The 2017-18 Distinguished Speaker Series is Here!

The UCF College of Sciences Distinguished Speaker Series is back this September with six UCF faculty who are experts in topics relevant to the natural, computational, social or behavioral sciences and the developments in their respective fields.

This year’s 2017-18 series will be held monthly at Tuscawilla Country Club at 6 p.m., from September 2017 to April 2018 (excluding November and December). We invite you to join us and enjoy a wonderful evening with food, drink and intellectual stimulation.

Michael Sigman, Ph.D., Director of the National Center for Forensic Science and professor in the UCF Department of Chemistry, begins our series on September 20 with his presentation, Evaluating Evidence: Arson Scene to the Courtroom. Sigman will discuss the difficulties of arson crimes and the role that modern forensic science plays in the arson investigation and process.

On October 11, Timothy Hawthorne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Geographic Information Systems in the UCF Department of Sociology and UCF College of Sciences GIS Cluster, will present Engaging Communities: Maps, Apps and Drones. He will speak to the importance of citizen science and how academics and community members can use science in a meaningful and impactful way.

J. Marla Toyne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Bioarchaeology in the UCF Department of Anthropology, will begin our series after the holidays with her presentation, Where Condors Reign: Vertical Archaeology in the Mountains of Peru, on January 17. She will discuss bioarchaeological research of the cliff tombs in the Chachapoyas region of Peru and how it is hindered by natural and technological challenges.

Is Orlando a coastal city? On February 21, Graham Worthy, Ph.D., UCF Pegasus Professor, Provosts Distinguished Professor in the UCF Department of Biology, will answer this question. Coastal is more than the outline of a state; it is up to 100 miles inland making Orlando a coastal city. Worthy will discuss why Orlando citizens should be concerned about coastal issues.

On March 21, Nichole Lighthall, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the UCF Department of Psychology, will present A Peek Inside the Adaptable Aging Brain. Her talk will highlight new discoveries in neuroscience of aging and provide a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the aging brain.

The final speaker, Adrienne Dove, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the UCF Department of Physics, will present CubeSats: Big Science in Tiny Spacecraft, on April 18. CubeSats are miniaturized satellites that are deployed into orbits around the Earth and are designed to fly solo or along with larger missions throughout the solar systems. Her talk will highlight examples of CubSats for Earth and planetary science, and the two CubeSats UCF is developing for 2018.

We hope you can join us for one or all of this year’s presentations. Learn more and RSVP.