First-Year Honors Seminars

Seminar Instructor: Anne Patterson

Meeting Time: Tu 12:30–1:20 p.m. (15 sessions) 

Through readings, simple drawings, and collage assignments, we will learn how to visualize what we imagine when the written word conjure images. We'll use the book "Invisible Cities," the classic collection of prose poems by Italo Calvino, as a way of seeing cities through a different lens. We will then bring the written word to life through digital and physical collage, and finally through drawing. We will also engage works at the Spencer Museum of Art in order to understand how artists express ideas about cities. The course will end with the creation of our own imaginary cities, both visually and in writing.

Seminar Instructor: Najarian Peters

Meeting Time: W 4–4:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous in most facets of our lives. Our privacy rights and obligations are being impacted in ways that we do not readily recognize. Students will explore the ways in which privacy law, rights and obligations are connected to the emerging technology of AI.

Seminar instructor: Lauren Norman

Meeting time: M 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

Robust stories of the past draw on multiple disciplines, ranging from genetics through history and beyond. How we go about studying the past through the material culture people left behind is where archaeology intersects with these disparate disciplines to image the past. Over the semester, we will investigate how archaeologists create stories about the past by visiting labs, classrooms, and archaeological sites around Lawrence. Examining how, why, and who constructed past stories from material remains allows us to highlight unconscious biases in popular archaeological tales and begin re-telling these stories to achieve a more holistic narrative.

Seminar Instructor: Jennifer Gleason

Meeting Time: F 3–3:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Sleep affects all aspects of human health. Interest in sleep is also pervasive in our culture. In this seminar, we will discuss how sleep works and affects our wellbeing, including how to improve one’s sleep. In addition, we will examine how sleep is represented in music, literature, and visual arts.

Seminar Instructor: Ali Brox

Meeting Time: Th 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

Climate change presents a contemporary crisis that literature, broadly defined, increasingly grapples with — so much so that scholars now refer to “cli-fi,” or literature that examines the impacts of human-caused climate change during the Anthropocene. These impacts will be experienced disproportionately, and the social inequalities that will continue to ensue raise questions about justice and responsibility. In this class, we will examine fiction, nonfiction, and films that offer global perspectives on the climate crisis. We will address debates surrounding ethical human/nonhuman interactions and will reflect on the social and geopolitical conflicts that are heightened by climate change.

Seminar Instructor: Kenneth McRoberts

Meeting Time: F 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This course examines the culture of conspiracy theories in the United States: why otherwise reasonable people fall for them, the harm (and occasionally the good) that they do, and how individuals and society might be able to push back against their spread. The course begins with a survey of historical and contemporary conspiracy theories, such as Flat Earth, QAnon, anti-vaccine hysteria, and the rise and fall and rise again of Alex Jones. Students will then examine leading theories about how people become ensnared in false and failing beliefs, drawing from experts in psychology, communications, and behavioral economics. Finally, students will explore and criticize various models for responding to the spread of conspiracy theories, from individual approaches based on negotiation techniques to large-scale societal strategies, and propose their own approaches as a final project.

Seminar Instructor: Meg Kumin

Meeting Time: W 12–12:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Creativity is more than being artistic; it is about how you think, solve problems, take risks, and make sense of the world around you. It fuels innovation, drives discovery, and sparks change in every field, from science and technology to activism and entrepreneurship. Everyone has creative potential, and it is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and cultivated. This seminar is for students ready to challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and explore new ways of thinking. You will step outside your comfort zone, embrace failure as part of the creative process, and tap into your imagination through hands-on experiences, personal reflection, and real-world problem solving. More than just a class, this is a space to experiment, take risks, and see the world from new perspectives. It is a recess for the mind, a place to think boldly and uncover new possibilities. Are you ready to see the world differently?

Seminar Instructor: Rami Zeedan

Meeting Time: M 3–3:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of the cultural crossroads in Palestine and Israel. We will focus on historical and religious sites in Israel and Palestine as case studies while exploring their significance, symbolism, and impact on the region's culture, identity, and conflicts. Through interdisciplinary approaches, students will analyze the religious narratives, historical contexts, and contemporary implications associated with these sites, fostering critical thinking and dialogue. We will include various social groups: Israelis and Palestinians, as well as Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Bahai. Examples of sites of interest are in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, The Dead Sea, Haifa, and Hittin.

Seminar Instructor: Michele Casavant

Meeting Time: W 2–2:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

Through the examination of science fiction, this course will help you become more critically aware of the society and culture in which you live. By analyzing popular culture, such as film and television, you will gain a better understanding of certain ideologies and beliefs that are experienced and expressed by many Americans. We will try to answer the basic question: Where does science fiction suggestion we are heading? As it creates a future world, what does it tell us about our current situation, our current cultural anxieties, and common inequities? Is a utopian or dystopian world created? Are these worlds truly futuristic, or heavily reliant on contemporary beliefs or stereotypes?

