Cate Marquis, A&E Editor
University of Missouri – St. Louis is sometimes described as a commuter campus where students come in for classes and leave right after, but as students who live on campus know, the university has much to entice students to stick around. Part of the college experience is sampling something new, exploring fields and ideas never considered and sometimes discovering a hidden ability or interest that might change your life. Our campus offers an array of opportunities to sample things related to your major or wholly different from it, from art exhibits to history presentations to science-related talks.
Spring always brings to campus an assortment of science talks in a wide range of fields, ranging from practical applications to “what-if” speculation. Many of these talks are multi-media and accessible for a broad college audience, meaning one does not have to major in that field to find it intriguing. Almost all of these events are free, often include light refreshments and usually take place on campus.
On March 15, the Math/Neurodynamics colloquium takes place. Berit Brogaard, associate professor of philosophy at UMSL, talks about “Seeing Mathematics: Brain Activity in acquired synesthesia.” Her talk takes place from 3 p.m to 4 p.m. in Room 302 of the CCB.
On March 19, Professor Valentino Stella, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Kansas, will present the Robert W. Murray Lecture. This annual Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry lecture connects the field with real-world matters and other fields of study.
An April 3 event will appeal to those interested in the environment. Dr. Peter Kareiva, chief scientist at the Nature Conservancy, gives a free, multi-media presentation at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Ridgeway Center. The event is the Jane and Whitney Harris Lecture, sponsored by the Whitney Harris World Ecology Center, a collaborative effort by the Department of Biology, the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Kareiva is the author of the textbook “Conservation Science: Balancing the Needs of People and Nature” and a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. His talk, titled “Towards a New Conservation: Strange Bedfellows, Broadening the Constituency, and Rejecting False Metaphors,” takes place at 7:30 p.m.
Math fans get their chance April 12 to 14, when the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science will host the spring meeting of the Missouri Section of the Mathematical Association of America at the JC Penney Conference Center. The Missouri Collegiate Mathematics Competition will also take place during the event.
April 26 to 28, the campus hosts the Consilience Conference, where leading researchers come together to explore evolution in biology, the human sciences and the humanities at the JC Penney Conference Center. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward O. Wilson, whose work has spanned world-class biology into the synthesis of ideas across a broad intellectual spectrum, will give the keynote speech. The conference offers morning and afternoon sessions, with 18 scientists speaking over three days. This event is not free, but while the cost is $155 for most, UMSL students pay only $75. There is more information on the conference at the website http://consilienceconference.com.
On April 30, Dr. Stephen A. Kolodziej will present the 25th Annual Distinguished Alumni Lecture. Another chemistry department event, it offers a look at the work of an UMSL alum and major figure in the field, often modeling a path to success. Kolodziej is an Associate Research Fellow at the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. After just over one year at Monsanto, he became Senior Research Investigator, Group Leader and Associate Fellow, holding that position as the company transformed into Pfizer. The lecture is followed by a reception and follows the presentation of the Annual Departmental Awards.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosts a monthly Observatory Open House, giving the public access to the stars through their 14-inch telescope. The viewing schedule is on the website www.umsl.edu/~physics/astro.
This is not a complete list of campus science events coming up this spring. The date of the annual Spencer and Spencer Lecture on computer science and math, one of the more interesting and accessible events, has yet to be set, although it usually takes place in April. All the science departments have more information on their events, and interested studentds should check online for details.
Cate Marquis is Arts and Entertainment Editor and a columnist for The Current.