Snowstorm Winter 2026 Course Catalog

They say you don't truly understand something until you can name it—so let's do exactly that for teaching. Have you ever wondered where widely accepted pedagogical methods came from? What was the thought process behind their development, and how have they evolved over time? Join me for a short, admittedly biased, and hopefully fun tour through the history of modern education.


Class Style
Lecture

With the assistance of audience members participating in skits, reading the parts of Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Dolly Madison, Paul Jennings, etc., we will lead investigations into events from the House of Burgesses, the Constitutional Convention, the “Dinner Party,” etc., that marked the coming of age of the United States.

More than a mere recitation of dates and facts, this will be an exploration into the underlying reasons that prompted them to act as they did. Many of the issues they confronted then continue to be relevant today.

Why should we be one Country?
What debts should be paid?
Who gets the power of Taxation?
Should a Private Bank issue money?
Should the Federal Government assume the debts of the states?
Should we be agrarian? Or a center of manufacturing?
How do we limit the influence of Great Corporations on our public life?
How can we protect the Common Man from the rapaciousness of the Rich and Powerful?
How do we abolish Slavery?
How do we make real the “Spirit of ’76?” So we can truly say that “All Men are Created Equal.”


Class Style
Discussion

What role does decolonisation play in “objective” science, and what would that even mean in pratice? This session examines how science’s claims to universality have been shaped by historical power structures, and asks how that history affects what counts as knowledge, evidence, and expertise. We will move between concrete examples and broader philosophical questions, considering what decolonising science might look like in research and in the classroom.


Class Style
Seminar

No, this isn't a class necessarily about Mac DeMarco's hit 2019 song "Heart to Heart", but something a lot more important and relevant: understanding how love impacts the heart at the physiological level.

The truth is that the heart, while the most important organ in the body, is not immune to the effects of love, a feeling often described as visceral, impulsive, and sometimes unexplainable... but what if we could explain this feeling?

In this lecture/discussion-based class, we will first situate ourselves with the anatomy and physiology of the heart and the brain, and we will then explore how these two organs interact with each other as they undergo the trials and errors of love. Together, we'll dive into the science behind these emotional responses, including the common feeling of having "butterflies in my stomach" and why a breakup can feel like a real physical sensation.

This class will blend biology and the human lived experience as we uncover the delicate side to our hearts and emotions.

(previous taught summer 2025)


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
At least an Introduction to Biology Course Recommended but not Required

We are living in an unprecedented age of biological imaging. Courtesy of the development of genetically-encoded fluorescent proteins and the incredible microscopes that exploit them, a vast wealth of biological dynamics have come to "light". This course will cover a range of really cool modern imaging techniques, in addition to a little history lesson on how we got here. Techniques such as Photoactivatable Localization Microscopy (PALM), Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM), Lattice Light Sheets (with adaptive optics), IsoView, and 2-Photon microscopy will be discussed (In addition to a bunch of new stuff!). Fetal development, cancer metastasis, neuronal firing kinetics, and single-molecule tracking will be illustrated using these methods.


Class Style
Lecture

Prerequisites
An interest in the biological world.

Splash event coming up? Not sure what to teach yet? Have a topic in mind but don't know how to teach? Bring your ideas, worries, past experiences, and we will brainstorm together different ways that can make your class more engaging! Topics can include, but not limited to: how to make a lesson plan, tips for student engagement, ideas for classroom activities, and more.


Class Style
Discussion

Friendship is the fabric of our lives. The secret to living a happy, healthy, and academically successful life as a student is to have fulfilling friendships. Friendship is so vital for well-being that researchers have discovered that feeling lonely is as harmful for one's health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day! Yet, we are never taught how to cultivate healthy friendships. In this workshop, we will integrate concepts from psychology, public health, and human-centered design to learn how we can realistically build better friendships in our own lives. You will learn specific strategies for making new friends, deepening your existing friendships, and overcoming conflicts together—because when our friendships thrive, we thrive.


Class Style
Activity

Explore event décor as a powerful form of creative expression. In this course, students will learn how decoration transforms a space to support an event’s purpose and create meaningful, memorable experiences. Through visual examples, design principles, and Q&A, students will discover how color, layout, lighting, and styling choices shape atmosphere and tell a story.


Class Style
Lecture