{"id":13077,"date":"2015-09-08T12:13:08","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T16:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.cos.ucf.edu\/?p=13077"},"modified":"2024-08-16T09:43:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T13:43:19","slug":"2015-16-science-cafe-features-amazing-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/2015-16-science-cafe-features-amazing-research\/","title":{"rendered":"2015-16 Science Caf\u00e9 features Amazing Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Science-Cafe-Group<\/a><\/p>\n

Science Caf\u00e9 is designed to showcase UCF professors in a fun and casual environment.\u00a0 The fall 2015 series will span three months, September-November, with each month featuring a scientist from a different department in the university. Admission is free, but we encourage everyone to <\/strong>RSVP<\/strong><\/a> for this event in advance<\/strong>. \u00a0Each speaker will begin their presentation at 7 p.m. so please arrive by 6:30 p.m. for drinks, appetizers and networking.<\/p>\n

Held in the Physical Sciences Building, the series highlights the exciting research currently being conducted in the\u00a0College of Sciences<\/a> and CREOL-College of Optics and Photonics<\/a>.\u00a0Science Cafe is proudly hosted by the Office of Research & Commercialization, Graduate Society of Physics Students, the Physics Department, and Environment Health & Safety.<\/p>\n

The speakers that\u00a0will be featured in the\u00a0series include:<\/p>\n

\"Science-Cafe-Talk-1-Email\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Michael Bass<\/strong><\/a>, Emeritus Professor of Optics, Physics & ECE, CREOL<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Magic Numbers Make the Universe”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We live on a Newtonian world in an Einsteinian universe.\u00a0 Our observations tell us that the universe started in what we call a Big Bang about 13.8 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since.\u00a0 What is truly staggering is that our understandings of the largest and smallest come together into something called the Standard Model. Several numbers that characterize the universe, the values of several physical constants, have to be exactly what they are or else stars do not evolve.\u00a0 And, if stars do not evolve, neither do we.\u00a0 This talk is about the cosmology we have and the perhaps very unusual universe it leads us to think we are in.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bass is Professor Emeritus of Optics at CREOL, the College of Optics & Photonics.\u00a0 From December 1987 until December 1992 he served as UCF’s Vice President for Research.\u00a0 Dr. Bass received his B.S. in Physics from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1960 and his M.S. in 1962 and his Ph. D. in 1964 in Physics from the University of Michigan.\u00a0 He is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the Laser Institute of America (LIA).\u00a0 He was elected a Foreign Member of the Russian National Academy of Engineering Science in 1994. Is the 2014 recipient of the R. W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society of America and a 2013 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. James Wright<\/strong><\/a>, Provost Distinguish Research Professor, Pegasus Professor, Department of Sociology <\/strong><\/p>\n

“An Ungrateful Wretch: Studies of Food Insecurity in the Region, the State, and Beyond<\/em><\/strong>“\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nearly a half century has passed since the CBS Reports <\/em>documentary aired, and hunger in America has taken on a new face.\u00a0 Indeed, the very term \u201chunger\u201d has receded from the public policy discussion; today\u2019s debate concerns \u201cfood insecurity.\u201d\u00a0 And instead of ten million or so people and a hunger rate of 5%, today\u2019s food-insecure population is estimated at around 50 million people, or one American in six.\u00a0 My talk tonight attempts to tell the story of how we managed to get from one in twenty who were hungry to one in six who are food-insecure.<\/p>\n

Dr. James D. Wright\u00a0is an author, educator, and the Provost\u2019s Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida.\u00a0 Wright also serves as the Director of the UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences.\u00a0 He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin in 1973 and taught at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Tulane University before coming to UCF in 2001. His latest research monograph is\u00a0Poor and Homeless in the Sunshine State: Down and Out in Theme Park Nation<\/em>\u00a0(written with Amy M. Donley). \u00a0Wright is also the editor-in-chief of the\u00a0International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences,\u00a0<\/em>2nd\u00a0edition, published in 26 volumes by Elsevier in 2015.\u00a0In addition to his University duties Dr. Wright is very active within the Orlando community. \u00a0He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, the Homeless Services Network and the HOPE Helps Foundation in Oviedo just to name a few.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Lindsay Neuberger<\/strong><\/a>, Assistant Professor, Nicholson School of Communication<\/strong><\/p>\n

“What We Say Matters: Sharks, Space, and Student Stress”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Effective communication in, around, and about science is essential. This talk focuses on three seemingly unrelated topics: sharks, space, and students. The social scientific examination of communication patterns in these contexts can provide us with valuable information to affect health, increase quality of life, and strengthen program effectiveness. This talk provides diverse examples, discusses novel methodologies, and explains what communication can tell us if we listen carefully.<\/p>\n

Dr. Lindsay Neuberger is an assistant professor of human communication at the Nicholson School of Communication. She earned her Ph.D. at Michigan State University and received bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from Wake Forest University. Her research is focused on health campaigns and has covered diverse health issues including breast cancer, blood donation and nutrition. Specifically, Neuberger\u2019s research investigates uncertainty, information seeking and persuasion in health campaigns. Dr. Neuberger\u2019s research interests include:<\/p>\n