[bioundgrd] ESG Spring 2012 undergraduate seminars - open to all students

[Janice Chang]

>From: Holly B Sweet <hbsweet at MIT.EDU>
>Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:33:00 -0500
>Subject: Corrected copy for ug seminars for Spring 2012
>
>
>
>Spring 2012 Undergraduate Seminars sponsored by 
>ESG.  All seminars are 6 pass/fail units and 
>open to all MIT and Wellesley students
>These seminars are designed to be highly 
>interactive, hands-on, and based on material not 
>typically found in standard MIT classes. For 
>more information about each seminar, contact the 
>instructors.
>
>
>ES.010 Chemistry of Sports: Understanding How 
>Exercise Affects Your Body Chemistry
>Instructors: Dr. Patti Christie 
>(<mailto:patti at mit.edu>patti at mit.edu)  & Steve 
>Lyons
>Time: Wednesdays 3-5 p.m. plus additional workout sessions TBA
>Location: 24-619
>This seminar is an exciting way for students to 
>study and apply chemistry knowledge to the 
>improvement of their biological systems. We will 
>be focusing on three sports (swimming, cycling 
>and running), with a slight emphasis on running. 
>There will be both a classroom and laboratory 
>component to the seminar. The classroom 
>component will introduce the students to the 
>chemistry of their own biological systems. We 
>will look at nutrition (to understand how to 
>fuel and rebuild your body), anatomy and 
>physiology (to better build your system), and 
>how the body can be improved (or hurt) through 
>physical activities. We will examine the 
>chemistry of sports equipment including swimming 
>(wetsuit and swimsuit manufacture), bicycling 
>(including a field trip to a bicycle shop), and 
>running (how running shoes are manufactured). We 
>will also look at ways your body deals with 
>exercise through building up and repair of 
>muscles, improvement in lung and cardiovascular 
>capacity, the chemistry of supplements and their 
>effectiveness, and how we can use this knowledge 
>to improve our physical fitness.  The two 
>components to the laboratory portion of the 
>class are the running study and training for and 
>completing a triathlon. The students can earn up 
>to 2 PE points during the term if they attend 
>the supervised Triathlon training workouts. The 
>students can also earn some PE points by 
>completing the Mooseman Triathlon in NH in early 
>June. Upon completion of the running study, 
>participants will own a new pair of Newton 
>running shoes and a heart rate monitor. This 
>seminar is open to all MIT students.
>Dr. Patti Christie is Department Head of 
>Chemistry and Biology at ESG. She has been 
>teaching at ESG since 1995 (full-time since 
>1999) and is the designer of the Kitchen 
>Chemistry seminar. Patti is the course 
>coordinator for both 5.111 and 5.112 and is very 
>familiar with the Chemistry GIRs. She also helps 
>run the MIT Masters swimming program at the Z 
>center pool. Patti graduated from the MIT 
>chemistry department with a Ph.D. in Biological 
>Chemistry in 1996. She worked in a 
>cardiovascular laboratory in the Biology 
>Department from 1996 to 2005, where she helped 
>develop and study a mouse with a predisposition 
>for heart attacks.
>Steve Lyons has been involved in the sport of 
>triathlon for 18 years. He is a former member of 
>the US National Team and a veteran of 13Ironman 
>races including the world championships in Kona, 
>Hawaii. After helping out with the seminar last 
>spring, he placed second in his age division in 
>the Olympic Distance Los Angles triathlon, 
>September, 2007. He is a successful lawyer in 
>civil and criminal litigation and a partner in 
>the Boston firm of KSL & G Assigned Readings.
>ES.S10 Fiber Seminar
>Instructor: Debra Slocum (<mailto:dslocum at mac.com>dslocum at mac.com)
>Time:  Thursdays 3-5
>Location:  24-618
>
>Ever wondered how your clothes were made or what 
>they are made of?   New England is full of 
>cities and towns where textiles where the major 
>product for many years, where in fact, advances 
>in textile machinery became the driving engine 
>for the transition from an agricultural economy 
>to and industrial economy.  We will look at 
>fibers, where they come from, how they are 
>processed, and why different fibers are used for 
>certain processes.  We will also look at the 
>history of fiber processing.  Then we will 
>actually take raw fibers and process them into 
>yarn and either weave or knit them into 
>something fun and useful.
