More than 200 professional and student scientists from around the state will gather at West Virginia University on April 10 for the 85th annual meeting of the West Virginia Academy of Science.

The event will feature an astronomy symposium and presentations on a wide range of subjects, including the health effects of coal mining, carbon sequestration, the Dunkard Creek fish kill, new fossil finds, the effects of climate change on West Virginia wildlife and more.

WVU Provost Michele Wheatly will deliver welcoming remarks at 9:30 a.m. in Room 113 of the Mineral Resources Building on the Evansdale Campus. Next on the agenda will be an astronomy symposium on “The Invisible Universe,” with a presentation on pulsars by Maura McLaughlin and one on radio observations of galaxies by D.J. Pisano. Both are assistant professors in WVU’s physics department.
Karen O’Neil of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory will round out the astronomy symposium with a presentation on star formation.

The remainder of the daylong meeting will include professional and student oral and poster presentations on a wide range of scientific research topics. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best undergraduate and graduate student oral and poster presentations.

During lunch, which will be held at the National Research Center for Coal and Energy, Chris Atkinson, director of the WVU Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions, will speak on “Future Automotive Technologies and Trends.” Lois Ann Swineford, a math teacher at Suncrest Middle School, will receive the Dr. John Warner Outstanding Teacher Award for promoting mathematical education in the classroom as well as in extracurricular activities such as MATHCOUNTS.

The WVAS meeting is hosted by WVU’s College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and co-sponsored by the WVU Research Corporation, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, and the West Virginia NASA Space Grant Consortium. Donald Gray, WVU professor of civil and environmental engineering, is current president of the Academy and conference chairman.

Founded in 1924, the West Virginia Academy of Science is dedicated to the advancement of learning and scientific knowledge, with individuals and institutional members from all scientific disciplines. WVAS provides members with networking opportunities, advises policymakers, and promotes interest in science among college, middle and high school students in the state.

—WVU—

04/06/10

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For information, see:
http://www.marshall.edu/wvas/

Contact information:
Donald Gray
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
West Virginia University
gray@cemr.wvu.edu
304-293-9933