We will read five historical novels—written from the late 19th century to the 21st century—that are set in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, all of which narrate the period around and following the U.S.-Mexico War and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. We will explore how the authors we read respond to the War and the Treaty in complementary and contrasting ways as they wrestle with the meaning of these events for themselves and their respective time periods. Along with these novels, we will read supplemental texts in the field of genre studies that give us tools to better understand how historical novels make meaning and how reader expectations and the aims of historical fiction authors have developed from the 19th century to the present.

Analytical studies of plant populations from a physiological perspective. Field work includes sampling techniques, plant physiological measurements, and ecophysiological experimental designs and their application to answer specific research questions. Readings and discussions cover the various perspectives and theories of plant ecology and physiology.