>
>Debra Slocum received the MS in Electrical 
>Engineering from MIT in 1989.  Her background is 
>in robotics and control systems and she is 
>currently the head coach for a FIRST robotics 
>team in Concord, NH.  However, she has been 
>spinning, knitting, crocheting and working with 
>fibers for over 30 years.
>ES.S11 Chemistry Related to You
>Instructors:  Prof. John Essigmann 
>(<mailto:jessig at mit.edu>jessig at mit.edu), Dr. 
>Patti Christie 
>(<mailto:patti at mit.edu>patti at mit.edu) & George 
>Zaidan
>Time: Tuesdays 3-5
>Location:  24-619
>
>Every student at MIT takes a GIR class in 
>chemistry, usually during their first year.  We 
>would like to make this chemistry class as 
>relevant as possible to first-year students. 
>This seminar will introduce the participant to 
>the methodology of educational research and the 
>processes used in course design; the project has 
>the potential to become a paid summer project 
>for interested students.  The goals of the 
>seminar are:
>·         Determine which concepts in 
>5.111/5.112 are the hardest to understand.
>·         Do literature and internet searches on 
>those topics to see how they are taught 
>elsewhere.
>·         Work with the team to produce 
>innovative educational modules for each of the 
>concepts identified above.
>·         Design, write and produce a concise 
>report on how to make those concepts better 
>taught at MIT.
>·         Write problem sets that make the 
>concepts relevant to your potential major here 
>at MIT.
>
>John Essigmann is an MIT professor of Chemistry, 
>Biological Engineering and Toxicology.  His work 
>involves using custom designed building blocks 
>of DNA as probes to help understand how genetic 
>change happens.  The practical aspects of his 
>work deal with blocking the initiation of 
>cancer, and putting pathogenic viruses into a 
>state of fast-forward evolution, leading to 
>their extinction in the host.
>
>
>  ES.S20 Polymathy: The World in 10 Curves
>Instructor:  Visiting Lecturer Charles Fadel 
>(<mailto:charlesfadel at gmail.com>charlesfadel at gmail.com), 
> MIT alumna Nadezhda Belova 
>(<mailto:nadezhda at alum.mit.edu>nadezhda at alum.mit.edu)
>Time: Wednesdays 7-9 p.m.
>Location: 24-619
>Feed your inner DaVinci by exploring the range 
>of human disciplines from philosophy to physics, 
>from anthropology to zoology. By focusing on ten 
>curves (from hyperbolic to sigmoid to cusp etc), 
>you will explore how phenomena represented by 
>the curves can be found in all walks of life and 
>disciplines-not only scientific and technical 
>fields, but in the social science and humanities 
>as well (e.g. philosophy, history, law, art, 
>music, etc). By the end of the course, you will 
>have gained a keener understanding of the 
>*concepts* behind the curves. You will construct 
>your knowledge through exploration and 
>synthesis. In doing so, you will co-create an 
>innovative example of how to teach polymathy, 
>practice project-based learning (very little 
>lecturing) and skills such as collaboration, and 
>design the course materials, video and 
>book/e-book for the next generation.
>
>Charles Fadel is a visiting scholar at Harvard, 
>MIT, and Wharton/U. Penn; senior fellow, human 
>capital at The Conference Board; co-author of a 
>best-selling book 21st Century Skills; and an 
>angel investor. He was formerly Global Education 
>Lead at Cisco Systems.  He holds a BSEE and an 
>MBA and has been awarded five patents.
>
>ES.S41 Speak ItalianŠwith your mouth full
>Instructor:  Dr. Paola Rebusco (<mailto:pao at mit.edu>pao at mit.edu)
>Time: Thursdays 7-9 p.m.
