Previous Eccles Fellows

Semester Instructor(s) Course Title

Description
Spring 2026 Dylan Zwick & Paul Neiman Artificial Intelligence: Problems and Possibilities Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the world, and humanity needs to have a very
serious conversation about the new world we’re creating - what we want, what we don’t, and
how to get there. This course introduces some of the critical questions in this conversation, and
some informed perspectives on them. It does not provide easy answers, nor does it seek to. It
instead fosters an engagement with these questions so that students can form and defend their
own answers, and expand the conversation into the rest of the world.
Fall 2025 Sunni Wilkinson & Kellie Bornhoft Visual Verse: Art, Poetry, and the Great Salt Lake

This interdisciplinary course combines poetry and visual art as a means for students to contemplate our natural environment, its complexities, threats, and evolution, and respond to those through their own original work. Poetry and art have enjoyed a centuries-old relationship and have been the conduit for not only self-expression, but protest, education, and enlightenment.
Spring 2025 Stephanie Kimmey

Technologies of the Past

 This course explores the technologies of the past through hand-on experiments. We will
examine how peoples of the past lived their lives and how archaeologists can study
activities that do not leave a trace in the physical record. In a combination of lecture,
discussion, and recreations, students will explore the following topics: stone tools and
hunting practices; food collection and preparation; textile and dyeing production; and
creation and firing of ceramic objects.
Fall 2024 James Almeida & María del Mar González-González

Afro-Latin America: History & Culture

 Explore the vibrant cultures and contributions of people from African descent in Latin America and in the US. Learn about how Afro-Latin people have fought for freedom, citizenship, and equity.
Spring 2024 Laura Stott & Andrew Rice

Poetry & Printmaking: As Witness for the Land

 This interdisciplinary course will investigate printmaking and poetry, two art forms with a vibrant historical and contemporary relationship. In the study of the creative exchange between these two art forms, students will write their own poems and create their own prints.      
Spring 2024 Kacy Peckenpaugh & Cass Morgan

Mountains Matter

 This course will consider the role mountains play in fostering human connection, developing a sense of place and identity, and inspiring stewardship of the natural world. Situating past and present landscapes in a view of the future, we will examine the role human activity plays in the development of mountain landscapes and climate change.       
Fall 2023 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Valentinas Rudys & Cynthia Jones

Monsters & Markets

 By connecting monsters and markets, this course will be an exploration of basic economic theories, capitalism, market socialism, creation, consumption, and transfer of wealth through the pop cultural lens of vampires, werewolves, zombies and other monsters.        
Spring 2023 91¶ÌÊÓƵ McKenzie Wood & Kathryn Sperry

What Were You Wearing?: Sexual Assault Offenders, Survivors, and the Rape Myths that Surround Them

 Considering that one in five women in the U.S. will experience a sexual assault in their lifetime and only about 30% of those victims will report the incident, students are existing in a social climate where rape myths prevail, sexual harassment is a social norm, and victims of sexual assault are often not believed. In this class, students will learn about various aspects of rape, sexual violence, rehabilitation of offenders, help-seeking behaviors of victims, and identification of rape myths. This instruction will culminate with a student-created exhibit and public awareness effort to coincide with Sexual Assault Awareness month (April).              
Fall 2022 Aaron Atkins & Randy Hurd

Worth 1,00 Words: The Impact of Photography and Digital Media on Communication, Science, and Technology

 The invention of the camera and the subsequent rapid proliferation of visual media have transformed modern society. From Muybridge’s Horse in Motion to James Balog’s opinion-altering photos of shrinking glaciers, the camera is central to global culture, communication, and scientific research and exploration. Synthesizing viewpoints from the humanities and the sciences, our course will explore the history of captured motion, the development of photographic technology-including photo and video processing software-and the impact of photography on culture, communication, and science. Along with lectures and discussions, students will learn basic photographic theory and technique. By the end of the course, students will be able to operate a camera, use software to edit and process photos and videos, and capture visually striking and data-rich images. We hope that dynamic course design, coupled with the broad appeal of the subject matter, will draw students from all corners of campus and foster valuable inter-disciplinary connections.
Spring 2022 Tamara Goldbogen, Erinne Roundy, & K Stevenson

