Back to School, 2015
Cool Classes at Caltech
Welcome to Caltech! If you're one of our incoming undergraduate students, you've undoubtedly heard a lot of talk about how rigorous your coursework will be over the next few years. But you should keep in mind that it's also going to be stimulating, interesting, and sometimes flat-out fun. Caltech offers plenty of really cool classes—both in its core curriculum and electives—that will fulfill your graduation requirements.
Maybe you'd be intrigued by a Freshman Seminar on the science of music (FS/Ph 9)? How about taking a critical look at politics by analyzing Congress (PS 121)? Perhaps you would rather learn how to be happy and have a good life (HPS/Pl 136). You can even help create a new class at Caltech (An/SS 142) or perform social science experiments on your fellow Techers (An 150). Are you a fan of classic Hollywood films (En/F 160)? Or do you prefer newer movies, like Moneyballwith Brad Pitt (FS 17)? Caltech even offers a course for modern art buffs (E/H/Art 89). Maybe you're an aspiring journalist (En 89) or chef (PA 16 abc)? Or, if you're more athletically inclined, you can play with flying saucers (PE 28) or foils (PE 20).
Check the Caltech catalog for more information on all of these classes—and the many others that will be offered throughout this year. And see below for a story on some of the new classes for this year.
New-School-Year News
New Courses
The start of the 2015–2016 school year brings not only new freshmen and faculty, but also new courses.
Freshmen and Faculty Participate in Book Discussion
On September 23, fourteen Caltech faculty and staff members led roundtable discussion groups with the incoming freshman class of 2019 about this year's freshman summer reading, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The book, written by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge and used in scientific research.
Convocation 2015 Welcomes New Students
On Sunday, September 20, Caltech extended a formal welcome to new undergraduate students, graduate students, parents of new students, and postdoctoral scholars at its 2015 Convocation at Beckman Auditorium.
Caltech Interns Summer in Japan
In August, five Caltech undergraduates returned from a summer in Japan, where they worked as interns at a variety of companies as part of the Caltech–Japan Internship Program, started in 1994.
PMA Announces a New Division Chair
Fiona Harrison, the Benjamin M. Rosen Professor of Physics, has been named the new chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy (PMA). She began her five-year term on September 1, assuming the Kent and Joyce Kresa Leadership Chair, replacing current division chair Tom Soifer, professor of physics and director of the Spitzer Science Center.
New EAS Division Chair Announced
Guruswami "Ravi" Ravichandran, the John E. Goode, Jr., Professor of Aerospace and professor of mechanical engineering, and director of the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT), was selected as the new chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science (EAS). On September 1, he began his five-year term.
New VP for Student Affairs Named
Joseph Shepherd (PhD '81), the C. L. "Kelly" Johnson Professor of Aeronautics and professor of mechanical engineering, left his post as dean of graduate studies to succeed Anneila Sargent (MS '67, PhD '78), the Ira S. Bowen Professor of Astronomy, as vice president for student affairs, effective September 15.
New Dean of Graduate Studies Named
On July 1, 2015, Doug Rees, the Roscoe Gilkey Dickinson Professor of Chemistry, began serving as the new dean of graduate studies.
Convocation Keynote
At Convocation on Sunday, September 20, Ali Hajimiri, the Thomas G. Myers Professor of Electrical Engineering, shared highlights from his research—which focuses on electronic and photonics integrated circuits and their applications in communications, biotechnology, and sensing.