Seminar Instructor: Anne Kretsinger-Harries

Meeting Time: M 4–4:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

In this seminar, students will explore forms of rhetoric — the use of language and other symbols to persuade or influence audiences — that tend toward deceit, fear, control, and demagoguery. We will examine historical and contemporary examples of disinformation, propaganda, and deception, and along the way we will ask: How have these forms evolved over time? What are the enduring rhetorical strategies? At what point does rhetoric become unethical, and how can we spot it?

Seminar Instructor: Paul Touyz

Meeting Time: M 1–1:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

In this course we will explore historical, political, and philosophical aspects of the trial and execution of Socrates, as well as the lasting influence of his death up to the present. Today, Socrates is regularly presented as the father of philosophy and the champion of free inquiry and speech. His trial and execution by the democracy of Athens is often framed, therefore, as a violent attempt to suppress free thought. We will try to situate Socrates' death at a moment of bloody and revolutionary upheaval and consider what we can take away today from the events of more the 2000 years ago about pressing topics including free speech, political partisanship, celebrity, social control, and moral accountability.  

Seminar Instructor: Mikhail Barybin

Meeting Time: M 4–4:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Learning solely within disciplinary matrices may not only hinders creativity but also biases students against being fully objective when it comes to judging existing paradigms. In this seminar, we will consider chemistry and music as platforms for examining intersectionality between the sciences and the arts. A teaser: "Where music has its octave, chemistry has its octet." Appreciating the parallelism between chemistry and music facilitates understanding of both subjects. These two seemingly orthogonal disciplines have strikingly common mathematical roots. Anyone is welcome to join the seminar, including honors freshmen contemplating a chemistry-related major or minor who happen to be music enthusiasts (broadly defined, no familiarity with music theory or composition is expected at all). Join us in reflecting on some key concepts in chemistry and all that jazz!

Seminar Instructor: Christopher Beard

Meeting Time: Th 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Extinction has been a constant theme over the nearly four billion years of life on Earth, and most of the species that have ever lived are now extinct. The extinction of a species is analogous to the death of an individual, and both are entirely natural processes. However, the Anthropocene has wrought one of the largest mass extinction events ever seen, threatening severe reductions in Earth's biodiversity. This seminar traces the history of extinction as a concept and as an evolutionary process. We will briefly examine extinctions in the fossil record and make connections with anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity today. We will pay special attention to biodiversity "hotspots" on islands as natural laboratories for studying extinction. We will also examine the philosophical relationship between anthropogenically mediated extinction and the intersection between human rights and animal rights.

Seminar Instructor: Benjamin Chappell

Meeting Time: Tu 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar will explore fascism as a major focus of modern critical theory and social activism. Instead of approaching fascism as a category limited to specific historical regimes, we will consider it as a distinctive style of exercising power. This approach emphasizes analyzing the cultural dynamics and logics of power as opposed to sorting societies into clearcut columns of fascist or non-fascist. Students will be introduced to a range of thinkers who attempted to theorize the ascendence of fascism in Europe in the 20th century, as well as specific examples — including from U.S. history — of people organizing resistance to power structures they understood to be fascist.

Seminar Instructor: Melinda Lewis

Meeting Time: Tu 3:30–4:20 p.m. (15 sessions)

In this seminar, students will examine emotional impacts of climate change, the role emotions play in shaping human responses to the climate crisis, and emotional practices that contribute to well-being in the age of global warming. This seminar is neither an environmental science course nor an introduction to professional psychology but instead informed by macro social work, which builds on and moves through emotionally resonant relationships toward social action. Students are encouraged to bring their full selves to the course, where we will endeavor to cultivate the feelings we want to carry forward into the uncertain future. Through interactions with each other, scientific literature, and the work of leaders in the burgeoning field of climate emotions, students will develop insights about their own emotional responses, forge relationships that can foster emotional resilience, and experiment with practices that care for self and community as crucial components of creating healthier environments.

Seminar Instructors: Steven Freedman and Georgina White

Meeting Time: M 4–4:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Heroes come in many forms. Some seek it out, some have it happen to them. Some are famous, some are barely known. Some are real, some are fictional. This seminar covers heroes like Oscar Romero, Malala Yousafzai, Raoul Wallenberg, Nelson Mandela, Bob Dole, Wangari Maathai and yes, Taylor Swift and Iron Man, who have changed lives and even the world. Drawing on a mix of media and written resources, we will build a profile of heroism through the ages and across cultures. The class will culminate with each student identifying and evaluating a hero from our times.

