Dragonflies, damselflies, and their ancient relatives were the first to fly, long before birds, pterosaurs, and bats took to the skies. Since then, over 400 million years of evolution have shaped the adaptations that support these insects’ aerial feats. Entomologist Jessica Ware discusses the evolution of flight in dragonflies and damselflies, exploring the structure and physiology behind their acrobatic and aerodynamic skills.
Originally part of the residence of the Medici dynasty, the Palatine Gallery encompasses the entire second floor of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Its collection includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as works by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero discusses some of these magnificent pieces of art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
From the classical villas of ancient Rome to the landscaped estates of the Renaissance, artists and patrons have long sought to bring sculpture into dialogue with nature. Art historian Jennie Hirsh traces the history and vision behind three of the world’s most inspiring contemporary sculpture gardens: Storm King Art Center in upstate New York, Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, and Château La Coste near Aix-en-Provence. These sites reveal how artists and architects continue to redefine the possibilities of sculpture, scale, and place, offering a compelling perspective on the interplay between art and landscape. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
The three voyages of Captain James Cook from 1768 to 1779 were filled with high drama, tragedy, intrigue, and humor. Historian Justin M. Jacobs places Cook and his world in historical context, highlights his substantive connections with the Polynesian world, and examines his search for the “Great Southern Continent” and Northwest Passage.
Gumbo and beignets may be the flavors most people know, but the real story of New Orleans food is one of struggle, resilience, and power, reveals historian Ashley Rose Young, author of Nourishing Networks: The Public Culture of Food in New Orleans. She uncovers how, from 1800 to today, street vendors, cooks, and customers turned meals into weapons of influence—shaping taste, battling officials, and rewriting laws. Beneath the powdered sugar and peppery roux lies a history of conflict and creativity—of ordinary people whose daily struggles over food helped define the identity of one of America’s most captivating cities.
When Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, Walt Whitman declared it "the volcanic upheaval of the nation”—the inception of a war that would dramatically alter the shape and character of American culture. Scholar Randall Fuller of the University of Kansas traces the changes in his poetry from idealism to a realism that depicts a more chastened view of America as a place where enormous suffering had occurred.
Author Megan Kate Nelson traces Yellowstone’s transformation from unexplored wilderness to national icon. In 1871, geologist-explorer Ferdinand Hayden led a Smithsonian-backed expedition to confirm reports of Yellowstone’s natural wonders. His team’s findings helped persuade Congress to protect the land, leading to the 1872 Yellowstone Act. Nelson draws from her book Saving Yellowstone to explore the competing interests of figures like Sitting Bull and railroad magnate Jay Cooke, revealing the complex forces behind America’s first national park.
Students discover the history, origins, and special characteristics of the Textura style of Blackletter calligraphy, one of the major typefaces in the history of Western typography. Learn the use of proper proportions and construction of minuscule and majuscule letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.
