The Ecological Agriculture program provides a broad, interdisciplinary study of agriculture from a critical perspective of social and ecological sustainability. In fall quarter, we will examine the history and present predicament of North American agriculture. During winter quarter, we will consider alternatives and possible futures of agriculture. In spring quarter, seminars will focus on third-world agriculture, and we will offer several modules of study-for example, crop botany and plant breeding and/or tropical cropping systems.

We will emphasize "systems" thinking, expository and scientific report writing, library research and quantitative reasoning skills. Lectures will focus on ecological principles applied to agro-ecosystems, soil science and fertility management; crop and livestock management; and agricultural history, socioeconomic aspects of agriculture and the regional to global food system. Labs will provide a hands-on introduction to soil science, experimentation, energy flow and nutrient cycling through farms. Field trips will allow students to visit farms that are working toward sustainability, and to interact with farmers.

Students will also have the opportunity to gain practical experience in food production at the college's Organic Farm under the direction of the farm manager. This will be part of Practice of Sustainable Agriculture in spring quarter. Other student projects and internships will also be spring-quarter options.

Microalgae account for most of the plant biomass and production in aquatic systems. Recently, coastal waters worldwide have experienced an apparent increase in the occurrence of large concentrations (blooms) of harmful algal species. Blooms of toxic algal species (e.g., red tides) can quickly kill fish and shellfish. Other organisms, including humans, can be indirectly affected through the consumption of contaminated seafood. Large blooms of nontoxic species can also have negative impacts on aquatic habitats by shading benthic plants and by interfering with the activities of other organisms. Furthermore, if these algal blooms are not grazed or diluted, their decomposition can deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water, also killing plants and animals. This program will examine these interactions.

We will study the taxonomy and ecology of harmful algal species, the environmental factors controlling the abundance and productivity of aquatic algae, and the possible role of human activities in causing the increase of harmful algal blooms. In addition, we will examine the efforts of scientists and government agencies both to monitor harmful algal blooms and to control their impact on fisheries and public health. The material will be presented through lectures, seminar discussion of books and scientific articles and student research projects. There will be labs to learn methods in phycology and seawater analysis and field trips to local estuaries.

At first glance, the natural world may seem chaotic and full of random events. Similarly, creative works by humans may seem to have no logic or basis in the world as we have experienced it. But as we investigate beyond the surface of things and observe, measure and describe phenomena carefully, order emerges. We may first perceive that order as spatial, such as in growth rings of a tree or the spiral of a galaxy, but we also learn to read such patterns as dynamic events or structures in time. We may recognize expressions of this natural order in the visual arts, media arts, sound composition or in literature.

In this program, we will study order and disorder as they occur both in natural phenomena and the creative works of people. We will see what we can learn about how order emerges over time, and how humans perceive and express that order. We will approach this inquiry as artists, scientists and scholars, engaging in both creative expression and quantitative reasoning.

We will work on writing, drawing and math skills as we develop techniques of observation, measurement, documentation, analysis and description. We will practice animation and time-lapse and motion analysis techniques to study and represent phenomena we have observed. We will use a variety of art media to explore shape and spatial relationships, and audio recording and editing technology to capture, analyze and compose sounds. We will learn to describe patterns and change, both in written and quantitative form, and we will create mathematical and computer models based on the physical laws that shape them.

Part of our inquiry will focus on the differences between creative and quantitative representations. We will explore the limitations inherent in each approach, and we will investigate the roles that abstraction and metaphor in science and art play in our understanding of reality. To that end, students will experiment with ways to apply scientific principles to creative projects, investigating the uses of metaphor, developing an understanding of realism, and exploring how repetition of simple patterns or motifs can build complex works. In fall, students will undertake a series of short assignments that explore these themes. In winter, there will be time for longer research projects to investigate a particular question in more depth.

Many of our lectures, readings and seminar discussions will be about the history and theory of knowledge, as it relates to our subject matter. The diverse ways humans employ and recognize order and patterns are culturally and historically determined. We will therefore also explore the perception, interpretation and use of patterns in different cultures, both ancient and modern.

