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

18 to 24 February 2008

MONDAY, 18 FEBRUARY

"Large-Scale Analyses of Cell-Specific Gene Regulatory Mechanisms," Song Li, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Sarah Assmann, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-9579).

"Solving an Old Mystery: Recent Research on the Causes of Pineapple Diseases," Jill Demers, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

"Recurrence Times and Large Deviations," Yong Moo Chung, Hiroshima University (Japan), 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Killing the Messenger (RNA): mRNA Regulation," Aaron Goldstrohm (faculty candidate), University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: B. Franklin Pugh, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-8252).

TUESDAY, 19 FEBRUARY

"Improved Effective Equations in Loop Quantum Cosmology," Victor Taveras, Penn State, 10:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

(title to be announced), Shih-Wa Wang, Penn State, 10:00 a.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Beyond One Dimension: Coherent Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy as a Structural Probe of Peptides," Nien-Hui Ge, University of California, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: William Noid, Department of Chemistry (867-2387).

"Rational Cohomology Ring of Abelian Generalized Complex Quotients," Yi Lin, University of Toronto (Canada), 2:30 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"A New Perspective on Quantum Glasses," Philip Stamp, University of British Columbia (Canada), 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Jainendra Jain, Department of Physics (863-9759).

"Holomorphic Dynamics in One Variable--Methods of Ergodic Theory, Part One: Iteration of Rational Functions. Introduction," Feliks Przytycki, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Peace and Science in the Middle East," Uri ten Brink, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

WEDNESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY

"Atmospheric Composition and Climate on the Early Earth," Jim Kasting, Penn State, 12:00 noon, 541 Deike Building, Office of the Dean of the Graduate School and Worldwide Universities Network (865-6718).

"Celilo Falls and the Remaking of the Columbia River" (video), 12:15 p.m., 105 Deike Building, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Generalized Parton Correlations Functions," Adreas Metz, Temple University, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: John Collins, Department of Physics (863-9759).

(title to be announced), Feliks Przytycki, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Applying Whole Genome Information to Connect Malaria Parasite Genotype with Phenotypes," Michael Ferdig, University of Notre Dame, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Margherita Cantorna, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (863-2819).

"Brain Mechanisms of Motor and Cognitive Functions," Apostolos Georgopoulos, University of Minnesota, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Steven Schiff, Penn State Neuroscience Institute (863-4210).

"Challenges in Large-Scale Multiphysics Simulations," Michael T. Heath, University of Illinois, 4:00 p.m., 113 Information Sciences and Technology Building (Cybertorium), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Functional Regulation of Telomeres by Telomerase and Telomeric Binding Proteins," Lifeng Xu (faculty candidate), University of California, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: B. Franklin Pugh, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-8252).

"Life and Death in the Milky Way," David Helfand, Columbia University, 4:00 p.m., 538 Davey Laboratory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

(title to be announced), Feliks Przytycki, Polish Academy of Sciences, 4:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

THURSDAY, 21 FEBRUARY

"Approximate Hypergraph Partitioning and Applications," Arie Matsliah, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Mesoscopic Simulations of Order-Disorder Transitions and Self-Assembly in Colloidal and Polymeric Systems," Fernando Escobedo, Cornell University, 10:00 a.m., 102 Chemistry Building, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"Finite Euler Products and the Riemann Hypothesis," Steve Gonek, University of Rochester, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Mechanism of Activation of the myo-Inositol Oxygenase Enzyme," Yinghui Diao, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: J. Martin Bollinger Jr., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-5707).

"The Art, Science, and Business of Plant Breeding," Michael Uchneat, Garden Genetics, 12:20 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571). 

"Diatom Species Diversity Response to Salinity Among Mid-Atlantic Streams," Andrew Scanlan, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 10 Tyson Building, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (867-0371).

"Hofer-Like Metric on the Group of Symplectic Diffeomorphisms and the Group of Strong Symplectic Homeomorphisms," Augustin Banyaga, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 315 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Photonic Ink and Elast-Ink: Lab to Market" (Barrer lecture), Geoffrey Ozin, University of Toronto (Canada), 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Thomas Mallouk, Department of Chemistry (863-9637).

"Cure Model with Current Status Data," Shuangge Ma, Yale University, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Graphite, Graphene, and Relativistic Electrons," Eva Andrei, Rutgers University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Moses Chan, Department of Physics (863-9759).

"Keeping Time: Genes, Wives, and History in Yanomami Blood Collections and the Debates About Them," Janet Chernela, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences + Rock Ethics Institute (863-3650).

(title to be announced), Benjamin Lintner, University of California, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

(title to be announced), Dave Cannon, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 202 Research West Building, Department of Geosciences (865-7965).

(title to be announced), Alissa Crans, Loyola Marymount University, 5:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 22 FEBRUARY

"Motor Lateralization as a Model for Understanding Ipsilesional Motor Deficits in Stroke," Robert L. Sainburg, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Preparing Manuscripts for Acceptance: Editors' Perspectives," Peter Landschoot + David Mortensen + Richard Stehouwer, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (865-6541).

RESCHEDULED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION FOR 26 FEBRUARY:

"Hybrid Quantization of the Gowdy Model," Guillermo A. Mena Marugan, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia and the Spanish National Research Council (Spain), 1:30 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"The Hecke Algebra of a Semisimple Lie Group III," Nigel Higson, Penn State, 2:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Probing the Chiroptical Response of a Single Molecule," Michael Barnes, University of Massachusetts, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Tae-Hee Lee, Department of Chemistry (867-2232).

"The Waxy Cover of Insects: Chemistry and Function of Cuticular Lipids," Katalin Boroczky, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Game Theory: Lost in New York" (video), 3:35 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Selective Patronage and Social Justice: Local Food Campaigns in Comparative Historical Context," Clare Hinrichs, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

SATURDAY, 23 FEBRUARY

"The Renaissance of Nuclear Power: An Energy Source of the Future" (Frontiers lecture #5 of 6) Jack Brenizer, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 24 FEBRUARY

(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 Kristen Devlin and Sara LaJeunesse.