Maria Valdes

This course investigates minerals ¿the foundation of our planet¿ from both scientific and cultural perspectives. We will learn the foundational principles of mineralogy¿ including crystal structures, geological formation environments, and mineral identification¿ and explore how these materials become gemstones through human intervention. With this grounding in geology and chemistry, we will also examine how humans have valued, manipulated, and mythologized minerals and gems throughout history: considering the ethics of gem mining and trade, critically assessing pseudoscientific claims around crystals and healing, as well as visit Chicago institutions that showcase the scientific and artistic beauty of minerals.
Lectures and labs will introduce students to mineral identification and the tools of gemology, such as microscopes, polariscopes, and refractometers. Readings will draw from scientific texts and essays exploring the cultural history of gems and crystals. We¿ll examine works by artists who use minerals as subject or medium, visit museum collections and local jewelry designers, and engage with contemporary discussions on sustainability, ethics, and pseudoscience. Students will connect scientific insight with creative interpretation through projects and field experiences.
Students will be evaluated by a mixture of weekly journals, labs, a midterm exam, and a final art project with written essay component.

The Moon, our closest celestial neighbor, is a cornerstone for understanding planetary formation and evolution. This course offers an in-depth exploration of its origin, development, and significance within the broader context of Solar System science. Although the Moon is just one of many worlds, its nearness and the rich archive of data from the Apollo missions, along with the renewed investigations planned through the Artemis program, make it an unparalleled laboratory for understanding planetary processes. We will examine the Moon through geochemistry, cosmochemistry, petrology, and isotopic analysis, introducing what isotopic studies are and why they illuminate lunar history, while also delving into its origins, surface processes, and the technologies used to investigate them.
Lectures and discussions will draw on data from the Apollo missions, lunar meteorites, and modern spacecraft such as Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Artemis. We will examine scientific papers, mission imagery, and isotopic datasets to explore how the Moon formed and evolved. Students will also engage with real NASA scientists, documentaries, animations, and artistic interpretations of lunar
exploration, connecting scientific understanding with creative expression through hands-on activities and visual projects inspired by lunar geology and chemistry.
Students will be evaluated by a mixture of weekly quizzes, journal assignments, labs, a midterm exam, and a final project.

Cosmochemistry lies at the crossroads of chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and biology, helping us answer fundamental questions about our Solar System's formation and evolution. About 9 billion years after the Big Bang, our Sun ignited, and 4.6 billion years of chemical evolution followed- shaping planets, asteroids, moons, and more. This course explores the origins of planetary materials, Earth's composition, and why studying extraterrestrial samples is key to understanding our home planet. Where did water come from? What led to life's emergence? How can this knowledge guide space exploration? Through cosmochemistry, we uncover the processes that shaped our world and beyond.
Lectures will provide the foundation for the material covered in this course. In addition, we will read recent publications from scientific journals and other selected texts, engage in class discussions, watch videos, listen to a podcast about NASA's Apollo missions, and participate in hands-on lab work to understand meteorites. By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the processes involved in the formation and evolution of planets and other astromaterials, and summarize the evidence for this narrative.
2. Identify and characterize different meteorites types. Explain why they are crucial for cosmochemistry research.
3. Explain the relationship between Earth and other Solar System materials.

Students will be evaluated by a mixture of weekly assignments, quizzes, a group midterm project, and an individual final art project with a written component.

About 9 billion years after the Big Bang, our Solar System's sun ignited from the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud. This course explores the 4.6 billion years of subsequent chemical evolution of the Solar System. Our tool of study, cosmochemistry, lies at the crossroads of chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and biology. As such, we can use it to help us answer some fundamental questions, including: What are the elemental and molecular building blocks of our Solar System? Under what conditions, and by which processes, did these building blocks assemble into planets, asteroids, moons, comets, meteorites, and interstellar dust? What is the Earth made of, how did it evolve over time, and why do we need to study extraterrestrial materials to understand our home planet? Where did water come from and what led to the rise of life on Earth? How can we use this knowledge to guide future space exploration?

Formerly called: The Universe (SCIENCE 3212) - students cannot receive credit for this course if they have already received credit for The Universe (SCIENCE 3212)

This course on Mineralogy and Gemology provides a detailed scientific exploration of minerals, their structures, properties, and classification, with a particular emphasis on their geological processes. Students will study the chemical composition, crystallography, and physical characteristics of minerals, learning how to identify and classify them in the lab. The course will cover the processes of mineral formation, the environments in which they occur, and the tools and techniques used for their analysis. A portion of the course will also focus on the properties of gemstones, such as color, clarity, and hardness, and the geological conditions that create these precious materials. Throughout, students will learn to apply scientific principles to the study of minerals, while also considering the cultural significance and aesthetic appeal of gemstones. By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of mineralogy and the role of gemstones in both science and art, gaining hands-on experience with mineral identification and analysis. This course will incorporate a variety of texts and media, including scanned readings from textbooks, scientific journal publications, museum collection catalogs, high-resolution mineral imaging, and documentary films on mineral formation and gemstone trade. The coursework will consist of weekly microscopy-based lab exercises, 3-5 homework assignments, a midterm exam, and a final art project that encourages students to creatively engage with the scientific and cultural aspects of minerals and gemstones.

This course on the Geochemistry and Exploration of the Moon focuses on the geological and geochemical evolution of the Moon, with particular attention to the samples returned by the Apollo missions and their role in shaping our understanding of lunar history. Students will explore the composition of lunar rocks, soils, and regolith, examining key features such as isotopic compositions, mineralogy, and the processes that formed the Moon¿s surface. The course will delve into the methods used to analyze these samples, including spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and electron microscopy, while also considering the implications of recent findings from the Artemis missions. We will discuss how lunar geochemistry informs our understanding of planetary formation and the broader processes of the solar system. In addition to the scientific content, the course will explore how lunar materials have inspired artistic interpretations of space. By the end of the course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of lunar geology and geochemistry, and the ongoing exploration of the Moon. This course will incorporate a variety of texts and media, including scanned readings from textbooks, scientific journal publications, documentaries, interviews, mission transcripts, meteorite samples, and NASA data archives. The coursework will consist of weekly homework assignments, two lab exercises, a midterm exam, and a final art project that encourages students to synthesize scientific concepts with creative expression.

This course on Mineralogy and Gemology provides a detailed scientific exploration of minerals, their structures, properties, and classification, with a particular emphasis on their geological processes. Students will study the chemical composition, crystallography, and physical characteristics of minerals, learning how to identify and classify them in the lab. The course will cover the processes of mineral formation, the environments in which they occur, and the tools and techniques used for their analysis. A portion of the course will also focus on the properties of gemstones, such as color, clarity, and hardness, and the geological conditions that create these precious materials. Throughout, students will learn to apply scientific principles to the study of minerals, while also considering the cultural significance and aesthetic appeal of gemstones. By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of mineralogy and the role of gemstones in both science and art, gaining hands-on experience with mineral identification and analysis. This course will incorporate a variety of texts and media, including scanned readings from textbooks, scientific journal publications, museum collection catalogs, high-resolution mineral imaging, and documentary films on mineral formation and gemstone trade. The coursework will consist of weekly microscopy-based lab exercises, 3-5 homework assignments, a midterm exam, and a final art project that encourages students to creatively engage with the scientific and cultural aspects of minerals and gemstones.