The Department of Biological Sciences is expanding our offerings at 91²Ö¿â's Summer Florence Institute. For more information, visit the Florence Summer Institute web site.
In summer 2016, we are offering:
- BSCI 30156 Elements of Genetics
- BSCI 40163 Evolution
- BSCI 40195/GEOG 41195/ARCH 46995/GEOL 41695: The City of Florence: Achieving Balance Between Architecture and Ecology
Description: Humans interact with their environment in a variety of ways while at the same time depending on the environment to meet their needs for drinking water, recreation, healthy air, etc. Humankind builds to provide shelter, create products, provide transportation, etc. When human populations are dense, predominant land use becomes urban. Design and construction of buildings, pathways, and public spaces impact the natural environment and create unique ecological interactions. In this course, we will consider the ecology and design of the urban environment. We will cover a range of topics from urban setting biological diversity to green infrastructure. Each week will feature field trips to important sites that illustrate the underlying science and design. These topics will be considered in the context of the urban fabric and landscape of Florence, Italy. The historic center of this ancient city was built centuries before our current ideas of sustainability and is at the heart of a highly populated metropolitan area with over 1.5 million inhabitants. The Tuscany region where Florence is located includes significant agricultural activities and agritourism.
- BSCI 40195 Feasts and Plagues: the Science of Italian Food, Wine and Disease
Description: Over the centuries, human health has been challenged by infectious agents from the Black Death to the modern day Ebola virus while at the same time we rely on microbes to produce beer, wine, bread, and other foods. In this unique course, we will explore causes and consequences of pandemics, plagues and other earth shattering diseases. At the other end of the spectrum, we will consider the biology that yields wine, bread and beer and biological processes used in vinegar and cheese making. Lastly, we will bring the elements of disease and food production together to explore emerging concerns about food safety and contamination. This course will feature hands on activities, tastings, field trips and a chance to put your explorations of Florence and other locations you visit while in Europe to good use as you consider the process by which food and beverages make their way to our tables and the historically impacts of disease.