LAS in the Classroom

Teaching excellence is our top priority in the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS). Our instructors constantly strive to provide our students with new and exciting learning experiences that ultimately make their time at NSC more rewarding and productive. These are just a few examples of how LAS instructors use innovative teaching techniques to define the classes that students look forward to attending.

A Tour of Our World and Beyond - Dr. Sandip Thanki (Astronomy)

Have you ever wondered about the age of the universe? You might find the answer on the Discovery Channel, but Dr. Thanki and his students measure it themselves, utilizing a mix of high-tech equipment and clever detective work. The universe doesn’t come with a birth certificate (that would be too easy), but it does provide information about how big it is and how fast it is growing. Dr. Thanki and his students collect this information using advanced software, and use it to deduce the age of the universe – about 14 billion years.

Another exciting project in Dr. Thanki’s class takes students into “near space,” the region of the Earth’s atmosphere above the flight paths of commercial airliners and below the orbits of satellites. In the fall of 2009, NSC students will launch scientific equipment 100,000 feet into the atmosphere – nearly three times the cruising altitude of a Boeing 747 – using special helium-filled balloons. Each short flight, lasting only a few hours, will allow students to test well-established laws of physics and take spectacular photographs of earth from a rare vantage point.

Exploring the Mind - Dr. Kathy Herbst-Damm (Psychology)

In Professor Herbst-Damm’s classes, students don’t just learn about psychology, they experience the findings and concepts firsthand.

In Dr. Herbst-Damm’s “Psychology of Learning” classes, students play the role of a pigeon – yes, pigeon – to discover the best way to train pets, children, and even significant others (you really can teach an old spouse new tricks).

Dr. Herbst-Damm’s research methods students conduct experiments to answer questions about perplexing real-world issues. Their studies have discovered whether students subconsciously think a man makes a better math professor than a woman (no), if your appearance truly affects how a store clerk treats you (unfortunately, yes), and whether men and women really do come from different planets – at least when it comes to body type preferences (maybe). The answers are often surprising, and allow us to reflect on our own consciousness.

The fun carries over to Dr. Herbst-Damm’s online classes, where students in chat rooms debate hot and controversial topics. They wonder about the right age to have children, ask whether a person can be tricked into thinking a phony memory is real, explore the ethics of physician-assisted suicide, and tackle the notion of sex after 70.

Through all of her classes, Dr. Herbst-Damm’s fun, energetic style of teaching helps students practice the critical thinking skills needed to succeed in psychology and a wide range of other important fields.

The Science Behind the Symptoms - Dr. Robin Herlands (Biology)

Some might call it a biological “arms race” – the protracted contest between ever-evolving diseases and the increasingly advanced treatments designed to stop them. Professor Robin Herlands brings her students to the forefront of this battle with advanced scientific equipment, an engaging teaching style, and a discerning look at today’s biggest news headlines. Students in Dr. Herlands’ classes first learn the science behind the diagnosis of illnesses and diseases such as HIV, Strep throat, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Then, using the kind of equipment normally found at top biotechnology firms, students conduct the actual diagnostic experiments needed to identify these conditions.

Outside of the lab, students apply their knowledge to critique articles from popular sources such as The New York Times, NewScientist.com, and National Geographic. Using sound critical thinking skills and knowledge gained from their own experiments, students decipher the articles, and try to determine whether the author knows a Petri dish from a pastry dish. In the end, students leave Dr. Herlands’ classes with a wealth of real-world experience and the sophisticated skills demanded by the rapidly-expanding biotech industry.