AU Biologists give Presentations
AU Biologists go North to Alaska
Two AU Biologists traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska in June 2009 to present at the annual meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. Dr. Tom Goodwin, Professor of Paleobiology in the Department of Biology, presented a paper on fossil squirrels from the Great Plains. Brooke Kisser, a graduate student in the department, was also a presenter. Brooke presented her thesis research on hibernation in thirteen-lined ground squirrels and how it is reflected in their incisor teeth. Both enjoyed the meetings and a chance to interact with colleagues from across North America.
They also had the opportunity to visit Denali National Park. Denali, formerly called Mt McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America. Although they did not send us a photo of Denali, itself, they did send a photo of the Alaska Range.
See Photos below.
AU Biologist gives Presentation at Montana State University.
Biology's Research Professor, Jim Hayward gave a talk on August 10, 2009 entitled "Eggshell Taphonomy: Development of an Analytic tool for Dinosaur Paleontology". It was presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Dinosaur Eggs and Babies hosted by the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University, Bozeman MT. The talk reviewed the work Hayward and his colleagues have done over the past 29 years on factors influencing eggshell fossilization. It is slated to appear, along with papers based on other presentations, in a special issue of the journal Historical Biology.
AU Professor to give Presentation in Colorado
Dennis Woodland, Professor of Botany in the Department of Biology, has been invited to make two presentations to the Colorado Native Plant Society annual meeting in Ft. Collins, CO September 10-13. Titles of the two lectures are: "Is the Botany Profession Becoming an Endangered Species?", and "Botany in Forensics." The purpose of the Colorado Native Plant Society is to encourage the appreciation and conservation of Colorado native plants and their habitats.
AU Graduate to Present Paper in Chicago
Recent Department of Biology Masters Graduate, Christina Burden, has been invited to present her graduate research to the J.B. Johnston Club Annual Meetings in Chicago, IL on October 16, 2009. Christina's is one of only 10 papers specially selected from the international community for presentation at this special satelite symposium that meets in conjunction with the Society for Neuroscience Meetings. The 10 papers are selected based on "innovations in thinking about neurobiology research". Burden's paper is entitled: Beyond species identity: cricket auditory systems process more than just a stereotyped call. While working with her Biology mentor and coauthor on this paper, Biology Research Professor Gordon Atkins, Christina earned her MS in Biology from Andrews University in August, 2009, and is currently pursuing a Ph. D. in Biology at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
AU Students will also attend the Symposium in Chicago
Gordon Atkins, Research Professor of Biology, will be taking his Neurobiology class to the annual Society for Neuroscience Meetings in Chicago, Oct - /09. The annual meeting attracts over 30,000 neuroscientists each year for the week long event. Each morning and evening there are over 2000 posters, 500 talks and several symposia to choose from. "Why lecture when the students can observe and participate at the 'cutting edge' for themselves?"