Children's Literature: Book Arts & Science

 How do the “book arts” integrate environment, community engagement, purpose, and message? Explore and engage in the creative process through the creation of an original children’s book from design to creation to dissemination. The children's book will address current issues (science, environment, sustainability) in our world and serve as a valuable educational resource connecting the creative arts and community.
Fall 2021 Scott Moore & Matthew Romaniello

Diagnosing Disease in the Past and Present

 Drawing on the expertise of a historian and a pathologist, we have a unique opportunity to attract students from across the disciplines. We will present historical and social science methodologies and modern medical diagnostic approaches in order to provide the students with sufficient training to apply these skills to case studies both drawn from history as well as diseases that continue to plague the modern era. The World Health Organization has set a challenge to alleviate human suffering by learning to successful diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent disease.
Spring 2021 Courtney Craggett & Jeff Richey

Stories and Histories of the Borderlands

 We will explore the borderlands through historical and literary lenses. We will study the history of the borderlands, the policies and practices that created our contemporary border, and the terms and concepts associated with the border. Alongside this historical study, we will read the literature of the borderlands--accounts of those who cross the border, those who live by the border, those who work on the border, and those whose lives are defined by the border. We will allow our understanding of borderlands to open up as we explore border spaces in Utah or elsewhere in the United States. We will ask questions about borders, what they are and what they are not, how they shape each and every one of us.
Fall 2020 Robert Fudge & Brady Brower

Nietzche Contra Wagner: Art, Philosophy, and Politics in the Age of German Romanticism

 An examination of the arc of German history from roughly the middle of the 19th century to the rise of Nazi Germany (the period of high German Romanticism), with an emphasis on the interplay between art, music, philosophy, and politics in the rise of German identity and Nazi ideology. 
Spring 2020 Jennifer Kokai & Marybeth Willard The Good Place: Moral Philosophy & Drama What does it mean to be a good person? A bad person? Are moral philosophers the worst? Are writers depicting moral philosophers the worst? This course uses the first season of the NBC show, The Good Place, to examine the intersection of philosophy and drama. How do creative writers illustrate moral and ethical dilemmas? How can we and should we respond imaginatively to the thorny questions of humanity? 

Fall 2019

 Scott More & Matthew Romaniello Diagnosing Diseases: Perspectives from the Past and Present

The World Health Organization has the goal to improve equity in health, reduce health risks, promote healthy lifestyles and settings, and respond to the underlying determinants of health. Exploring historical and social science methodologies with modern medical diagnostic approaches will provide a chance to think critically about diseases including syphilis, smallpox, HIV, and modern nutritional diseases.
Fall 2019 Molly Sween (co-taught with Todd Hillhouse) From Brain to Behavior and Everything in Between: Exploring Genetics and Criminal Offending Biosocial criminology examines the biological basis of criminal behavior and the role of both environmental and biological influences on this behavior. There is mounting evidence that human behaviors are influenced by genetic factors, and this information should be considered when addressing criminal behaviors and treatment. This course will address areas within biosocial criminology, including: Behavior/Molecular Genetics, Criminal traits and neurological/physiological underpinnings (i.e. antisocial behavior, low IQ, low self-control, etc.), Genetic/Environment interplay, the polygraph and other physiological techniques used in the courtroom, Application of research (i.e. how Courts deal with biosocial research and culpability), Evolutionary psychology, and Environmental neurotoxins that affect behavior. The goal of this course is to educate the students on the current research of biosocial criminology, help the students develop their own perspectives on these issues, and to encourage students to apply their knowledge to their community.
Fall 2018 Rebekah Cumpsty & Gavin Roberts Curse, Cure, Culture: The Social Impacts of Natural Resources

Are positive or negative impacts inevitable in societies that rely on oil? Or do institutions play a role? Read fiction, watch movies, and explore data, to answer these and other questions. From economic and postcolonial perspectives we will discuss case studies involving oil, diamonds, and endangered species.

This course has a Community Engaged Learning designation.

