Spring 2025 Courses
THESE COURSES ARE TENTATIVE, PENDING C-START COMMITTEE APPROVAL AT THE END OF THE FALL SEMESTER.
C-START COURSES DO NOT FULFILL HONORS CAROLINA PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
ALL STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL FOR ONE (1) HOUR OF PASS/FAIL CREDIT.
SPCL 400.301 | Pandemics Past and Present: Understanding Global Disease Outbreaks
Student Instructor: Aydin Bandukwala
Faculty Mentor: Sonia Napravnik
M, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
405 Dey Hall
In this course, we will explore the historical, scientific, and societal aspects of infectious disease outbreaks. Through the examination of case studies spanning from the Black Plague in the 1300s to HIV in the late 20th century to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students will gain an understanding of the impact of infectious diseases on individual and public health. The course will delve into the origins, spread, burden, political and scientific responses, and long-term implications of various outbreaks, providing students with valuable insights into pandemic preparedness and response strategies over the course of the semester.
The course will include guest speaker lectures, group discussions, and structured debates about the ethical and practical implications of pandemic response strategies. Armed with this knowledge, students will be equipped to apply lessons learned from past pandemics to future challenges, contributing to improved pandemic preparedness, response, and resilience in their respective fields and communities. Whether pursuing careers in public health, policymaking, healthcare, or academia, students will emerge from this course with the tools and insights necessary to navigate and effectively respond to the complex landscape of infectious disease outbreaks.
SPCL 400.302 | The Great Big Postmodern Explosion
Student Instructor: Liam Furlong
Faculty Mentor: Stanislav Shvabrin
W, 4;00 pm – 6:00 pm
213 Graham Memorial
Fake news. Stacks of bricks as capital-A Art. Sitcoms famously about nothing. Scientists, priests, and politicians rewriting history. Irony and irreverence. Paranoia and endless questioning.
Though “postmodernism” as a movement is officially behind us, we still see and wrestle with these concepts on a near-daily basis. Defining postmodernism, however, still eludes us. Why? In this course, we will collaboratively approach postmodernism through its literature, philosophy, history, art, and media to define for ourselves the Postmodern Condition: that pivot in global culture that radically impacted the ways we think and whom we decide to trust.
Each class will consist of two parts, with a short break in the middle. First, we will sink our teeth into the essay, fiction, film, or work of art assigned for that day’s class via discussion or in-class debate. After the break, we will approach a new framework –historical, philosophical, and cultural– in which to ground our interpretations of the works to come via a more-traditional lecture format. For a 1h50min class with attention spans shriveling, variety is the key.
You may know some of the names we will be interacting with: Margaret Atwood, Jacques Derrida, Bob Dylan, Michel Foucault, Thomas Pynchon, the writers of Seinfeld. Even if these names are unfamiliar, this course still welcomes you. It welcomes anyone with an incendiary passion for participating in culture because this course is, above all, an explosive cultural case study. If you have opinions, bring them. If you want to think for yourself, think about taking this course. Not because this description says so (ah, meta-commentary), but because you in all your interests sincerely burn to take it..
SPCL 400.303 | Civic Technology and Digital Justice: Navigating Equity in the Digital Age
Student Instructor: Neya Garcia
Faculty Mentor: John Stephens
M, 3:35 pm – 5:35 pm
139 Wilson Hall
Can doomscrolling be a form of artistic research? Can TikTok Live be an archive? Can the Internet be a weapon?
This course explores the intersection of civic technology and digital justice, focusing on the ways technology can be leveraged to promote equity and social justice in modern society. Through a combination of theoretical frameworks, case studies, and practical exercises, students will examine the role of technology in addressing systemic inequalities, combating digital discrimination, and fostering inclusive civic engagement. Topics will include the ethical implications of technological innovation, the impact of digital divide on marginalized communities, and strategies for promoting digital justice in civic initiatives.
