English

Systems do not in general naturally behave in a manner which accords with the user’s wishes. Systems must in general be extended by the addition of a controller in order to force them to behave in an acceptable fashion. The controller may be a human (as in the case of the driver of a car for example), but the controller may also be a human-designed engineering system in its own right. In the latter case the controller is called an automatic controller. This course addresses the need for, the value of and the design of automatic controllers for some of the most common classes of engineering systems. Automatic controllers appear in more or less every engineering environment, from automotive/aerospace to biomedical equipment and including almost everything in between.

This course examines the housing crisis as a central social justice challenge in contemporary cities. Focusing on issues of supply, affordability, and homelessness, with particular attention to Ireland, the course explores the economic and political dynamics of housing markets and the reasons these markets often fail to meet social needs. Drawing on social scientific concepts and empirical evidence, the course analyzes how governments and societies value, regulate, and provide housing. Emphasizing housing as a fundamental human need, the course adopts a social justice perspective to critically assess current conditions and develop creative, realistic solutions aimed at building more equitable and socially just cities.

This course examines the constructed images and historical realities of some of the most important peoples in the ancient world, other than the Greeks and the Romans. The three main directions of the course are: (1) an analysis of the concept of ‘barbarian’ in the Classical world; (2) an examination of selected Greek and Roman sources on Northern barbarians, especially Celts and Germani; (3) a study of these same peoples ‘from within’, i.e. based on archaeological and linguistic evidence. The course investigates the role which the so-called ‘barbarians’ of northern Europe played in ancient history, from the earliest documented contacts with the Mediterranean during the Early Iron Age, to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD.

This course offers an introduction to US Constitutional law. It provides a solid foundation in the constitutional law of the US both for commercial lawyers, and for lawyers interested in public law and human rights. In addition to examining questions of interpretive method, the course focuses on the powers of the federal government and the allocation of decision-making authority among government institutions, including federalism and separation of powers. 

This seminar functions as a collaborative lab meeting in which weekly progress updates and group brainstorming sessions shape the core activities. Sessions consist entirely of peer-led presentations rather than formal lectures. Approximately half of the presentations address topics in forensics, while the remainder explore diverse areas of cognitive neuroscience such as auditory perception, visual illusions, and memory. Presentation topics are selected by individual presenters, so the content varies widely and may extend beyond the scope of forensic neuroscience.

This course introduces the composition and structure of microbial cells, the biochemical activities associated with cellular metabolism and how these activities are regulated and coordinated. The course has a molecular and genetic approach to the study of microbial physiology. Prerequisite General Microbiology.

This course introduces students to social theory in medical sociology. It does this by exploring sociological factors that impinge on health status, health chances and health care. It looks at concepts of health and illness, the social context of health and illness as well as changing patterns of health and illness, and the social organization of both formal and informal health care. This also includes a critical analysis of formal Western biomedical approaches to health and health care. A number of theoretical positions are considered ranging from Functionalist, Marxist and neo-Marxist perspectives through to Postmodern, Realist and Critical Realist perspectives and the relevance of these in medicine and health care. These are applied to key substantive areas covered in the course.

This course examines different historical models for explaining the shocking rise and ultimate decline of witchcraft as a crime with dramatic social repercussions. It covers accused female and male witches of all ages and all social levels, as well as inquisitors, judges, torturers, accusers and victims. It assess the social, political, religious, legal, environmental and cultural underpinnings of witchcraft panics in locations including Germany, France, England, Scotland, Spain and Italy. It looks at European anxieties about non-European diabolical magic, and the notorious New England Salem witch trials of 1692 in North America. 

This course introduces major works of ancient Near Eastern, Hebrew, Greek, and Roman literature to explore the cultural and historical foundations of Western civilization. Texts such as the Hebrew Bible, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and Virgil’s Aeneid, are read and analyzed with a focus on themes of heroism, divinity, and human experience. Emphasis is placed on close reading, literary analysis, and active participation through discussions, quizzes, written responses, and group presentations.

This course examines the relationship between terror, fear, and the exercise of social and political power. It explores themes of genocide, torture, war, terrorism, and violence, analyzing the production of the abject and victims as well as the symbolism and use of the body in the exercise and experience of power.