundbreaking applications in computing. It focuses on developing students’ knowledge and skills in modern quantum technologies with numerous real-world applications. The course will include lectures emphasizing conceptual understanding and problem-solving, as well as essays and group projects to foster collaborative learning.

Topics include:

• Quantum Mechanics Foundations: Understanding quantum states, superposition, entanglement, and the evolution of quantum systems.
• Quantum Bits (Qubits): Exploration of qubits as the basic units of quantum information and their state manipulation.
• Quantum Algorithms: Introduction to key algorithms like Shor's algorithm for factoring and Grover's search algorithm.
• Quantum Computing Models: Study of quantum circuits, quantum gates, and error correction.
• Quantum Technologies: Insight into current quantum computing hardware and future prospects.

This course is designed for motivated high school students who want to expand their knowledge of modern physics and be at the forefront of technological innovation.

What makes the universe tick? At the heart of modern physics lies Einstein’s theory of special relativity—a revolutionary idea that redefined time, space, and energy. From the iconic equation E=mc2 to the strange realities of time dilation and length contraction, this course invites you to explore the concepts that forever changed how we understand the cosmos. Along the way, you’ll see how Einstein’s ideas influence everything from black holes to interstellar travel, laying the groundwork for some of today’s most thrilling scientific discoveries.

In this three-week journey, you will delve into the foundational principles of special relativity, including spacetime, Lorentz transformations, and the interplay between relativity and electromagnetism. You’ll also connect these ideas to larger concepts like the Doppler effect and general relativity, gaining a preview of college-level physics without getting bogged down in heavy mathematics. With thought experiments, interactive discussions, and real-world applications, this course is perfect for students eager to uncover the elegance and mystery of Einstein’s legacy. 

The origin and evolution of the Universe is one of the greatest (and oldest) questions ever asked. In a little over a century, cosmology has matured as a discipline due to improvements in our understanding of fundamental physics and technological advances allowing us to map the Universe in unprecedented detail and perform complex calculations. This course is an introductory review of the field of cosmology for students with a background in physics and math, but not necessarily astronomy.  The course focuses on the field of cosmology, its early history, and its relationships to observational astronomy and particle physics.  We will discuss the observations that led scientists to believe that the Universe is expanding, explanations for the expansion, the origin of the Universe and the evolution of its constituent materials, including dark matter and dark energy.  We will also discuss general relativity and its implications for the structure of the Universe, its history, and predictions regarding astrophysical phenomena such as black holes.  In-class discussions and activities based on primary source research papers will complement in-class problem solving and supplemental readings.