Penn State's CarbonEARTH program will host a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) communication symposium from 2 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, in the Stuckeman Family Building Jury Space on the University Park campus. The interactive event, titled "The Changing Ecosystem of Science Communication," will feature leading academics and science communication professionals who will discuss evolving practices of and challenges in communicating STEM knowledge to diverse audiences and policymakers. The event is free and open to the public. (more)
Geography professor Derrick Lampkin will do fieldwork in Antarctica this month (December) to study the unique and isolated ecosystem of the Dry Valleys and how it is affected by climate change. Historically, there has been little melt, but in recent years, scientists have seen melting on the surface, "which they suspect comes from three sources: glaciers, melt from permafrost, and snow that melts instead of turning into water vapor," he said. (more)
The geospatial revolution really has two parts, explains geographer Adena Schutzberg: technology and access to information. Casual users can now pinpoint the location of everything from the best available parking spot to the locations of endangered species. (more)
Disease statistics buried within patient records or detailed in newspaper clippings can be sorted and organized to depict geographic patterns, allowing the discovery of trends that were previously overlooked, according to a Penn State geographer. "The use of interactive maps and graphs, combined with word search interfaces, can lead to greater insight into complex events such as the spread of Swine flu," said Frank Hardisty, research associate, Penn State GeoVISTA Center. (more)
A majority of Pennsylvania's mobile home residents say they are overwhelmingly satisfied with their homes despite problems like construction quality, social stigma and financing associated with them, according to Penn State geographers. "The fact that there are problems associated with living in a mobile home was not a surprise to us," said Destiny Aman, graduate student in geography. "But, residents were overwhelmingly satisfied with their housing choice despite the problems, and that points to a real opportunity for housing policy to address issues and improve the quality of life for mobile home residents." (more)
Laura Newcomer of York has been selected as the student marshal to represent both the College of the Liberal Arts and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State's Fall 2009 commencement. Newcomer, who is completing English and geography majors, will lead the procession of graduates at two baccalaureate ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 19, in the Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus. (more)
Mark Anderson, eastern regional director of conservation science with the nonprofit The Nature Conservancy, will discuss the conservation of geophysical settings as a way of protecting biodiversity in current and future climates at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in room 112 of the Walker Building on Penn State's University Park campus as part of the Geography Coffee Hour series.
Anderson's talk, "Climate, Geology and Biodiversity: Why Protecting Places is Critical to Conserving Species," is open to the public. It is sponsored by the Penn State Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI) and the Department of Geography. (more)
When hurricanes, wildfires or other disasters strike, emergency services personnel frequently turn to geographic information systems (GIS) to help coordinate their response. Since GIS is a relatively young and rapidly evolving technology, many users learn on the job. Thanks to Penn State's online GIS programs, practitioners can advance their knowledge, skills and careers without putting their lives on hold. The Sloan Consortium recently recognized the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' Master of Geographic Information Systems program delivered through the World Campus as the 2009 Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program. (more)
Knowing what causes a disease may not make it easier to control and contain infection, but understanding how humans become infected and where the pathogens live may improve control. A National Science Foundation grant for $1.5 million over five years will allow an international team of researchers to investigate how changes in the environment affect a deforming tropical disease called Buruli ulcer. (more)
Alex Klippel, professor of geography at Penn State, will give a lecture on spatial cognition research at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. The talk, titled "Toward a Decade of the Spatial Mind: Visions and Contributions," is the first of the Geography Department's 2009 Coffee Hour colloquium series.