SPCL 400.304 | The Arts of Gerrymandering: How Our Representatives Manipulate Districts and Gain Political Power
Student Instructors: Justin Goldman & Jake Patterson
Faculty Mentor: Christopher Clark
M, 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
035 Graham Memorial
On March 26th, 1812, the Boston-Gazette published a story detailing the redrawing of the Massachusetts state senate districts, an effort spearheaded by Governor Elbridge Gerry. One of the districts located north of Boston notably appeared to take the shape of a salamander, provoking the Gazette to create one of the most popular words in American political history: Gerrymander. This course will explore both the origins and continued relevance of the practice of gerrymandering—including partisan, racial, prison, and school gerrymandering —and how our state legislatures manipulate district maps to both favor their party and disadvantage their opponents. We’ll look at how the practice has evolved over the last two centuries and the current implications of gerrymandering at the state, local, and federal levels. Students will further discover the policy effects of inequitable redistricting in states like North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Virginia. We will also study how other tactics of voter suppression have been used in concert with gerrymandering to disadvantage various groups. Students will analyze case studies of different gerrymanders, significant court decisions like Baker v. Carr and Moore v. Harper, investigate the varied methods of drawing new electoral maps, and participate in a legislative redistricting simulation. By the end of the semester, students will have an exceptional grasp on the continued prominence of gerrymandering and its ability to bar certain populations from the ballot box. Furthermore, they will understand the palpable consequences of legislatures that may not be fully representative of their constituencies.
SPCL 400.305 | Ghosts in the Static: (Role)Playing the Future
Student Instructor: Ian He
Faculty Mentor: Graham Culbertson
T, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
316 Greenlaw Hall
“The best place to view Los Angeles of the next millennium is from the ruins of its alternative future,” writes geographer Mike Davis in his City of Quartz. In this course, we will “excavate the future” a la Davis by critically playing digital and tabletop roleplaying games and exploring the ways in which they imagine new futures and ways of being. We will discuss the worlds of ludic media and the ghosts they produce, both of the past and the future.
Throughout the semester we will read literary and critical theory, including but not limited to cyberfeminism, anarchist theory, semiotics, queer theory, Afrofuturist theory, and critical geography alongside our in-class playthroughs of games. We will survey the ways in which games and media depict the future through aesthetics such as cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic fiction. By the end of this course students will be able to critically play games and analyze the possible worlds they imagine.
No previous knowledge of video games or tabletop roleplaying games is required.
SPCL 400.306 | You Are What You Eat: Exploration of Molecular Gastronomy
Student Instructor: Hanna Salus
Faculty Mentor: Anna Curtis
R, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
213 Graham Memorial
Ever wonder what creates the flavors in your favorite dishes? Curious about the science of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, a delicious pasta dish, or the transformation of raw dough into chocolate chip cookies? These questions and more can be answered in You Are What You Eat: Exploration of Molecular Gastronomy! Molecular gastronomy is an interdisciplinary topic that integrates chemistry, biology, human nutrition, and physiology with culinary techniques to explain scientific principles behind cooking, nutrition, and the impact of food on health and culture. This course is designed for students from diverse academic backgrounds and will transform students into chefs and scientists. Students will have hands-on opportunities to engage with the course materials and understand food from a chemistry lens. Items covered in detail from chemical composition to human nutrition include coffee, tea, pasta, cookies, fruits, and proteins!
SPCL 400.307 | Let’s Chat About ChatGPT: A Holistic Approach to Effectively and Ethically Navigating Generative AI
Student Instructor: Heidi Segars
Faculty Mentor: Michael Vazquez
T, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
200 Stone Center
ChatGPT first launched to the public in November 2022, engaging over 1 million users in the first 5 days. Reaching 100 million monthly active users just 2 months later and continuing to explode in popularity today, it has easily become the fastest-growing consumer application in history.
With this rapid rise, there is little consensus about how, if at all, generative AI tools like ChatGPT should be applied. Current AI use policies widely vary, even between courses here at UNC. Despite this discrepancy, we are on the precipice of generative AI irrevocably reshaping every aspect of life. This course will explore the exciting opportunities and ethical challenges posed by generative AI by examining its effects on the self, academia, industry, and society at large. With the perspectives of guest speakers from a wide range of disciplines, students will develop a critical framework for productively leveraging these tools and better prepare to engage with generative AI in college and beyond.
