Current Projects

Building a Constructive Culture
Centering Africa in Diaspora: Introduction to Black Studies
Mapping Controversies: Preparing scientists and engineers for a complex world
On the Shoulders of Giants: Reexamining the pre-Modern Roots of the Modern World
6.002 iLab
The Supernatural in Culture, Literature and Music

The Call for Preliminary Proposals in Fall 2007 did not delineate particular target areas as was done the prior two years, but rather encouraged a wider spectrum of creative and innovative proposals. While keeping in mind the recommendations of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons and the student first-year experience, proposals were encouraged for experimental subjects and other types of educational experiences that illuminate best practices for interdisciplinary learning or that build on the distinctive potential of MIT’s faculty. We were particularly fortunate this year that three of the final d’Arbeloff proposals were funded through the Provost’s office by the Class of 1960 Endowment Fund for Innovation in Education. Those projects are noted below.

Building a Constructive Culture

Natalie Kuldell, Ken Oye, Randy Rettberg

This subject, first taught in Spring, 2008, is a project-based introduction to biological engineering designed for lst-year undergraduates. Future biological engineers will need a strong foundation in the life sciences in order to analyze and understand existing living systems. Equally essential is the ability to use methods that enable the reliable design and construction of engineered biological systems that behave as expected. Students who are learning how to engineer life must be aware of the promises and challenges posed by such work. This new subject will motivate students to master discipline-specific knowledge in context and apply their energies to solve a personally compelling design challenge.

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Centering Africa in Diaspora: Introduction to Black Studies

Sandy Alexandre, Alisa Braithwaite, Christopher Capozzola, Thomas DeFrantz, Michel de Graff, Erica James, Helen Elaine Lee

Constructed as an interdisciplinary survey, this interdisciplinary SHASS freshman experience will explore experiences of people of African descent in diaspora through overlapping disciplinary approaches including history, linguistics, literature, anthropology, legal studies, media studies, performance, and creative writing. Connections will be drawn between African American experiences and other minoritarian American social, political and cultural histories.

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Mapping Controversies: Preparing scientists and engineers for a complex world

Vincent-Antonin Lepinay

Being an engineer or scientist now requires a deep understanding of the political and social dimensions of science and technology. Mapping Controversies seeks to introduce students to the uncertain universe of scientific and technical research. The goal is to learn how to account for and to map techno-scientific controversies which are: rife with uncertainties and dilemmas; objects of advanced technical expertise; simultaneously entangled with legal, moral, economic and social questions. The course develops aptitudes for qualitative investigation that are complementary to the capacities of formalization, modeling, analysis and calculation required in other subjects. Above all, it teaches that science and engineering are contested terrains in which it is crucial to understand stakes, resources, alliances and varied scientific cultures to engineer new diplomatic solutions. Funded by Class of 1960.

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On the Shoulders of Giants: Reexamining the pre-Modern Roots of the Modern World

Anne McCants, Arthur Bahr, William Broadhead, Sally Haslanger, Rae Langton, Steve Ostrow

On the Shoulder of Giants proposes developing a new integrated domain of study at MIT that explores the contributions of classical forebears on the present and how their contributions to knowledge continue to provide the impetus for much of what is progressive in the modern world. The realization of the importance of ethics to the formation of students; the importance of reaching beyond ourselves to other worlds and times; the crucial role of language-learning in the contemporary world; all point to the need for rethinking the ancient and medieval heritage of the West in ways that cross cultural, geographical and disciplinary lines. Initial d’Arbeloff funding allows the development of several of these subjects for introduction into the curriculum. Funded by Class of 1960

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6.002 iLab

Jesus del Alamo

Online laboratories (iLabs) are experimental facilities that allow students to carry out experiments from anywhere at any time. While used since Fall 2005 in the EECS subject 6.002, the new EECS curriculum reduces that number of units for 6.002 requiring that new iLab experiences be developed to mitigate the loss of experimental exercises in the new curriculum. Instrument upgrades are funded for three purposes: proper input for step-response measurement; increasing measurement capacity in two dimensions through a hardware switching matrix; developing new circuits-under test for iLab. These changes may make iLab a valuable educational tool for feedback and control system courses in other disciplines at both the introductory and advanced levels. Funded by Class of 1960

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The Supernatural in Culture, Literature and Music

Ellen Harris, James Howe, Charles Shadle

The subject, taught for the first time in Fall, 2007, focuses on the relationship between Music and the Supernatural with particular emphasis on the social context of historical supernatural beliefs as reflected in key musical works of the western tradition from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Taught by faculty and lecturers from Music and Theater Arts and Anthropology, with guest lecturers from Comparative Media Studies, Literature and Foreign Languages and Literature, this interdisciplinary approach offers the opportunity for students to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complex cultural traditions and situations in which they will find themselves in their work. The class will introduce some of the approaches to inquiry found within the humanities, arts and social sciences through the examination of a wide range of texts, visual images and performances.