>Location:  24-619
>
>The participants to this seminar will dive in 
>the Mediterranean diet while learning basic 
>conversational Italian. For the past 50 years 
>scientists have studied the benefits of the 
>Mediterranean diet, but a good diet is not based 
>on recipes only, it is also rooted in healthy 
>habits and in culture. On the other hand it is 
>well known that language immersion courses are 
>more effective and lasting than traditional 
>language courses. Each class is based on the 
>preparation of a delicious dish and on the 
>bite-sized acquisition of parts of the Italian 
>language and culture. At the end of the seminar 
>the participants will be able to cook some 
>healthy and tasty recipes in their dorm and to 
>understand and speak basic Italian.
>
>Paola Rebusco is a native Italian, who among 
>other things worked as a cook on a sailing boat. 
>She earned her master in theoretical physics at 
>the University of Trieste (Italy) and received 
>her Ph.D. in Astronomy from the Ludwig 
>Maximillian University (Munich, Germany). She 
>came to MIT as a Pappalardo Postdoctoral Fellow 
>and is now teaching Physics at ESG. Paola is 
>also interested in how specialized knowledge is 
>made publicly accessible. She is member of the 
>European Southern Observatory Outreach Network 
>and is a commentator upon scientific news for 
>the Italian radio program Moebius.
>
>ES.S60 The Art and Science of Happiness
>Instructor: Dr. Holly Sweet (<mailto:hbsweet at mit.edu>hbsweet at mit.edu)
>Time: Mondays 3-5 p.m.
>Location: 24-619
>
>In the seminar we will look at current theories 
>on happiness and positive psychology as well as 
>practical implications of those theories for our 
>own lives. We will explore the concept of 
>happiness, different cultural definitions of 
>happiness, and the connection between happiness, 
>optimism, and meaning. Time will be spent on 
>sources of unhappiness particularly applicable 
>to undergraduates (such as academic failure and 
>social rejection) and how to help turn those 
>crises into opportunities for growth. Weekly 
>class discussions will be supplemented with 
>speakers, movie clips, in-class exercises, and 
>student presentations on a topic of their 
>choosing. Readings will include excerpts from 
>The Art of Happiness, Stumbling into Happiness, 
>The Geography of Bliss, and Learned Optimism.
>Holly Sweet is Associate Director of ESG and a 
>licensed psychologist in private practice in the 
>Brookline MA area.  She has taught experiential 
>seminars at MIT for the past 30 years, winning 
>the MIT Sizer award in 1997 for a seminar she 
>team-taught with Dr. Lee Perlman on sex roles 
>and relationships.  She is the editor of Gender 
>in the Therapy Hour and a co-author of A 
>Creative Guide to Exploring Your Life (based on 
>a seminar she taught at MIT with ESG colleague 
>Graham Ramsay). She tries to keep her happiness 
>quotient high by staying connected to friends 
>and family, as well as skiing, hiking, and 
>biking whenever she can.
>ES.S61 Introduction to Trading
>Instructors:  Kanjun Qiu 
>(<mailto:kanjun at mit.edu>kanjun at mit.edu), Di Wu, 
>Ted Hilk & Thiago Vieria
>Time: Mondays 7-9 p.m.
>Location:  4-145
>Faculty supervisor:  Professor Alex Slocum
>
>The goal of this seminar is to teach students 
>trading fundamentals and strategies not commonly 
>taught in business or finance classes. Our class 
>will help prepare students for future full-time 
>jobs and internships. At the end of the term, 
>students will be able to understand the basics 
>of trading and exchanges, discuss markets 
>fluently, generate models using Excel, and, most 
>importantly, are able to create their own 
>trading strategies.
>Kanjun Qiu '12 (Course 6) is primarily 
>interested in high-frequency trading. She has 
>worked on strategy development with electronic 
>trading groups at various firms including J.P. 
>Morgan, Gelber Group, and Allston Trading. 
>Kanjun has been president of Traders at MIT for the 
>past two years, and is also involved in the 
>Sloan Trading Room Taskforce.