This course welcomes students from all backgrounds and disciplines and does not presuppose familiarity with GPT or its underlying tech.
SPCL 400.308 | Culinary Medicine: A Tool for Health Equity, Disease Prevention, and Disease Management
Student Instructor: Neel Singh
Faculty Mentor: Alice Ammerman
W, 3:35 pm – 5:35 pm
241 Rosenau Hall
Culinary medicine sits at the intersection of nutrition science and public health. Concerns surrounding the role of diet in preventing and managing diseases, as well as the impact of social determinants on health, demand solutions that are both scientifically grounded and practically applicable. This course is positioned at this crossroads, focusing not only on how to apply nutritional science to disease prevention and management, but also on why these interventions must consider community resources and accessibility. Through rigorous exploration of disease-specific dietary strategies, practical culinary skill development, and the application of nutrition science and public health, students will leave this class prepared to design and implement effective, affordable interventions for preventing and managing disease.
This course includes a culinary component where students design and cook their own meal based on the principles covered in class.
This course will enable you to
- learn the core principles of culinary medicine and apply nutritional science to develop community-based interventions for preventing and managing diseases.
- explore how social determinants of health influence diet and how to leverage community resources to develop dietary solutions that promote health.
- develop practical culinary skills and learn to prepare nutritious recipes that are both accessible and affordable.
SPCL 400.309 | Next-Generation Theraputics for Neurological Diseases
Student Instructor: Anuragh Sriram
Faculty Mentor: William Snider
R, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
210 Graham Memorial
In this cutting-edge course, students will explore the rapidly evolving landscape of treatments for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, where traditional approaches fall short in addressing the underlying causes of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Glioblastoma. Through a combination of in-depth literature analysis, case studies, and hands-on data analysis, students will gain a deep understanding of how researchers identify disease biomarkers, develop new therapeutic agents, and design clinical trials to assess efficacy and safety.
Students will critically examine the molecular and cellular underpinnings of these complex disorders and debate novel therapeutic targets. With a focus on advanced and emerging therapies—including gene-targeting biologics, neurosurgical interventions, and personalized medicine—students will learn how new drugs are designed to precisely modulate disease pathways. This will include a review of clinical trials currently underway at UNC’s renowned Neurology and Neurosurgery departments.
Additionally, guest lectures from leading clinicians and researchers will provide real-world insights into the challenges and breakthroughs in treating neurological disorders. By the end of the course, students will apply their knowledge to formulate and pitch an innovative therapeutic solution for a neurological disorder of their choice, simulating the process of bringing a new treatment from the lab to clinical use.
This course offers a unique opportunity for future healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers to engage with real-world data and cutting-edge treatments, preparing them for the challenges of clinical and translational neuroscience research.
SPCL 400.310 | Simulacra: Exploring the Boundaries of Reality
Student Instructor: Heather Tong
Faculty Mentor: Jocelyn Chua
M, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
111 Murphey Hall
Jean Baudrillard posits that America is no longer “real,” and that it instead exists on the order of simulation. What does this mean for all of us, who live in a world that has supposedly ceased to be real?
In this course, we will analyze how social structures, although manmade and malleable, have very real consequences on individuals. What is “real” and what is “simulacra” become blurred as nature, science, and humanity intersect, and digital and other technologies shape our lived experiences. We will investigate the experiential, social, and political dimensions of simulation in our contemporary everyday realities, touching on examples such as cyberspace, divinity and the supernatural, and interpersonal relationships. Through considering the mundane and day-to-day as something worth studying and learning about, we will recognize greater patterns and movements in our lives as we reshape our definitions of what reality is.
Over the course of the semester, we will examine media and texts of various forms that range from cornerstone texts of anthropology and social science such as Catherine Lutz and Jean Baudrillard to contemporary films such as Barbie (2023) as well as other mediums such as tweets and TikToks. Incorporating key concepts in the field of anthropology such as Cartesian dualisms, subaltern groups, and emotionality, and encouraging learning through experience as individuals and as a class, we will explore the forces that shape our daily lives and the anthropological concepts that appear in the pop culture and media that saturate our lives today.