Seminar Instructor: Elizabeth MacGonagle

Meeting Time: Tu 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar explores how history and memory influence our identities and self-conceptions in ways that complicate and simplify our world. We will think about memory from various perspectives that include historical memory, public memory, collective memory, and individual memory. We will consider sites of memory, the work of artists, and the role of memorials, monuments, and commemorations. Much of our discussion will focus on how we choose to remember and forget the past and what the implications of forgetting and remembrance might be for history, politics, and culture in our global society.

Seminar Instructor: Bruce Hayes

Meeting Time: W 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

As recent examples such as Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer” illustrate, humor can be divisive and offensive. Debates surrounding comedy and humor point to underlying cultural assumptions and values. Using theories on humor to help guide our discussions, this seminar will take a deep dive into French humor and comedy from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This will allow students to compare their own values and cultural assumptions with those from another country and from different historical periods. An important question we will examine is the following: What is it about humor that rankles and disturbs, troubles and problematizes (or pokes fun at) the status quo? What is it about humor can leave people feeling uncomfortable? These and other questions will inform our discussions throughout the seminar.

Seminar Instructor: Ward Lyles and Emily Ryan

Meeting Time: W 10–10:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

What makes a place livable? This seminar will use Lawrence as a laboratory to explore answers to this question. We will learn about local businesses, educational institutions, government programs, and non-profit organizations working to enhance the experience of getting familiar with your new community. We'll have opportunities to experience books, beverages, bike trails, baked goods, birding spots, bands, and more, in addition to good company. Our local explorations will help us understand how to create communities that are compassionate, equitable, and sustainable. Guest speakers, field trips, and group discussions will empower students to get engaged on and beyond campus.

Seminar Instructor: Karl Brooks

Meeting Time: W 1–1:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This course will introduce honors students to primary source writings on leadership by the framers who built American government (Madison, Washington, Adams, Rush) and later freedom fighters who led campaigns to "extend the blessings of liberty" to their fellow Americans (Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, suffrage activist Alice Paul, workers' campaigner Cesar Chavez, LBGT campaigner Harvey Milk). The use of KU Libraries' and Watkins Museum's original sources will enrich coursework, while participation in Dole Institute of Politics programming will offer hands-on democracy leadership experiences. 
 

Seminar Instructor: Megan Kaminski

Meeting Time: W 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the ways that place, specifically our local ecosystem, calls us into relationships of care for land, community, and self — and the ways that those connections can reach across political and cultural differences. We will explore our local ecologies through field study and experiential learning and connect what we learn to larger environmental issues, including local and global challenges. Creative and contemplative practices will also help us connect to our shared ecosystem as a source of knowledge and inspiration for strategies to live in the world, to navigate uncertainty — and to align our studies at the university with our individual values, experiences, and hopes to help envision and create the futures we long for.

Seminar Instructor: Zarko Boskovic

Meeting Time: F 10–10:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar prompts students to consider the world around them as a "mixture." First comes seeing: Isolating an object from an environment and observing its characteristics through a microscope. Then, we separate light into wavelengths, use filters and polarizers, and record the spectrum of the Sun. Next come the sound and frequency analysis, separating the complex audio signal into simple components. Perception of smells is augmented with the gas chromatography analysis of smelly samples. Students see themselves as genetic mixtures and analyze their mutation status. Discussions frequently spontaneously develop about societies as cultural mixtures, invasive new technologies, etc.

Seminar Instructor: Paul Scott

Meeting Time: W 11–11:50 a.m. (10 sessions)

Monsters are part of the fabric of our lives. There is no culture, tribe, or society without its monsters. This class delves into the notion of monstrosity and what constitutes a monster, looking at imagined monsters (horror), fictionalized versions of human monsters (the serial killer and Mafia boss), supernatural monsters (zombies), and possible monsters (extraterrestrials) across a range of media (TV, movies, literature). Particular emphasis will be paid to the deep subversive potential of monsters to challenge the status quo and prevailing attitudes to gender, sexuality, and authority. As well, we’ll discuss the differences and convergences to be found between different cultures. We will analyze some recent reconfigurations of monsters, such as rational zombies, sympathetic serial killers, and friendly aliens, and unpack their meanings. Another important factor will be the consideration of what is humanity, what defines humanness, and why monsters matter.

