Rover recommendations for Spring registration

Art History

Robin Rhodes will be teaching “Introduction to Ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt.” The course will examine the origins of western art and architecture beginning with the Bronze Age and ending with the rule of Emperor Constantine. Rhodes is an archaeologist and art historian who specializes in classical art and architecture and wrote “Architecture and Meaning on the Athenian Acropolis.” For anyone interested in classics or history, Rhodes does a great job explaining the rich cultural backgrounds of ancient art and architecture.

Business

Rover advisor Martijn Cremers will be teaching “Corporate Governance and Catholic Social Teaching.” The course will focus on how Catholic Social Teaching intersects with the work of corporate investors, highlighting the common good with readings from five central encyclicals on Catholic Social Teaching. Cremers is a professor of finance who researches investment and corporate governance, and has a particular interest in the role of a Catholic businessman. For those interested in tying their work in finance with the social work of the Church, Cremers will help you understand how the two spheres function together.

Rover advisor Laura Hollis will teach “Business Law: Contracts and Agency” and “Introduction to Entrepreneurship.” Hollis presents law in an attractive and digestible manner for students of all backgrounds, and she readily addresses any questions about various legal situations. Her expertise, confidence, and solid convictions make her an excellent professor and exemplary female professional. The class is a challenge, but you will find Hollis helps her students excel by providing the essential information in class and encouraging them to actively participate in discussion.

Classics

Elizabeth Mazurek will be teaching “Vergil.” This is a junior level Latin course in which students will study the Aeneid, Vergil’s literary masterpiece. Mazurek leads her classes in an engaging and lively manner, leaving room for discussion as well as close analysis of the Latin text. This is a good class to take to improve Latin translation skills.

Catherine Schlegel is teaching “Seneca and Stoicism,” a course recommended for students with advanced Latin translation skills. In this course, students will examine how Seneca understood the workings of the soul. Schlegel leads her classes with an emphasis on understanding the complexities of Latin poetic meter.

The Rover also recommends Tadeusz Mazurek’s class “Roman Criminal Law.”

Economics

Joseph Kaboski is again teaching the course “Introduction to Economics and Catholic Thought.” Kaboski is an extremely accomplished economist and students will benefit immensely from taking this small seminar course. The course explores Catholic Social Thought’s relationship to economics through the study of economic concepts and data alongside Catholic writings on the subject, including papal encyclicals. Ultimately, the class discusses those ideas in relation to current issues such as finance, the environment, and globalization.

James Sullivan, one of the founders of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), is teaching “Public Economics II,” a core course for economics majors. Sullivan is a highly acclaimed economist whose work focuses on studying the economics of lifting people out of poverty. He emphasizes promptness and thoroughness, and his courses will provide an extremely solid foundation for economics majors, particularly ones interested in public policy.

English

Jesse Lander is offering “Shakespeare for Life” in the spring. This course will surround eight of Shakespeare’s plays, focusing on the dramatic representation of intractable ethical problems. Lander specializes in Shakespeare, Tudor-Stuart drama, the history of books, and Renaissance literature.

Finance

Carl Ackermann is well-decorated, with several awards for his excellence in teaching, including a 2012 recognition as one of the ten best business professors in the nation. He matches his area of expertise—mutual funds, hedge funds, and personal finance—with a dedication for service to those in poverty, and a fervor to prepare Notre Dame students for financial success post-graduation. He will be teaching “Applied Investment Management.”

History

Rover advisor Rev. Wilson Miscamble, C.S.C. will offer “Presidents & Presidencies from FDR to Obama” a freshman level course that will examine the presidential administrations of presidents from FDR to Obama. Students will look at how these administrations handled both foreign and domestic policy. He is very friendly—students appreciate his sense of humor and knowledge of Australian history and he is known for taking his students out to lunch.

Daniel Hobbins will teach “World of the Middle Ages,” the popular course once taught by Thomas F. X. Noble. This course offers a fascinating window into the world that produced saints such as Thomas Aquinas and vampire-novel-inspiring princes such as Vlad Dracula. Hobbins is particularly interested in high and late medieval culture as well as religious, cultural, and intellectual history. His subtle humor and thought-provoking style will quickly win over the hearts and minds of his students.

Philosophy

David O’Connor will be teaching “Plato’s Images of Love and Death,” which will focus on Plato’s Phaedo, Phaedrus, and Symposium. This class will be a great opportunity to get to know a very personable and learned professor.

John O’Callaghan is teaching “Science and Catholicism.” The course examines the historical and philosophical tradition of the relationship between science and religion, with a particular emphasis on the Catholic tradition’s response to issues raised by science. The course considers evolution, the Big Bang, and soul and body.

The Rover recommends Megan Sullivan’s “Introduction to Philosophy: God and the Good Life.” This is a wonderful course to fulfill the University’s first philosophy requirement. The course explores the multiple arguments in favor of and against the rationality of believing in a God.

PLS

Andrew Radde-Gallwitz is teaching “The Bible and Its Interpretation” this spring. This course, one of the theology classes offered for PLS students, will analyze closely selected books from the Bible and their history within the Church. Students enjoy Radde-Gallwitz’s sense of humor and great experience with this material.

Henry Weinfield will be teaching “Literature II: Shakespeare & Milton.” This tutorial will include reading several of Shakespeare’s plays and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Weinfield himself is a poet, translator, and literary scholar; students can trust that he will expertly navigate them through the difficult works of both Shakespeare and Milton.

Political Science

Rover advisor Patrick Deneen is teaching “Liberalism and Conservatism.” This course will examine the intellectual foundations for the dominant political worldviews of American society. Deneen’s book Why Liberalism Failed was released to wide acclaim earlier this year. He is a gifted and engaging lecturer who is known for connecting human nature to politics.

Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C. will be offering “Latin American Politics” in the spring, a course that will introduce students to the critical issues within contemporary Latin American culture, society, politics, and economy. Fr. Scully is the founder of A.C.E. (Alliance for Catholic Education) and a faculty fellow for the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Students will benefit from his vast experience both inside and outside the classroom.

The Rover also recommends Sotirios Barbe’s course “American Conservatism and the Constitution,”Andrew Gould’s “Introduction to World Politics,” Mary Keys’ Social Science University Seminar on “Politics and Literature: J. R. R. Tolkien,” and Joshua Kaplan’s “Political Theory.”

Theology

Sister Ann Astell will be teaching “Fr. Bernard to Bernadette,” a course which tracks the theological development of the Immaculate Conception. Sister Ann is a scholar of medieval literature, spirituality, and the history of Christianity. This course is especially recommended for students looking for a compelling second theology or are interested in Mariology.

John Cavadini, a Rover advisor, is offering “The Catholic Faith” for the spring semester. This class, which is recommended as “a resource for catechists and religious educations,” will utilize the Catechism of the Catholic Church as its primary resource—focusing particularly on Pillars I and II—as well as the Creed and the Sacraments. This course is recommended to students interested in teaching the faith and to those who desire strong instruction of Church teaching.

Another Rover advisor, Fr. Terrence Ehrman, C.S.C. is offering “Theology & Ecology.” In this course, students will have the opportunity to explore their relationship with creation as Christians. Students will examine Scripture and the Creed throughout the periods of the Early Church, the Middle Ages, and modern times. Fr. Terry has training in aquatic ecology and systematic theology, so his expertise in this particular area are helpful for those interested in the biological sciences.

The Rover also recommends Fr. Brian Daley, S.J., Anthony Pagliarini, Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., Catherine Cavadini, Gary Anderson, and Tim O’Malley.