99-520 Course Listings - Summer 2021 - Carnegie Mellon ...
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99-520 Course Listings
Summer 2021
Below is a listing of the available 99-520 courses for Summer 2021. Interested students
should rank their preferences using this form. The preferred date to complete this form is
Friday, April 16th. No forms will be accepted after Friday, May 7th. Ranking of preferences is
not a confirmed registration. An email will be sent to students to confirm the section you
were accepted into. Students will be required to accept or decline.
Although the units associated with 99-520 are tuition-free, all add, drop, withdrawal
deadlines will follow the Academic Calendar. Students will be required to adhere to these
policies. Students can only be enrolled in one tuition-free course offering in Summer 2021.
Students cannot enroll in 99-520 if they are receiving funding via SURA or SURF for Summer
2021. Students who have previously participated in SURA/SURF or other tuition-free courses
are eligible to enroll in a 99-520 course.
All 99-520 courses will be offered remotely in Summer 2021. Any instance of ARR for timing
indicates that the instructors will be polling students for a common time to meet. Timing is
listed in EST.
Language in the Time of COVID-19
Seth Wiener
Class year: open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 20
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated schedule: ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
This interdisciplinary course will explore how COVID-19 has affected one or more aspects of
language. Previous versions of the course examined how face masks affected native and non-native
listeners' perception of speech, how word choice in social media posts (e.g., 'flu' versus 'pandemic')
predicted political views, and how race, language, and COVID-19 interacted to affect linguistic biases.
In this team-based collaborative course, students will read published studies from the field of
psycholinguistics, which explores how psychological processes affect linguistic behavior. Students
will then work together to develop a testable hypothesis about a quantifiable linguistic measure.
Students will collect IRB-approved data, build statistical models to evaluate the hypothesis, and
compare the results to previous findings. Students will gain experience in each step of the research
process and also have the opportunity to write up and disseminate the results at a national
conference.Discovering the Data Universe
Emma Slayton
Class year: open Units: 9 Enrollment cap: 25
Offered: Summer all Anticipated schedule: TR Prereqs: None
10:30-11:50am (Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
Each day we wake up in the data universe, we use the information around us to make decisions
whether checking in on a class project or facebook. Discovering the truth behind a piece of data,
including who made it, what it looks like, and what we can learn from it, is a critical skill.
Understanding data can be the difference between being able to distinguish truth from lies; and the
key to identifying your data footprint and succeeding in research and in your career. In this course,
we will explore the data universe from multiple angles and across several types of data (qualitative
and quantitative).
We will work with you to:
1. Leverage data as a tool for analysis and collaboration
2. Use software and digital tools to archive and visualize data (ex. DMPTool, Open Science
Framework, and Tableau).
3. Tell stories to peers of all levels using data
Engineering Approaches for COVID19 Solutions
Rosalyn Abbott
Class year: open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 20
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated schedule: TR ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
This class will explore current research and topics pertinent to the COVID19 pandemic through
group literature reviews. Topics will include ventilator devices, production of PPE, vaccine
development, immune engineering and therapeutics (plasma therapies, stem cell therapies,
anti-viral medications), the presentation of the “cytokine storm”, biostatistics, contact tracing,
demographics, and ethics (including publishing without peer review and the spreading of
misinformation). For each class, students will read primary literature, critique it, and discuss it in a
group setting. During the semester, students will have the opportunity to lead a discussion on a
topic and article of their choosing. Students will gain research skills, including: defining a scientific
problem or gap in knowledge, developing a hypothesis, summarizing and critiquing relevantbackground literature, and establishing techniques relevant to the research problem. At the
conclusion of the course, students will propose a research study that they would be interested in
exploring related to biomedical research.
Research Teams in Economics
Laurence Ales
Class year: open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 8
Offered: Summer all Anticipated schedule: ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
Research pods in economics are composed of students pursuing individual research questions, who
are interested in a similar research area. Students self-select into a pod with a central research area
such as: the impact of disruptive technologies on workers; causes and consequences of the rise of
inequality; or the long-lasting effects of the 2020 pandemic. Students then develop their own
research question. For example, in the same pod, a student can work on the impact of AI, while
another student focuses on the impact of automation on workers. The students in the pod will
benefit from the overlap in their research interest by providing feedback to each other as well as
sharing knowledge and tools with each other. The pod is supervised by a faculty member who will
provide guidance and support.