Students in this program will work together in an intensive exploration of English Renaissance literature. Readings will cover Tudor history; poetry by 10 poets, with emphasis on the shorter poems of Spenser, Shakespeare and Donne; drama by Marlowe and Shakespeare; and prose by representative thinkers of the age on governance (More), manners (Castiglione), politics (Machiavelli), exploration (Hakluyt), religion (Foxe) and rational inquiry (Bacon).

In addition to being immersed in one of the greatest ages in our cultural heritage, participants will learn how to read differently for different purposes; to read critically; to organize their thoughts in expository writing; and to learn from their peers. Students are expected to be prepared for every seminar, to write weekly short papers on poetry, and to research and write one longer paper on a historical topic. Before our first class meeting, seminar participants should read Bucholz and Key, Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History, pp. 1-78, and be prepared for discussion.

The theory of evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology, unifying disciplines as diverse as molecular genetics and population ecology. Evolution provides an explanation for the extraordinary biological diversity on this planet. Yet, what is the best way to study this process? By focusing on the mechanisms producing variation? By seeking evidence of past evolutionary change in the phenotype? Or by generating theory that fits with what we already know? At what level does natural selection act-on genes, on organisms, or on groups of organisms? This program will present and discuss some of the big ideas in evolution and, at the same time, examine how we, as scientists with distinct scientific processes and cultures, approach these questions.

During fall quarter, we will begin with a few apparently simple, yet often unresolved questions in evolutionary biology: What is a species? How do we know? We will be studying several aspects of micro-evolution-the change that occurs within populations, over time spans that are directly observable by humans-and spending some time in the field. On a parallel track, we will consider mutation and genetic variation as agents of evolutionary change. We will begin with classical Mendelian genetics and move on to a formal treatment of population genetics and the analysis of complex traits.

During winter quarter, we will focus on macro-evolutionary processes-specifically speciation and the evidence it leaves behind. Throughout this quarter we will focus on large philosophical questions, including: How, generally, do we make claims of knowledge in the study of history, including in an historical science such as evolution? Can we generalize from singular events, such as the evolution of flight in birds and, if so, what is our justification for doing so? We will focus on the two primary sources of evidence in studies of evolutionary history: morphological and molecular characters. In the morphology section, we will focus on vertebrate anatomy and evolution; weekly labs will involve the dissection of sharks and cats. The molecular biology section will present a more explicitly chemical view of the processes underlying the transmission and expression of genetic information. We will consider how the analysis of DNA sequences can reveal historical relationships. The systematic comparison of different animal genomes has provided the surprising insight that evolution of diversity does not arise by creating large numbers of specialized new genes, but rather by deploying the same set of genes in different ways.

In spring quarter, we will focus on a few case studies that will further build upon the connections among the fields of phylogenetic systematics, genetics, molecular biology, evolutionary ecology and anatomy. For example, we may consider the acquisition of language in Homo sapiens by comparing chimps with humans through studies on the FOXP2 gene, as well as investigating the evolution of different language groups. Students will apply their skills to independent research projects each quarter, which may comprise indoor bench work, field-based projects, analysis of existing datasets or a combination of these approaches.

This yearlong, upper-division science program will have an intensive workload, and students should be prepared to think and hypothesize creatively and rigorously.

The main goal of this intensive program is to generate an exciting artistic learning community in which individuals can use performance to investigate experimental puppet-and-object theater, experimental movement, dance and the interrelationships of these media.

The faculty will support students in developing an experimental approach to their artistic work through workshops and other consultations. Participants will be expected to generate imaginative, collaborative and individual original work by creating scripts or storyboards, composing choreography, researching puppet techniques, constructing, designing and directing puppet productions and participating in performances. Exploration of innovative performance ideas, materials, tools and multidisciplinary techniques will be encouraged. This program will require students to show their work-in-progress weekly and to contribute to supportive and effective weekly critiques.

Through a variety of media and student-initiated field trips, participants will study the experimental work of American and international puppeteers, dancers and performers. Weekly seminars will focus on readings that address theoretical issues about contemporary puppetry, dance, performance and student projects.