Dr. Kowalchuk's interests span politics, literature and philosophy. Recently, she has studied Rousseau's depiction of the feminine, and its role in the generation and preservation of morality, as well as Fyodor Dostoevsky's understanding of the role of reason in belief formation. She is also deeply interested in the interaction between science and culture and in questions concerning the evolution of culture.
keywords
ancient philosophy, ancient political philosophy, Greek drama and epic, modern philosophy, history of political thought, history of science, limits of reason
Teaching
courses taught
COEN 1830 - Special Topics
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Explores topics of interest in engineering. Content varies by instructor and semester. May be repeated up to 9 total credit hours.
ENES 1010 - Humanity in a Technological Age
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024 / Summer 2024
This seminar considers what it means to be human in an increasingly technological age. Designed for engineering students, it also looks at the role of technology designers and creators in shaping the human environment. Students focus on sharpening their written and oral communication skills through a series of iterative assignments and projects. Fulfills College of Engineering writing requirement for first-year students only.
ENES 3100 - Ethical Awareness for Engineers
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Summer 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Summer 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Summer 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
This seminar introduces engineering students to a variety of essential texts and works drawn from literature, history, philosophy, and the arts. Through class discussions and a variety of writing assignments, students reflect on their personal values, goals, commitments, and responsibilities, and how these align with the ethical challenges of engineering. Fulfills the College of Engineering and Applied Science writing requirement.
HUEN 2210 - Modern Science and Technological Society
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018
Explores challenges that engineering and science pose for society plus the ways that societies shape or impede science and engineering. Case studies range from contemporary issues (global warming, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering) to classic cases (the execution of Socrates). Core texts in the Western Tradition supplement contemporary articles and films. Formerly HUEN 2210.