Visual Art Research for Majors and Non-Majors Workshop
Kim Beck
Class year: open Units: Enrollment cap: 15
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated schedule: TR Prereqs: None
9:00-10:30am (Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
This course brings together students from across the university to create individual research
projects in visual art. This is not a skills-based art class, but instead asks students to consider
research as an integral part of making art and redefining what an art form might be through
independent research. What happens when the color blue is explored as a material and reference
through a sustained art practice? Or when a student’s photographic portraits are informed by a
cross-cultural history of representation? Student work may focus more on materials or on content,
and may manifest more prominently as research or in processes including photography, drawing,
contextual practice, artists’ books, etc depending on their interests and backgrounds. Students will
develop a proposal to create a body of work and see it through over the semester in conversation
with each other and faculty. Student work will be framed by presentations, readings, discussions and
visiting artists.Interdisciplinary Research in Marketing
Joy Lu
Class year: open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 12
Offered: Mini 6 Anticipated schedule: ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
What makes online educational content like Khan Academy, Coursera, edX, and other massive open
online courses or “MOOCs” so popular? The goal of this project course is to explore the factors that
make this type of content popular among users, and what differentiates “edu-tainment” from pure
“entertainment” in terms of value to the consumer. Specifically, students will learn how to develop a
research hypothesis based on real-world phenomena pertaining to online educational platforms
and collect evidence to test the hypotheses using a combination of field data and lab experiments.
Exploration of Everyday Materials
Robert Heard
Class year: upper-level Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 5
undergrads
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated schedule: ARR Prereqs: None, but students
(Mixture of should be interested in
Asynchronous/Synchronous) experimenting with basic
materials derived from
commonly available food
and/or drug store supplies.
Students will need to be willing
to provide the organic
materials for their research,
have access to a kitchen
setting, and be knowledgeable
in basic kitchen safety
practises.
This course is developed for upper level undergraduate students outside of the College of
Engineering who wish to learn about materials by experientially exploring the selection, design, or
applications of materials. Students will be given a loosely defined final product concept toward
which the research will evolve. Students will individually explore the materials and processes that
could be used for this product, sharing their experience with others working toward their versionsaddressing the same goal. The research will involve discovery of the materials properties, structure,
performance constraints, and sustainability impacts through hands-on DIY studio work.
Weekly studio planning meetings guide the direction of work and may include informational
lectures, exchange of ideas coming from success or failures, and discussions to deepen the
understanding of materials as students work on individual projects. The remainder of the
experience is student-driven hands-on exploration of the materials or material-product in a studio
environs at CMU, or remotely at the student’s residence.
Development of a Global Pathogen Surveillance System
Danith Ly
Class year: Open Units: 9 Enrollment cap: 25+
Offered: Summer All Schedule: M, T, R mornings EST Prereqs: None
(synchronous and
asynchronous delivery)
Students will partake in the interdisciplinary research project currently undertaken at CMU to
develop a Global Pathogen Surveillance System for monitoring and tracking the movements of
infectious pathogens. Students will learn about the strategic approach to tackling such a large-scale
scientific problem, as well as in the intricacies of the experimental design and research execution.
The learning outcome is confidence-building, instilling the belief in students that they, too, can
dream and have the wherewithal to translate those dreams into reality and have fun doing it. Such a
goal is accomplished by confronting students with a challenging real-life problem and ask them to
work in teams to come up with creative solutions. Students will be assessed based on their
intellectual contribution and collaborative spirit, which is not done through exams or quizzes, but
rather through guided learning processes, such as brain-storming sessions, idea creation
workshops, and team presentations.
Introduction to Behavioral Science Research: The Impact of First
Impressions
Sunkee Lee and Christopher Olivola
Class year: Open Units: 9 Enrollment cap: 15
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: R Prereqs: Conscientiousness
10:30am-12pm EST and timeliness in work
(Synchronous)
This course will provide an opportunity for undergraduate and master’s students to engage in
hands-on academic behavioral science research. Enrolled students will assist Professors Sunkee Leeand Christopher Olivola with a research project, which examines the relationship between chief
executive officers’ (CEO) facial characteristics (e.g., trustworthiness, competence, warmth, etc.) and
firm merger and acquisition (M&A) outcomes. The course will also examine the role of appearances
in other domains, such as politics, law, and dating.
Students will play a major role in two critical stages of this project: data-collection & stimulus
creation. This involves finding, downloading, and editing photos of CEOs, and gathering information
on these individuals (e.g., date of birth, gender, nationality, and ethnicity).
In addition to gaining hands-on experience in data collection, students will be able to learn about the
broader academic literature that forms the basis of this project through weekly lectures provided by
the instructors.
