Research & Teaching

Humans spend a lot of time thinking about the future. In this seminar we will discuss how urban futures were imagined in the past. And how things often turn out in very unexpected ways.

This seminar explores the cultural history of the physical sciences at key moments from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century.  We will immerse ourselves in the cultural, social, and political concerns of diverse historical actors as we ask:  How did the study of natural philosophy gradu

How does your zip code affect your health? What are the social and political consequences to building a dam? How do natural disasters exacerbate racial inequalities?

Even as we recognize that human well-being depends on the natural environment, we are experiencing unprecedented environmental challenges largely as a consequence of unsustainable interactions with nature.

How did people in what is now the United States shape their environment, and how were they shaped by it?  This course examines how humans thought about and used the natural world over the centuries—and the consequences of both use of and thoughts about the nature.

Climate change, urbanization, and conflict mean that global disasters are on the rise.  How should the world respond when disasters force people from their homes?  How can we better help the world’s refugees?  This course examines the past, present, and future of the international humanitarian re

Growing income inequality, poor or declining educational systems, unequal access to affordable health care and the fear of continuing economic distress are putting stress on political systems worldwide and challenging the credibility of business.

This seminar introduces students to the major contributions of the field of science and technology studies (STS) to the understanding of politics and policymaking in democratic societies.

This course explores specific principles from cognitive science that have important implications for instructional approach and curriculum design.