Social Sciences   

By discussing six unclassified case studies in detail, we will examine the dynamics of counterintelligence investigations and their critical importance to U.S. national security. Prerequisites: This seminar is intended for those who are interested in but not intimately familiar with the field of counterintelligence). Note: Participants are expected to come to class prepared to discuss each case in detail, and should be able to hear and interact with others.

We will focus on key areas in the U.S. economy including trade, taxation, monetary and fiscal policy, banking, infrastructure, population growth trends and inequality. We will examine current data, review historic trends and consider possible consequences of decisions. As we move into an important election cycle, it is critical that we discuss and examine these issues. Prerequisites: Participants should be open to courteous discussion.

We will explore feminism as it deals with the backlash against women’s rights with emphasis on reproductive care, health and safety, and the gender pay gap. We will also examine how the interests of feminism and the environment intersect. We will draw on ancient fierce goddesses—archetypes in the Jungian sense—as a way to reinvigorate a flagging feminist movement for women and their male allies. Recommended textbook: Righteous Rage: Why Feminism Needs the Fierce Goddesses by Susan Foster (2025), ISBN: 978-1685035808.

We will explore one of nature's greatest mysteries: consciousness. Drawing on Michael Pollan's acclaimed 2026 book A World Appears, we will examine what it means to have a subjective inner life. Each class will center on group discussion, in which we will share our own reflections alongside Pollan's wide-ranging investigation of neuroscience, philosophy, plant intelligence, artificial intelligence, meditation and psychedelic experience. Prerequisites: Curiosity, openness and a willingness to question the nature of our awareness. Required textbook: A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan (2026), ISBN 978-1984881991; a hard copy of the book is recommended rather than an e-book.