Creating a New Visualization and Analysis Tool for Regional Economic
Data
Chris Telmer
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 15
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: TWR, Prereqs: 73-103, Principles of
10:30am-12:00pm EST Macroeconomics
(Synchronous and
Asynchronous Delivery)
Students will collaborate to create an economic newsletter called “Southwestern PA Economy in a
Snapshot,” a regional version of the well-known national version produced by the New York
Fed(https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/snapshot/snapshot_january2021.pdf
?la=en). The newsletter will lay the groundwork for a regular online publication produced by
Carnegie Mellon Economics, a combination of data analysis/visualization and economic
commentary. The ultimate goal is for the newsletter to be a to-go economics document for policy
makers and business leaders in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Students will use a
combination of data science skills, computer programming skills, and a basic knowledge of the
relevant economic data. They will produce a professional, co-authored report that will serve as a
valuable resume item for future career prospects. They will form small teams, each of which will
create an Economic Commentary that uses the newsletter’s data to provide analysis of a
contemporary economic issue that is important for the Pittsburgh region.Diversifying Design Histories through Research and Representation
Andrew Twigg & Jill Chisnell
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 25
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: TR, Prereqs: None
10:00-11:50am EST
(Synchronous)
Design history as it is mostly recorded and taught is narrow, white, male, and European; this course
will attempt to expand curricular material for Communication Design history to make it more
inclusive and representative.
In this course students will research less documented examples of Communication Design history
and create materials to help themselves and others learn about these designers and designs.
Research: students will be introduced to research methods and strategies using primary and
secondary sources; will learn how to develop a research plan for something which is not well
documented in “canonical” sources; and will engage in individual and group research.
Design: Students will design ways of sharing this knowledge with design students and faculty, with
broader audiences interested in design, and/or with those interested in more diverse historical
representation (e.g, presentations, publications, websites, or other learning materials).
Students interested in design; history; or issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion are encouraged to
enroll. All students are welcome, as we believe a diverse cohort will help generate diverse and rich
ideas.
Evaluation and Adoption of Open Source Software
Anthony Wasserman
Class year: Incoming 3rd & 4th Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 15
year
Offered: Summer All Anticipated Schedule: Tues at Prereqs: Familiarity with open
3:30-5pm EST (Mixture of source software. Software
Asynchronous and development experience is
Synchronous) helpful for the OSSpal project,
but not required. Experience
working on team projects is
particularly helpful.Open source software has grown tremendously in popularity over the past decade, and can be
found in almost all modern software applications. Open source is new to many businesses and
other organizations, raising the problems of finding high-quality software and managing its use,
both for inclusion in products and internal use. We have been working on three projects to address
these needs: OSSpal to identify such software, FLOSSbok to create a "body of knowledge" related to
open source, and OrgMM to evaluate organizational readiness for open source. This class will
include some class meetings to teach about open source software, as well as the opportunity to
work on one of these projects.
There are elements of both tracks in this course, with a slight emphasis on track (2). But working on
track (2) may also require reading some of the research literature and understanding the state of
the work. Students with a strong technical background can focus on track (2), helping to build the
software, while others with an interest in the topic may conduct research-focused studies, including
survey of organizations to understand their use of open source software. Students building
software will apply their skills to the practical problems addressed by these projects; students
conducting research-focused studies for the FLOSSbok or OrgMM projects will lead to a broader
body of knowledge on those topics.The first weeks will include presentations to the entire class to
review the concepts of open source software, with reading assignments to augment class
discussions. Students will then be able to choose one of the three projects for their ongoing work,
and subsequent class meetings may include student team progress reports and/or presentations by
professionals working on open source software.
The Environmental Cost of Home Renovation
Bonnie Youngs
Class year: Open Units: 9 Enrollment cap: 25+
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: MWF Prereqs: None
9-10:30am (Mixture of
Asynchronous and
Synchronous)
Students will research sustainable home ownership and renovation, and apply their findings
(including any personal background regarding, e.g. solar and wind energy, renewable resources) to
an ‘actual’ home purchase while considering several questions: 1. What is the culture of home
buying – why do people need to erase the previous homeowner and how can we change this
mindset? 2. How can homeowners undertake sustainable renovation to have the least impact on the
environment or have a positive impact on the environment? 3. What happens to old materials
during renovation and what is the environmental cost? How can we minimize that cost? The course
project will be a team purchase of a home based on all the factors necessary to home buying. Teams
will decide on renovations to undertake including what to dispose of and what to buy new, how to
source recyclable materials and how to purchase sustainable replacement items.Exploring Sustainability with Visual Thinking
Gladys Mercier
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 25+
Offered: Summer All Anticipated Schedule: ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of Asynchronous and
Synchronous)
Learn and practice visual modeling techniques as a mechanism to understand the wicked problems
of sustainability in our world. In this workshop-style course, students develop confidence in creating
simple yet sophisticated diagrams to articulate the seen and unseen structures and relationships
found within a complex problem space. Students work individually or in small groups to develop
visual representations that explore and reveal aspects of a problem of their choice related to one of
the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Improve your critical and abstract thinking skills by creating visual works in an iterative, incremental
way. Get weekly feedback from instructors and peers in an informal studio setting. Explore a wide
variety of sources including systems thinking tools, concept maps, storyboards, plus techniques
from a variety of domains including engineering and architecture. Visually expressing information is
an underappreciated skill that everyone can benefit from developing.