Spring 2018

 Susan Matt & Marjukka Ollilainen Selling Emotion, Buying Feeling: Emotions, Work, and Consumption in America. What do amusement parks, shopping malls, and Las Vegas have in common? They are all spaces where emotions are bought and sold. The course explores connections between emotions and consumerism in America. During Spring Break, we take a study away trip to Las Vegas to observe these “cathedrals of consumption” and how individuals are participating in them as both workers and consumers.
Fall 2017 Brandon Burnett & Dianna Huxhold Chemistry of Art This course is a special investigation of the relationship between chemistry and visual art. Students will learn about different art media from a macroscopic and molecular perspective. This course will also include hands-on visual art projects using media discussed in class including, but not limited to, painting, pencils, charcoal, and clay.
Spring 2016 Electra Fielding Religion in Early Spain Learn about how Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived together for over 800 years in Spain, the rich cross-cultural exchange between all three cultures, the eventual disintegration of their convivencia, and the repercussions of this cultural past in today’s Europe. This class fulfills upper-division Spanish credit and European Studies credit.
Fall 2015 Barrett Bonella & Corina Segovia-Tadehara Qualitative Research This class teaches you how to use qualitative research tools in a project of your choosing that you will then submit for publication. The course will provide you with a valuable grounding and understanding of how to use qualitative research effectively.
Spring 2015 Brad Carroll & Sally Bishop Shigley The Physics of Poetry and the Poetry of Physics: The Whys and Hows of Science and Literature Students will explore the epistemologies and histories of texts in both science and literature through reading various fiction and non-fiction genres.  Issues of inquiry will include how science is represented in literature and how the humanities are seen by scientists.  How does science use metaphors to explain the unexplainable?  How does literature appropriate scientific theory as a subject?
Fall 2014 Kathryn MacKay, Julie Rich, & Pepper Glass City as Text Go on Walkabout!
Map, Observe, Listen, and Reflect! 
City as Text is an experiential, interdisciplinary investigation of the people, architecture, culture, changing demographics of a place -- in our case -- the city of Ogden.
Spring 2014 Barb Trask & Matthew Schmolesky Science and Cooking: From molecules to mouth This course has been designed to utilize the “everyday” activity of cooking as a conduit through which to convey seminal scientific principles such as physical phase changes, the molecular composition of biological organisms, chemical bond formation and destruction, and the physiological and psychological basis for food selection, preparation, perception, and satisfaction. To master these and other scientific concepts, students will participate in laboratory-style cooking “experiments,” and discussion sessions centered around experiments.
Fall 2013 Russ Burrows & Greg Lewis China's Great Leap Forward, 1958-1962 In the 1950s and 1960s, China engaged in a national experiment in modernization: the Great Leap Forward.  Honors is offering an exciting new class, HNRS 3900, that will explore this social experiment through films, documentaries, first-hand accounts, and fiction.  The class will also include class visits from Chinese lecturers who experienced the events. 
How does a society reinvent itself? What works? What doesn't? What can we learn from the Great Leap Forward?
The class will coincide with the September 2013's Asian film festival which will feature a number of films on the Great Leap Forward.
The Honors Program is proud to offer this amazing opportunity in Fall 2013.
Spring 2013 Siân Griffiths & Jenny Kokai Making Your Movie In this class, we will study every practical aspect necessary to create, market and display short independent films. Given the length of this class, each topic will be approached in brief with practical ends.  After we examine the practical aspects of film production, including budgeting, storyboarding, shot lists, camera angles, and editing, students will be divided into production teams. They will be given scripts written by the students in the screenwriting class the previous semester. Students will be asked as a group to produce, edit, and market their short film.
Fall 2012 Christy Call Tracing the Interconnections Between Animals, Objects & Humans How does our society represent animals? How do humans coexist with animals today, and how has the relationship changed over time? How do our representations of animals define us as humans? Further, how do things (tools, objects, and technologies) mediate social relations? How do the things we make also make us? At the core, these questions challenge us to examine our rational ties with nonhuman beings and entities. This interdisciplinary course will forefront such dynamics by presenting the human as relationally interconnected. As a mode of ecological thought, we will consider the constellation of "others" that co-author our human lives. This class will feature fascinating readings as well as artistic, photographic, and filmic representations on the interconnections between humans, animals, and materialities. These rich and diverse sources, discussed in an interactive classroom, will provide a foundation for students to develop and refine their own ideas, insights, and questions.