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

21 to 27 April 2008

MONDAY, 21 APRIL

"The Colloidal Glass Transition in Tight Spaces," Eric R. Weeks, Emory University, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Plant Biology and Problem Solving to Create Public Benefit: From University to Industry to Government," William Goldner, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Daniel Cosgrove, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Sustainable Management of Fire-Dependent Forests," Malcolm North, University of California, 1:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (867-0371).

"Magnetic Nanoparticles: Size-Dependent Properties and Biomedical Applications," Zachary Schaefer, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Raymond Schaak, Department of Chemistry (865-8600).

"Optical Properties of Nanostructured Rare-Earth Fluorides," Ting-Hao Phan, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Raymond Schaak, Department of Chemistry (865-8600).

"Fertility Effects on Metabolic and Ectomycorrhizal Tradeoffs in Birch," Nathan Kleczewski,

Ohio State University, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-6761).

(title to be announced), Stefano Luzzatto, Imperial College (United Kingdom), 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Many Faces of the Duality Between Gauge Fields and Strings," Radu Roiban, Penn Sate, 4:00 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Soluble-Notch Ligands Regulate Development and Adult Behavior," Anne Hart, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Wendy Hanna-Rose, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-7904).

TUESDAY, 22 APRIL

"Nanoparticle Formation by Flash NanoPrecipitation Using Block Copolymer Directed Self-Assembly," Robert K. Prud'homme, Princeton University, 10:00 a.m., 301 Steidle Building, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (865-4992).

"Dynamic Regulation of Alternative Splicing and Mechanisms of miRNA-Mediated Regulation in Animal Cells," Timothy W. Nilsen (department-head candidate), Case Western Reserve University, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Ross Hardison, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-0113).

"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).

"Averaging in Dynamical Systems, Part One: An Introduction," Yuri Kifer, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Recent Progress in Modeling Highly Resolved Spectroscopies in Complex Materials," A. Bansil, Northeastern University, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Jainendra Jain, Department of Physics (863-1162).

"Das Hefeperlenspiel: The Demography and Genomics of Yeast Aging in the Absence of Caloric Restriction," R. Frank Rosenzweig, University of Montana, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Mary Poss, Department of Biology (867-1213).

"Efficient Large-Margin Semisupervised Learning," Xiaotong Shen, University of Minnesota, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics, (865-1348). 

"Nucleobase Substitutions, Deletions, and Modifications in the Core of a Small Ribozyme: A Demonstration of Structural Resilience with Some New Twists," Joseph Wedekind, University of Rochester, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Philip Bevilacqua, Department of Chemistry (863-3812).

WEDNESDAY, 23 APRIL

"Predicting Complex Metal-Hydride Thermodynamics with Density Functional Theory," Karl Johnson, University of Pittsburgh, 11:45 a.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Milton Cole, Department of Physics (863-0165).

"Alzheimer's Revisited: Questioning the Medical Model," Jesse Ballenger, 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/).

"Velocity: Exploring Sustainability Through Wind Power" (video), 105 Deike Building, 12:15 p.m., Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (863-7073).

"Neutrinos and the Inner Space-Outer Space Connection," Tom Weiler, Vanderbilt University, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Irina Mocioiu, Department of Physics (865-3721).

"Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrocatalytic Applications of Dendrimer-Encapsulated Nanoparticles," Richard M. Crooks, University of Texas, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Mary Beth Williams, Department of Chemistry (865-8859).

THURSDAY, 24 APRIL

"Benign Synthesis, Size Control, and Assembly of Silica Nanoparticles: A New Paradigm for Dispersed Particle, Porous Thin-Film, and Gel Applications," Mark Snyder, University of Minnesota, 10:00 a.m., 102 Chemistry Building, Department of Chemical Engineering (865-2577).

"Regulation of Stress Erythropoiesis by Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 (BMP4) and Hedgehog Signaling," Dai-Chen Wu, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Robert Paulson, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-6306).

(title to be announced), Neil Lyall, University of Georgia, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Student Perceptions Toward Incorporating Real-World Activities Into Horticulture Curricula," Beth Mathie, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"Normalized Power Prior Analysis," Keying Ye, University of Texas, 4:00 p.m., 201 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics (865-1348).

"Real-Time DNA Sequencing: The NEXT Next-Gen Sequencer," Susan Hardin, VisiGen Biotechnologies Inc., 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (865-3332).

"What Has Quantum Mechanics To Do With Factoring? Things I Wish They Had Told Me About Shor's Algorithm" (Mueller lecture), N. David Mermin, Cornell University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Moses Chan, Department of Physics (863-2622).

(title to be announced), Augustin Banyaga, Penn State, 5:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Cars: Chemistry in Motion" (Whitmore lecture), Richard Zare, Stanford University, 7:30 p.m., 100 Life Science Building (Berg Auditorium), host: Roy Olofson, Department of Chemistry (865-7761).

FRIDAY, 25 APRIL

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"The Power of Quantum Systems on a Line," Daniel Gottesman, The Perimeter Institute (Canada), 10:00 a.m., 113 Information Sciences and Technology Building (Cybertorium), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505) .

(title to be announced), Petra Reinke, University of Virginia, 10:00 a.m., 339 Davey Laboratory,  host: Renee Diehl, Department of Physics (865-5122).

"Gene Discovery and Metabolic Engineering in Plant Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis," Richard Dixon, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, 10:10 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Jim Tumlinson, Center for Chemical Ecology and Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Physiological Consequences Resulting From the Loss of Estrogen Receptor Signaling," Kenneth S. Korach, National Institutes of Health, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Additive Multigrid Theory," Susanne Brenner, Louisiana State University, 12:15 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria: Their Roles in Mitigating Acid-Mine Drainage in Pennsylvania," Pauline Wanjugi, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultral Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (865-6541).

"Anomaly Freedom in Cosmological Perturbation Theory with Quantum Gravity Connections," Golam Mortuza Hossain, Penn State, 1:30 p.m, 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Application of the DNA Barcode to North American Siricidae," Nathan Schiff, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 2:30 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Kelli Hoover, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Center for Gravitational Wave Physics Exhibition and Reception," various presenters, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., Life Sciences/Chemistry Building overpass, Center for Gravitational Wave Physics (865-5203 or email:kms54@psu.edu or http://cgwp.gravity.psu.edu/)

"Is God a Number? Maths That Mimic the Mind" (video), 3:35 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Drought: Past, Present, and Future," David R. Easterling, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration + National Climatic Data Center, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

"Reclaiming the High Ground on Safety" (Shoemaker lecture), J. Brett Harvey, Consol Energy Inc., 22 Deike Building, 4:00 p.m., Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (865-2273).

"Science and Technology Diplomacy in the 21st Century" (Eberly lecture), Nina V. Fedoroff, Penn State + U.S. Department of State + U.S. Agency for International Development, 4:00 p.m., HUB Auditorium, Eberly College of Science (863-4683 or sds6@psu.edu).

SATURDAY, 26 APRIL

"Strategies For Our Energy Future: A Panel Discussion with Six Energy Experts from Penn State," Richard Alley + Jack Brenizer + Matthew Mench + Tom Richard + Harold Schobert + John Golbeck, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 27 APRIL

(none)

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Cancellations and additions will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web at
< www.science.psu.edu/scisem/scisem.htm > or
< www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.cgi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal250& >.

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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.