>Di Wu '12 (Courses 15 & 18), class has 
>experience working in many different types of 
>firms, including a hedge fund, a bank, and a 
>proprietary trading firm. He has worked with and 
>traded a variety of asset classes, with specific 
>focuses on cash equity arbitrage, equity 
>options, and fixed income products. After 
>graduation, he will be working at IMC Financial 
>Markets in electronic options market-making.
>Ted Hilk '13 (Courses 6 and 18) interned in 
>algorithmic trading at Tower Research Capital 
>last summer and worked as a research analyst at 
>Weiss Asset Management throughout sophomore 
>year.  In addition to Traders at MIT, Ted is 
>involved in various other trading- and 
>non-trading-related student groups and conducts 
>independent research in quantitative finance.
>Thiago Vieira '13 (Courses 6 and 8) is 
>interested in foreign currency exchange and 
>emerging markets.  Previously, he has worked as 
>a research assistant to Economist Professor 
>Autor studying rent control in Cambridge, and a 
>renewable energy market analyst for Altran 
>Management.  
>ES.S70: More than a Website: Creating Your Own Dynamic Brand on the Interweb
>Instructor: Graham Ramsay (<mailto:ramsay at mit.edu>ramsay at mit.edu)
>Time: Tuesdays 7-9 p.m.
>Location: 24-618
>How can each of us use technology to our 
>advantage when looking to apply to graduate 
>school, get the ideal job, internship, or 
>consulting gig? How can we use the web most 
>effectively to promote that great idea for a 
>startup, help get the capital we need, or 
>promote our products and services? This seminar 
>addresses the many facets of presenting oneself 
>and one's ideas to the greatest effect using a 
>wide variety of tools currently available to 
>create an effective, targeted web presence. 
>Through guided in-class discussion, case study, 
>and hands-on exercises this class will explore 
>how to make a dynamic multi-faceted website that 
>presents your best face to the world.
>Graham Gordon Ramsay works as both professional 
>photographer and musician in the greater Boston 
>area, and is a part-time administrator for the 
>MIT Experimental Study Group.  As photographer, 
>his work has appeared in national and 
>international publications including the 
>Atlantic Monthly, Time Magazine, and Figaro 
>Magazine (France).  As a musician, he is a 
>regularly commissioned composer whose works are 
>performed regularly in the US and abroad.  His 
>CD "The Sacred Voice," a compilation of many of 
>his choral works, was released by Albany Records 
>in 2011.  He has been teaching classes as 
>instructor photography since 1990 at the MIT 
>Student Art Association, and has developed and 
>taught numerous seminars through the 
>Experimental Study Group since 2003.  Based on 
>one such seminar, he co-authored the book A 
>Creative Guide to Exploring Your Life with Dr. 
>Holly Sweet.
>
>ES.S71 Making a Difference: Humanitarian Success
>Instructor: Sally Susnowitz (<mailto:susnowitz at mit.edu>susnowitz at mit.edu)
>Time: Thursdays 3-5 p.m.
>Location: 24-619
>
>What makes humanitarian initiatives work? We'll 
>examine some successes in order to understand 
>the challenges and opportunities that shape 
>them. Students will also develop humanitarian 
>projects of their own. Students can decide on 
>specific topics (such as global health 
>initiatives), and guest speakers will add their 
>perspectives and experiences to the class 
>discussions. Students will work in teams to 
>develop and refine project ideas. We'll also do 
>short presentations, write plans and proposals, 
>and conduct some interviews to learn about MIT 
>resources and faculty and staff experiences. 
>Readings will include excerpts from A Chance to 
>Make History, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Three 
>Cups of Tea, and articles from relevant 
>publications.
>
>Sally Susnowitz is Director of the MIT Public 
>Service Center and an Assistant Dean in Student 
>Life.  As a lifelong volunteer and educator, she 
>has gained interesting perspectives on public 
>service enterprises, and she has also co-founded 
>a few, including the IDEAS Global Challenge.
>
>
>
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