Seminar Instructor: Celka Straughn

Meeting Time: F 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

How do museums respond to changing climates and develop resilience strategies? This course explores local and global museum approaches to climate awareness, adaptability, advocacy, and action. As sources for information, education, and research, museums contribute to conversations, understanding, engagement, and experimentation. As community partners, museums contribute to advancing initiatives, building infrastructure, and inspiring new practices. Class sessions will include site visits to campus museums and other cultural organizations.

Seminar Instructor: Tim Hossler

Meeting Time: Tu 12:30–1:20 p.m. (15 sessions)

Through readings, discussions, chats with guests, image analyzation, and simple photo-making assignments, we will look at the role images play in society and culture. Our course will begin with reading "On Photography," the classic collection of essays by cultural critic Susan Sontag, and continue by examining the ubiquitous world of digital photography. Who should consider this seminar? This course is open to everyone. As one of the required texts states: "Photography changes everything, it changes what we want, what we see, who we are, what we do, where we go, and what we remember." This course is not about becoming a photographer, it is about how photographs affect all of us.

Seminar Instructor: Sarah Herring

Meeting Time: Th 3:30–4:20 p.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar will look at attitudes to the body from ancient Greece and Rome, exploring how Greco-Roman ideals of bodily perfection and health have influenced the modern beauty and wellness culture in the Western world. We will use a wide variety of sources in our discussions and class activities including literary evidence, ancient art and material culture, historical sources, and photographic media. Topics will include masculinity and the body, disability and bodily normativity, performed and fictive bodies, queer bodies, gender-fluid bodies, mechanized and prosthetic bodies. We will use critical theories as lenses to inform our analysis of bodily representations and to trace the impact of ancient Greek and Roman ideals of the body on modern culture. By applying these theories, such as queer theory, to the ancient body, we defamiliarize ourselves from previously held beliefs, assumptions and traditions, opening up new avenues for discovery and interpretation. 

Seminar Instructor: Kyle Camarda

Meeting Time: M 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar will explore the benefits and risks associated with nuclear power generation. Societal viewpoints and geopolitical issues surrounding the choice to include nuclear sources within an energy generation portfolio will also be considered.

Seminar Instructor: Dave Tell

Meeting Time: Th 12:30–1:20 p.m. (15 sessions)

This course explores the age-old question of power and memory: Who gets to say what the past means? Public memorials are not about what happened in the past; they are about the people who hold power in the present. Why else would the American landscape — not to mention the KU campus — be dotted with memorials and monuments around every corner? If we are indeed living in a society afflicted by a "memorial mani,” as Erika Doss suggests, this mania is driven by a widely felt conviction that the past offers an unmatched source of political and cultural power. 

Seminar Instructor: Kristin Pedersen

Meeting Time: M 1–1:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

This course will explore how disability and ableism manifest in the helping professions, and how sometimes our desire to help others may not be helpful at all. Students will learn about the history and models of disability, how ableism shows up in educational and health care practices, and the barriers within helping professions and systems. We'll seek to reframe how we view disability, moving from a medical model where there are problems to solve or fix to a social model where we focus on removing barriers to participation and inclusion. Learning through the lived experiences of disabled individuals and helping professionals, as well as using case studies and field experiences, we'll seek to better understand and solve real life challenges in health care and education. 

Seminar Instructor: Ray Mizumura-Pence

Meeting Time: M 3–3:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Whether and how we remember certain events and people says so much about who we are and what kind of culture we have. This seminar is an immersive, role-playing learning opportunity that will explore the implications of these truths. Our focus is the Washington, D.C. memorial wall honoring veterans of the U.S. war in Vietnam. Dedicated late in 1982, the wall triggered controversy. In the seminar, we will explore debates over the wall's design and messages, recreating this pivotal, painful moment in U.S. and Vietnamese history via "hands-on" activities that involve students in various ways. Though our seminar addresses a specific historical moment, the learning we'll do speaks to larger issues and truths about the significance of memory, community, trauma, and healing in public history and culture.

Seminar Instructor: Tracey LaPierre

Meeting Time: Tu 3:30–4:20 a.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar explores the profound impact of social relationships on well-being. Drawing from sociology and public health research, we examine how meaningful connections function as "medicine" for both individuals and communities. We'll investigate the structural factors (e.g. institutional arrangements, built environment, social norms and policies) that enable or inhibit these vital connections across diverse populations. The course contrasts protective social factors with contemporary "social determinants of disease" such as loneliness, which is now recognized as a public health crisis. Emphasizing practical applications, students will evaluate interventions at multiple levels, such as neighborhood designs that foster interaction, workplace policies that build community, and campus initiatives to cultivate social connections among college students.

