Spring 2026 Course Search

Building on structural and reactivity insights developed in Chemistry 1, this course delves into molecular structure and modern theories of bonding, especially as they relate to the reaction patterns of functional groups. We will focus on the mechanisms of reaction pathways and develop an understanding for how those mechanisms are experimentally explored. There will be numerous readings from the primary literature, including some classic papers that describe seminal experiments.

Chemicals often get a bad rap, from headlines warning of "toxic chemicals" to marketing labels that boast "chemical-free or all natural" products. But what are we really afraid of? In this course, we’ll use chemophobia as a starting point to explore the fundamental principles of chemistry. Why do certain substances evoke fear, and are those fears grounded in science? Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and hands-on experiments, students will critically examine the chemical nature of  us, everyday substances, from food and water to cosmetics and cleaning agents.

This course examines the complex relationship between language, culture, and society through an interdisciplinary lens, incorporating perspectives from linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis. Students will explore how linguistic practices both reflect and shape identities, power dynamics, cultural norms, and worldviews as we cover topics such as linguistic relativity, regional variation, racialization, politeness, and markers of gender and class.

Vandercook Proofing Presses were once a vital aspect of the printing industry and have been adopted widely by artists for letterpress printing and book arts. Bennington College is fortunate to possess three Vandercooks, housed in the Word and Image Lab.

How can anthropology help us understand political dynamics around the world? This course will introduce students to a range of approaches anthropologists have developed in the study of politics and the political. The course will consider anthropological methods for studying the powerful, the state and institutions, and political movements.

What does intimacy reveal about our social worlds? This seminar explores a range of recent methods in the study of intimacy, as well as what it means to make intimate knowledge claims. Through neighboring concepts in Anthropology, such as kinship, friendship and relatedness, as well as through intimacy’s imbrication with economy, sexuality, violence, and more-than-human worlds, this course considers the varied shapes that intimacy takes across distinct social worlds.

Part of the Chemistry 1-4 suite, this will examine the energetics of chemical changes. Focusing on the enthalpic and entropic contributions to free energy change, we will examine how energy or work can be extracted from chemical systems and how these systems behave as they tend toward equilibrium. Types of equilibria to be covered will include acid/base, solubility, phase change, metal-ligand interactions and oxidation/reduction. The energetics of electron transfer reactions will be examined along with the practical considerations of making use of such reactions to power electric devices.

This course is an introduction to the magic of copper plate Intaglio. We will explore various techniques to prepare our plates including hand working and acid etching with materials such as rosin resists and sugar lifts. By the end of term, we will be printing in color. Ultimately, the overall goal of our endeavors will be to begin a dialog about artistic production in a contemporary context while also exploring the unique history of the intaglio process.