GSBS Classes
Fall Semester - MSBS 5140 - Biological Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (3 credits)
Synopsis: Using historical case studies, this course has been designed to provide students with an appreciation for the real-world insidious applications of biomedical technology to make weapons of mass destruction. At the end of the course, students will have a knowledge of the biology of agents of biological warfare and terrorism and the history of these agents as biological weapons; an appreciation for the overall effects of biological weapons use, including spread in the population and psychological impact; and an understanding of difficulties in enforcement, control, and non-proliferation.
Course structure: The course will meet once a week for 15 weeks (2 hour sessions); during the first class, each student will be assigned an agent/disease to focus on during the semester. The course consists of a combination of lectures/presentations by the instructors and other experts, and presentations by students on their assigned topic. Time will be spent during each class going over news and other noteworthy events that have recently occurred; students are expected to read, watch, and listen to news and other sources to gather information to share with the class regarding biological and other forms of terrorism.
Student Presentations: In addition to lectures, all students will give a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on their assigned agent/disease (the presentation will be broken up into two segments, each with a different focus). Students are expected to present a “total picture” of their assigned agent, with special emphasis on the biology of the agent; additional specific information on the student presentations will be provided in class.
Syllabi Fall 2009
Fall 2008 Fall 2009 Syllabus
Fall 2007 Lecture 1 (McCluskey)
Fall 2006 Lecture 2 (Connell)
Fall 2005 Lecture 3 (Connell)
Fall 2004 Lecture 4 (McCluskey)
Fall 2003 Lecture 5 (McCluskey)
Lecture 6 (McCluskey)
Lecture 7 (Connell)
Lecture 8 (McCluskey)
Tips 1 (Connell)
Tips 2 (Connell)
Tips 3 (Connell)
Spring Semester - MSBS 5010 - Seminar in Homeland Security (2 credits)
Synopsis: The course will review relevant literature, including current events to discuss emerging trends, themes, issues, and other topics related to homeland security and domestic preparedness. Possible discussions could include technology transfer from military applications, funding for end-users, public health infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and the role of universities in homeland defense and domestic preparedness. In addition, the seminar will help to lay a foundation for a new generation of citizen-scientists; special attention will be paid to development of well-rounded ideas related to homeland security and domestic preparedness.
Course structure: The course will meet once a week for 15 weeks (2 hour sessions). The course will consist of lectures on topics of homeland security and defense relevant for scientists, as well as discussions of news and other noteworthy events that have recently occurred, and other events in the history of homeland security; students are expected to read, watch, and listen to news and other sources to gather information to share with the class regarding biological and other forms of terrorism. A major part of the semester will deal with the concept of dangerous experiments and their implications for scientists, governments, and the public at large. In addition, the course will have a running conversation on select agent research, focusing on safety, security, and the many incidents that have occurred in laboratories around the globe. Students will also be asked to read a selected scholarly paper each week and be ready for discussion.
Syllabi
Spring 2008 - class meets 5:00pm to 7:00pm in MSB B-540 c&d
Spring 2007
Spring 2006
Spring 2005
