|
Courses
Here is a list of the courses that I teach. Follow the links to learn more
about my "specialty courses." They aren't all taught every year.
Check the most recent registration packet to see when they are offered. Or
send me an email at drennen@hws.edu.
|
|
|
- Life cannot exist without energy. Life on earth harnesses energy from the
sun and other plants and animals. Society harnesses energy from fossil
and modern organic matter, from atoms, the sun, wind, and tides, and from
the earth’s
interior. Each energy source harnessed by society has a set of environmental,
technologic, geologic, economic, social, and moral advantages and disadvantages.
Which source of energy is better? What does “better” mean?
Which source of energy is, over the long term, sufficient, environmentally
safe,
and adaptable to many applications? In this course, students examine various
aspects of the energy question to arrive at answers to these and other
questions.
- Click
to view a sample syllabus (.pdf)
|
|
|
- The primary goal of this course is to apply basic micro-economic principles
to understanding environmental issues and possible solutions. The course is
structured around four basic questions: How much pollution is too much? Is
government up to the job? How can we do better? How do we resolve global issues?
Throughout the course, students move back and forth between theory and practice,
learning how basic principles from economic theory can be applied to environmental
questions and then looking at how these principles have been used to implement
policy nationally and internationally.
Prerequisite: ECON 120, ECON 160, or
ENV 110 (Energy).
- Click
to view a sample syllabus (.pdf)
|
|
|
- Designing winning solutions to the complicated issues affecting the environment
requires a strong interdisciplinary approach. The course covers the basic theoretical
models of natural resource use as well as the implications of these models
for policy decisions. Topics include opposing views of natural resource use
and depletion; basic criteria and methods for decision analysis; property rights
and externalities; the linkage between population growth, resource use, and
environmental degradation; energy options; successes and limitations of recycling;
resource scarcity; economic growth and resource use; and sustainable development.
Students construct simple simulation models to explore the basic relationships
discussed in this course.
Prerequisite: ECON 301.
- Click
to view a sample syllabus (.pdf)
|
|
|
- This course offers an introduction to the methods of descriptive and
inferential statistics that are most important in the study of economics.
The intent
of the course is to help students understand these tools and when they
can usefully be applied to data. The course includes basic descriptive
statistics, probability distributions, sampling distributions, statistical
estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation analysis, and regression
analysis. Students construct surveys and use the data collected via the
surveys as
the basis for their semester project. The project gives students a
chance to demonstrate basic competency in the application of the tools
taught
in the course, their ability to use computer programs to analyze data,
and their ability to explain the statistical results in plain English.
Prerequisite: ECON 160 or 120
- Click
to view a sample syllabus (.pdf)
|
|
|
- The subject of this course, broadly speaking, is regression analysis. After
a brief review of the simple linear model , the course develops the theoretical
framework for the multivariate linear model. Various special topics are studied
while students complete individual research projects.
Prerequisites: ECON 202
and ECON 300 or ECON 301.
- Click to view a sample syllabus (.pdf)
|
