Mini-University Session Schedule

In August of 2021, the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine became the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The novel mRNA technology behind this vaccine, as well as the speed at which it had been developed and approved, left many people skeptical that it was indeed safe. However, mRNA vaccines have actually been studied for over 30 years, with foundational laboratory research and animal testing dating back to the early 1990s. This class will explore the science behind mRNA vaccines and the timeline of discoveries that led up to the recent mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.

Faculty Member: Alison Fisher, Professor of Chemistry

Olin 302

Moral Psychology: Studying People's Deepest Values

Moral psychology is a booming subfield of psychology that applies scientific methods to understand people's deepest beliefs, values, and decisions and how they impact living in society. In this introduction to moral psychology, we'll discuss how psychologists can empirically study a phenomenon that seems to vary so much from person to person. We'll also sketch some big questions moral psychologists are probing and initial answers to those questions.

Faculty Member: Caleb Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Social Psychology

Ford 102

The amazing world of Voronoi diagrams

Voronoi diagrams are beautiful geometric patterns that appear all over the natural and human-made world. In this class we'll investigate some geometric properties of Voronoi diagrams, get an introduction to their applications, and explore a gallery of Voronoi patterns I've collected from a surprising number of animals, plants, and academic disciplines.

Faculty Member: Josh Laison, Professor of Mathematic

Ford 201

Seeing the Unseen - Introduction to Advanced Compound Light Microscopy

Biologists estimate that greater than 99% of life on Earth is invisible to the naked eye. Attendees in this course will engage in a comprehensive ‘hands on’ exploration of practical aspects of advanced compound light microscopy including Modes of Transmitted (Bright Field, Dark Field, Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast), and Reflected (Epifluorescence) Light Microscopy in the Department of Biology's Compound Light Microscopy Classroom that will allow them to 'see the unseen'.

Faculty Member: Jason Duncan, Associate Professor of Biology

Olin 104

Making a Mini-AI

We will create a small computer program that can generate text in a small, toy language much the way commercial LLMs like ChatGPT or Gemini create larger text responses.

Faculty Member: Calvin Deutschbein, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Eaton 209

In August of 2021, the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine became the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The novel mRNA technology behind this vaccine, as well as the speed at which it had been developed and approved, left many people skeptical that it was indeed safe. However, mRNA vaccines have actually been studied for over 30 years, with foundational laboratory research and animal testing dating back to the early 1990s. This class will explore the science behind mRNA vaccines and the timeline of discoveries that led up to the recent mRNA vaccines for COVID-19.

Faculty Member: Alison Fisher, Professor of Chemistry

Olin 302

For a Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing: The Young Karl Marx

This class examines the young Karl Marx and his world. After considering the factors that shaped his emergence as a radical thinker and activist, it focuses on his goals in the years before he became a communist.

Faculty Member: Bill Smaldone, Professor of History

Ford 102

The amazing world of Voronoi diagrams

Voronoi diagrams are beautiful geometric patterns that appear all over the natural and human-made world. In this class we'll investigate some geometric properties of Voronoi diagrams, get an introduction to their applications, and explore a gallery of Voronoi patterns I've collected from a surprising number of animals, plants, and academic disciplines.

Faculty Member: Josh Laison, Professor of Mathematic

Ford 201

Seeing the Unseen - Introduction to Advanced Compound Light Microscopy

Biologists estimate that greater than 99% of life on Earth is invisible to the naked eye. Attendees in this course will engage in a comprehensive ‘hands on’ exploration of practical aspects of advanced compound light microscopy including Modes of Transmitted (Bright Field, Dark Field, Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast), and Reflected (Epifluorescence) Light Microscopy in the Department of Biology's Compound Light Microscopy Classroom that will allow them to 'see the unseen'.

Faculty Member: Jason Duncan, Associate Professor of Biology

Olin 104