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	Current Projects Building a Constructive Culture Centering Africa in Diaspora: Introduction to Black Studies Mapping Controversies: Preparing scientists and engineers for a complex world On the Shoulders of Giants: Reexamining the pre-Modern Roots of the Modern World 6.002 iLab The Supernatural in Culture, Literature and Music The Call for Preliminary Proposals in Fall 2007 did not delineate particular target areas as was done the prior two years, but rather encouraged a wider spectrum of creative and innovative proposals. While keeping in mind the recommendations of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons and the student first-year experience, proposals were encouraged for experimental subjects and other types of educational experiences that illuminate best practices for interdisciplinary learning or that build on the distinctive potential of MIT’s faculty. We were particularly fortunate this year that three of the final d’Arbeloff proposals were funded through the Provost’s office by the Class of 1960 Endowment Fund for Innovation in Education. Those projects are noted below. Building a Constructive Culture Natalie Kuldell, Ken Oye, Randy Rettberg This subject, first taught in Spring, 2008, is a project-based introduction to biological engineering designed for lst-year undergraduates. Future biological engineers will need a strong foundation in the life sciences in order to analyze and understand existing living systems. Equally essential is the ability to use methods that enable the reliable design and construction of engineered biological systems that behave as expected. Students who are learning how to engineer life must be aware of the promises and challenges posed by such work. This new subject will motivate students to master discipline-specific knowledge in context and apply their energies to solve a personally compelling design challenge. [ top ] Centering Africa in Diaspora: Introduction to Black Studies Sandy Alexandre, Alisa Braithwaite, Christopher Capozzola, Thomas DeFrantz, Michel de Graff, Erica James, Helen Elaine Lee Constructed as an interdisciplinary survey, this interdisciplinary SHASS freshman experience will explore experiences of people of African descent in diaspora through overlapping disciplinary approaches including history, linguistics, literature, anthropology, legal studies, media studies, performance, and creative writing. Connections will be drawn between African American experiences and other minoritarian American social, political and cultural histories. [ top ] Mapping Controversies: Preparing scientists and engineers for a complex world Vincent-Antonin Lepinay Being an engineer or scientist now requires a deep understanding of the political and social dimensions of science and technology. Mapping Controversies seeks to introduce students to the uncertain universe of scientific and technical research. The goal is to learn how to account for and to map techno-scientific controversies which are: rife with uncertainties and dilemmas; objects of advanced technical expertise; simultaneously entangled with legal, moral, economic and social questions. The course develops aptitudes for qualitative investigation that are complementary to the capacities of formalization, modeling, analysis and calculation required in other subjects. Above all, it teaches that science and engineering are contested terrains in which it is crucial to understand stakes, resources, alliances and varied scientific cultures to engineer new diplomatic solutions. Funded by Class of 1960. [ top ] On the Shoulders of Giants: Reexamining the pre-Modern Roots of the Modern World Anne McCants, Arthur Bahr, William Broadhead, Sally Haslanger, Rae Langton, Steve Ostrow On the Shoulder of Giants proposes developing a new integrated domain of study at MIT that explores the contributions of classical forebears on the present and how their contributions to knowledge continue to provide the impetus for much of what is progressive in the modern world. The realization of the importance of ethics to the formation of students; the importance of reaching beyond ourselves to other worlds and times; the crucial role of language-learning in the contemporary world; all point to the need for rethinking the ancient and medieval heritage of the West in ways that cross cultural, geographical and disciplinary lines. Initial d’Arbeloff funding allows the development of several of these subjects for introduction into the curriculum. Funded by Class of 1960 [ top ] 6.002 iLab Jesus del Alamo Online laboratories (iLabs) are experimental facilities that allow students to carry out experiments from anywhere at any time. While used since Fall 2005 in the EECS subject 6.002, the new EECS curriculum reduces that number of units for 6.002 requiring that new iLab experiences be developed to mitigate the loss of experimental exercises in the new curriculum. Instrument upgrades are funded for three purposes: proper input for step-response measurement; increasing measurement capacity in two dimensions through a hardware switching matrix; developing new circuits-under test for iLab. These changes may make iLab a valuable educational tool for feedback and control system courses in other disciplines at both the introductory and advanced levels. Funded by Class of 1960 [ top ] The Supernatural in Culture, Literature and Music Ellen Harris, James Howe, Charles Shadle The subject, taught for the first time in Fall, 2007, focuses on the relationship between Music and the Supernatural with particular emphasis on the social context of historical supernatural beliefs as reflected in key musical works of the western tradition from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Taught by faculty and lecturers from Music and Theater Arts and Anthropology, with guest lecturers from Comparative Media Studies, Literature and Foreign Languages and Literature, this interdisciplinary approach offers the opportunity for students to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complex cultural traditions and situations in which they will find themselves in their work. The class will introduce some of the approaches to inquiry found within the humanities, arts and social sciences through the examination of a wide range of texts, visual images and performances. [ top ]