Program Assessment and Evaluation Lab
Joanna Dickert
Class year: Open Units: 9 Enrollment cap: 15
Offered: Mini 6 Anticipated Schedule: TR Prereqs: None
10-11:20am (Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
The Program Assessment and Evaluation Lab is designed to provide students of all disciplines with
instruction and practice in program assessment and evaluation with a particular emphasis on
instruments and strategies that reflect direct measures of student learning. Students will have the
opportunity to contribute to real-time assessment projects across multiple CMU units, including but
not limited to the Dietrich College General Education curriculum, the Division of Student Affairs, and
the university’s Core Competencies Initiative. Projects will be identified and assigned by the course
instructor with an emphasis on the identification, testing, and/or development of instruments and
measures that align with learning outcomes in the programs and initiatives outlined above.
Additionally, all students will be required to engage in periodic reflections on their learning through
the course with an emphasis on the identification of attitudes, skills, and behaviors that can be
transferred to future curricular and cocurricular experiences at CMU.Killing Democracy Softly: A Guide for the next Tyrant
Ignacio Arana
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 25+
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: ARR Prereqs: None
(Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
The world is undergoing a wave of autocratization, characterized by gradual declines of democratic
regime attributes. Democratically elected heads of government from different regions have
assaulted democratic norms and institutions. Among other things, these leaders have used
executive powers, taxation authorities, intelligence, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies to
consolidate their power, have undermined the independence of Congress, the judiciary, the
bureaucracy, and the military, and attacked the free press and rivals. Despite the central role of
leaders in eroding democracies, their behavior has not been systematically studied. Students in this
course will do an in-depth study of heads of government to methodically document their decisions,
behaviors, and actions that have eroded democracy from 1970-2020. Students will conduct
individual yet collaborative research to generate data necessary to understand autocratization
processes. We will have weekly meetings to discuss the students’ progress and brainstorm ideas.
The ultimate goal is to create an exhaustive guide with all the tactics that leaders use to kill
democracy softly.
Skyglow and the Night Sky
Stephen Quick & Diane Turnshek
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 25+
Offered: Mini 6 Anticipated Schedule: ARR (3hrs Prereqs: None
once per week) (Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
We have encouraged bright lighting at night to celebrate events, create festivity, light our buildings
to demonstrate pride and accomplishment, and light our public realm to see better for safety and
security. But where have all the stars gone? In our urban environments, we cannot see the Milky
Way or the thousands of stars in the sky. In fact, our overuse of light at night is causing serious harm
to the natural environment and also our personal health.
With new LED lighting, light pollution is increasing. In this course, we will study and research light
pollution, from the basics of how we see at night to its effects on the natural and built environment,
issues of equity, and efforts to bring back the night. As researchers, you will be measuring lightpollution as citizen-scientists, creating ways to communicate light pollution issues, and maybe
developing ideas for competitive light pollution initiatives amongst cities.
Assessing How Connected Vehicles Can Solve Transportation Funding
Problems
H Scott Matthews
Class year: Open Units: 6 Enrollment cap: 20
Offered: Mini 5 Anticipated Schedule: TR, Prereqs: None
10:00-11:30 EST (Mixture of
Asynchronous/Synchronous)
Federal and state Per-gallon taxes on fuels have been the main source of funding highways in the US
(and the rest of the world) for almost 100 years.
However, increased fuel economy and the advent of electric vehicles has made it more difficult to
fund transportation based only on fuel taxes.
The expected replacement is a so-called mileage based user fee (MBUF) that would be charged on a
per-mile instead of a per-gallon basis. Doing so could be a simple or complicated system - at the low
end, users would pay based on yearly driving from odometer readings taken a year apart. But
There are economic, engineering, statistics/data analysis, and policy aspects of this problem.
Students interested in any of those focus areas relevant to the transportation funding theme are
welcome to register for this course.You can also read
