Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities

Science Seminars

14 to 20 April 2008

MONDAY, 14 APRIL

"Beads in Mucus, Generalized Langevin Equations, and State-Space Models," John Fricks, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Role of Suppressor of Sessile Spikelet (Sos) in Meristem Determinacy in Maize," Xianting Wu, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Paula McSteen, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Cuticle and Silk of Arthropods: Chemistry and Chemical Ecology," Stefan Schulz, Institute of Organic Chemistry (Germany), 1:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Jim Tumlinson, Center for Chemical Ecology and Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Hölder Estimates for Green's Functions on Convex Polyhedral Domains and Their Applications to Finite-Element Methods," Dmitriy Leykekhman, University of Connecticut, 3:30 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Nature and Control of Main Papaya Diseases," Bin Tian, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

(title to be announced), Peter Albers, New York University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Why Does a Psychologist Need an Ultrasound? Effects of Nutrients on Vascular Reactivity to Stress," Sheila West, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., S-209 Henderson Building, Graduate Program in Nutrition (865-3448).

"The Evolutionary Transition from Anoxygenic to Oxygenic Photosynthesis and How It Changed the Earth" (Pollard Lecture), Robert E. Blankenship, Washington University in St. Louis, 5:00 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), host: Donald Bryant, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-1992).

TUESDAY, 15 APRIL

"Computer Vision under Programmable Lighting: From 3-Dimensional Reconstruction to Object Recognition," Li Zhang, University of Wisconsin, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Design and Synthesis of Novel Anion-Exchange Membranes for Energy Applications," Michael Hibbs, Sandia National Laboratories, 10:00 a.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Understanding the Exotic Properties of Doped Manganites," H.R. Krishnamurthy, Indian Institute of Science, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Jayanth Banavar, Department of Physics (863-1089).

"From Animal to Person: How Cultural Evolution Builds our Minds," Daniel C. Dennett, Tufts University, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), Biology Department Graduate Student Association (863-8360).

"New Vistas in Photosynthesis Research: Algal Biosensors, Renewable Hydrogen Production, and Artificial Sight," Elias Greenbaum, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Paul S. Weiss, Department of Chemistry (865-3693).

WEDNESDAY, 16 APRIL

(title to be announced), Ryan Sriver, Purdue University, 10:00 a.m., 240 Deike Building, Earth System Science Center (865-0478).

"Doctor Darwin: How Evolutionary Medicine Improves Patient Care," Burt Humburg, Penn State, 12:00 noon, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center (127 S. Allen Street), Office of the Senior Vice President for Research (865-3477 or www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged/).

"Special Earth System e-Learning Showcase," Toby Tyrrell, University of Southampton (United Kingdom), 12:00 noon, 541 Deike Building, Office of the Dean of the Graduate School and Worldwide Universities Network (865-6718).

"Deep Connections (Endless Voyage)" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Probing Neurotransmitter Release and Function," Michael Heien, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Mary Beth Williams, Department of Chemistry (865-8859).

"Radio Detection of Extensive Air Showers," Sven Lafèbre, Radboud University Nijmegan (The Netherlands), 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Tyce DeYoung, Department of Physics (863-9594).

"Pairs of Minimal Geodesics and Injectivity Radius," Xiaochun Rong, Rutgers University, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527) .

"Nonvesicular GABAergic Neurotransmission: Who Needs Vesicles Anyway?" George Richerson, Yale University, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory (with videoconferencing to Room CG623 at College of Medicine), host: Gong Chen, Penn State Neuroscience Institute (865-2488).

"The Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey," Masao Sako, University of Pennsylvania, 4:00 p.m., 538 Davey Laboratory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

THURSDAY, 17 APRIL

"Nanotechnology for Energy Harvesting: From Nanogenerators to Nanopiezotronics," Zhong Lin Wang, Georgia Institute of Technology, 11:15 a.m., 26 Hosler Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

(title to be announced), Yuri Zarhin, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Windshield Genomics," Samir Wadhawan, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Anton Nekrutenko, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-4752).

"Developing Hypoxia-Tolerant Conifers," Ben Hoover, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"Quantitative Mathematical/Experimental Studies of Gene Expression in Simplified Systems, or Ways Cells Can Differ From Beakers," David McMillen, University of Toronto (Canada), 4:00 p.m.,  117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Reka Albert, Department of Physics (865-6123).

(title to be announced)," Anton Petrunin, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

(title to be announced), Cindy Ebinger, University of Rochester, 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

(title to be announced), Ronald Umble, Millersville University, 5:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 18 APRIL

"Mechanisms of Control in the Human Cutaneous Circulation," John M. Johnson, University of Texas, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Introduction to Discontinuous Galerkin Methods," Blanca Ayuso De Dios, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain), 12:15 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Agendas of General Chemistry," Judith Herzfeld, Brandeis University, 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Joe Keiser, Department of Chemistry (863-3209).

"Toward Non-Singular Alternatives to Inflation," Tirtho Biswas, Penn State, 1:30 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"The Duflo Isomorphism and Classification of Representations: Part One," Nigel Higson, Penn State, 2:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Dielectric Fluctuations and Molecular Motions in Synthetic and Biological Polymers," Roger Loring, Cornell University, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: William Noid, Department of Chemistry (867-2387).

"The Tortoise and the Hare in Systemic Ornamental Insect Pest Control, or How I Learned About Neonicotinoid Uptake and Persistance and Why it All Matters?" Casey Sclar, Longwood Gardens, 2:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Greg Hoover, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"100 Greatest Discoveries: Chemistry" (video), 3:35 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or  www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

SATURDAY, 19 APRIL and SUNDAY, 20 APRIL

(none)

 

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Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities.

For more information about Science Seminars, or for instructions on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, visit the links at http://www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisemData.htm

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This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Sara LaJeunesse and Kristen Devlin.