Seminar Instructor: Brian Donovan

Meeting Time: M 10–10:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

This seminar uses the life and career of Taylor Swift as a mirrorball to reflect on large-scale processes like the culture industry, celebrity and fandom, and the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in contemporary American life. We will explore several core topics within cultural sociology, including the construction of authenticity, symbolic boundaries and gatekeeping, fandom and fan labor, and celebrity politics. We will also use recent controversies and legal conflicts involving Swift to examine questions about intellectual property, copyright, and the economics of creative industries. This seminar is organized into thirteen topic areas that roughly match Swift's career from a breakout country music superstar to her 2023-24 Eras Tour.

Seminar Instructor: Mohammad Reza Dastmalchi

Meeting Time: Tu 11–11:50 a.m. (10 sessions)

The seminar will immerse students into the world of virtual reality (VR) and allow them to explore different VR apps in entertainment and education through a series of hands-on activities. One of the primary focuses of this seminar is to teach about the strengths, challenges, and the use cases of this technology in different disciplines. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical experiences, students will delve into the critical aspects of VR app design and development, understand its role in creative integration, and harness VR as a powerful tool for education and entertainment. Engaging with professionals from the industry and collaborating on projects, students will not only gain a deep understanding of VR but also develop a prototype tailored for gaming or educational purposes, embodying the seminar's commitment to active learning and innovation.

Seminar Instructor: J. Christopher Brown

Meeting Time: W 9–9:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

We humans are animals, and food is a basic human need. We are bombarded every day with ads and news about the food we consume, how it affects our health, the environment, and those who produce our food. It's a lot to keep track of if we are trying to consume in a way that is better for us and the earth, in places near and far. This seminar will provide you with a geographic framework for understanding your own consumption, and you'll learn about and practice some ways of helping others think geographically about food to create a better world. Take this seminar if you want to learn how natural science, social science, and humanities approaches are all needed to answer questions about food and sustainability. 

Seminar Instructors: Tracey LaPierre

Meeting Time: M 11–11:50 a.m. (15 sessions)

Human rights are an ever-growing concern across the globe. This course is designed to explore some of the ways that our local community is working to address these issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Students will meet and discuss topics with organizational leaders, visit on-site locations, and propose ways to help improve human rights through a variety of discussions and projects. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand that it's all connected, and so are we.

This seminar serves as an introduction to the University Honors Program, and to the research opportunities and other academic resources available at the University of Kansas. This seminar fosters the transfer students' oral and written communication and the critical assessment of their academic and pre-professional goals. The instructor of the student's seminar also serves as the student's honors mentor. Open only to transfer students in the University Honors Program.

Seminar Instructors: Sarah Crawford-Parker

Meeting Time: Tu 3–3:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Human rights are an ever-growing concern across the globe. This course is designed to explore some of the ways that our local community is working to address these issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Students will meet and discuss topics with organizational leaders, visit on-site locations, and propose ways to help improve human rights through a variety of discussions and projects. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand that it's all connected, and so are we.

This seminar serves as an introduction to the University Honors Program, and to the research opportunities and other academic resources available at the University of Kansas. This seminar fosters the transfer students' oral and written communication and the critical assessment of their academic and pre-professional goals. The instructor of the student's seminar also serves as the student's honors mentor. Open only to transfer students in the University Honors Program.

Seminar Instructors: Najarian Peters

Meeting Time: W 2–2:50 p.m. (15 sessions)

Human rights are an ever-growing concern across the globe. This course is designed to explore some of the ways that our local community is working to address these issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Students will meet and discuss topics with organizational leaders, visit on-site locations, and propose ways to help improve human rights through a variety of discussions and projects. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand that it's all connected, and so are we.

This seminar serves as an introduction to the University Honors Program, and to the research opportunities and other academic resources available at the University of Kansas. This seminar fosters the transfer students' oral and written communication and the critical assessment of their academic and pre-professional goals. The instructor of the student's seminar also serves as the student's honors mentor. Open only to transfer students in the University Honors Program.

Seminar Instructors: Elizabeth MacGonagle

Meeting Time: Th 2:30–3:20 p.m. (15 sessions)

Human rights are an ever-growing concern across the globe. This course is designed to explore some of the ways that our local community is working to address these issues through an interdisciplinary lens. Students will meet and discuss topics with organizational leaders, visit on-site locations, and propose ways to help improve human rights through a variety of discussions and projects. At the conclusion of this course, students will understand that it's all connected, and so are we.

This seminar serves as an introduction to the University Honors Program, and to the research opportunities and other academic resources available at the University of Kansas. This seminar fosters the transfer students' oral and written communication and the critical assessment of their academic and pre-professional goals. The instructor of the student's seminar also serves as the student's honors mentor. Open only to transfer students in the University Honors Program.