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

27 March to 2 April 2006

MONDAY, 27 MARCH

"Information and Collaboration in the Storage Stack," Timothy Denehy, University of Wisconsin, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

(title to be announced), Do Y. Kwak, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Korea), 11:15 a.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Practice Talks for Site Visit," Interdisciplinary Research Groups, Penn State, 12:00 noon, S-5 Osmond Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Science (MRSEC) and Department of Physics (863-8999). 

"Understanding Gene Regulatory Networks Required for Female-Gametophyte Development and Function," Ramin Yadegari, University of Arizona, 12:20 p.m., 106 Wartik Laboratory, host: David Braun, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (863-3892).

"The Mathematician at the Liberal Arts College: Challenges and Rewards," panel discussion, 12:30 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Small Worlds: Using Microorganisms to Explore Big Patterns in Ecology," Peter Morin, Rutgers University, 1:25 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building (Berg Auditorium), Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"Hybrid Nanostructured Materials by Design: A Unique Class of Inorganic-Organic Semiconductors with Tunable Structures and Properties," Jing Li, Rutgers University, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: John Badding and Ayusman Sen, Department of Chemistry (865-6553).

"The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna: Challenges and Opportunities," Sam Finn, Penn State, 3:00 p.m., 318 Osmond Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"A Thermodynamic Formalism for Noncontinuous Potentials," Anna Mummert, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Large-Scale Image Retrieval and Automatic Linguistic Indexing of Pictures," James Wang, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 158 Willard Building, Institute for Computational Science (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"Genotypic Variation in Root Hairs and Phosphorous Efficiency in Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.)" Magalhaes Miguel, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 108 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"Novel Mechanism of Oxygen Activation for Carbon-Hydrogen and Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage in Myo-Inositol Oxygenase," J. Martin Bollinger, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Robert Schlegel, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

TUESDAY, 28 MARCH

"Nitric-Oxide-Releasing/Generating Polymers: Preparation, Characterization, and Biomedical/Bioanalytical Applications," Mark Meyerhoff, University of Michigan, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Andy Ewing, Department of Chemistry (863-4653).

"Interactions at Magnetic Interfaces," Mark Rzchouski, University of Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Ying Liu, Department of Physics (863-0090).

"Manganese-Oxide Minerals: Soils to Synchrotrons," Jeff Post, Smithsonian Institution, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

"Overlapping Functions of Two SET-Domain Polycomb-Group Proteins and Control of Seed Induction in Arabidopsis," Ramin Yadegari, University of Arizona, 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: David Braun, Department of Biology (863-1108).

"Structural Biology of Double-Strand-Break-Repair Proteins in Radioresistant Archaea," Momoko Tajiri, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Katsuhiko Murakami, Department of Chemistry (865-2758).

WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH

"Kinetic Analysis of Base Selection by RB69 DNA Polymerase," Hong Zhang, Penn State, 9:00 a.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, host: Ronald Porter, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Relationships Between Patterns of Atmospheric Circulation and U.S. Drought Over the Past Several Centuries," Zhihua Zhang, University of Virginia, 11:30 a.m., 541 Deike Building, Earth System Science Center (865-0478).

"Diffuse Galactic Gamma Rays and Dark-Matter Searches," Martin Pohl, Iowa State University, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Stephane Coutu, Department of Physics (865-2015).

(title to be announced), Bruce Kleiner, University of Michigan, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Nuclear Trafficking Events in Retrovirus Replication," Leslie Parent, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, host: Andrew Henderson (863-0340 or ajh6@psu.edu).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Sources of Reionization," Massimo Ricotti, University of Maryland, 4:00 p.m., 538 Davey Laboratory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (865-0418).

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH

"The Allele ku212 of the cog-3 Gene Causes Temporally Uncoordinated Uterine and Vulval Development and Subsequent uv1 Cell Death in C. elegans," Li Huang, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Wendy Hanna-Rose, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Dynamical Zeta Functions," Mark Pollicott, University of Warwick (United Kingdom), 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"How Time Flies: The Molecular Architecture of Memory in Aplysia," Thomas Crew, University of California, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Anne Andrews, Penn State Neuroscience Institute and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (863-3650).

"On Rotational Brownian Motion," Thomas Lubenski, University of Pennsylvania, 4:00 p.m., 119 Osmond Laboratory, host: Jinwu Ye, Department of Physics (863-5345).

FRIDAY, 31 MARCH

"Developing a Monitoring Plan for Hyperdiverse Invertebrates," Jason Rohr, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Conservation Biological Control: The Role of Ground Beetles in Weed-Seed Predation," Meredith Murray, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1601).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"The National Animal Germplasm Program: Structure, Function, Progress, and Future Directions," Harvey Blackburn, National Center for Genetic Resource Preservation, 12:20 p.m.,324 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Chad Dechow, Department of Dairy and Animal Science (863-3659 or cdechow@psu.edu).

(title to be announced), Narutakaa Ozawa, University of California, 2:25 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Frequency-Comb Spectroscopy," Scott Sayres, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host. A. W. Castleman, Department of Chemistry (865-7242).

(title to be announced), Harry Yeh, Oregon State University, 3:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Understanding the Odds in Life" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Three-Dimensional Animation and Fly-Over Maps: Mostly Hype or Useful Tools?" Mark Harrower, University of Wisconsin, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geography (865-3433).

SATURDAY, 1 APRIL

Eberly College of Science Open House, 8:30 a.m. and thereafter, Hetzel Union Building (HUB) Alumni Hall and college labs, Eberly College of Science (863-0284 or www.science.psu.edu/academic/OpenHouse.html).

SPONSOR INFORMATION ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"The Changing Debate on Global Warming," Eric Barron, Penn State, 2:00 p.m., Schlow Memorial Library Community Room (100 E. Beaver Avenue), St. Andrews Episcopal Church + Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State + Clearwater Conservancy + Unitarian Universalist Church + Center for Sustainability at Penn State (865-6546).

SUNDAY, 26 MARCH

(none)

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Additions or cancellations will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web.

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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. Click here for additional information about Science Seminars, or for instruction on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE.

Reporters for Science Seminars and the areas they cover are as follows: [agriculture: Kay Moore] [agronomy: Madeline Laubach] [anthropology: Alan Walker] [astronomy and astrophysics: SherryDawn Jackson and Christine Selders] [biochemistry and molecular biology: Tamara Housel] [biology: Paula Farwell and Stephanie Gookin] [gravitational physics and geometry: Randi Neshteruk] [ceramic science and engineering: April Benson] [chemical engineering: Sandra Brown and Kathy Peters] [chemistry: Clare Eckley] [computer science and engineering: Beth Kennedy and Karen Alise Corl] [earth and mineral sciences: Debra Lambert] [energy: Kelly Jo Rhoades] [entomology: Thelma Brodzina] [life sciences: Janice Kennedy] [mathematics: Flossie Dunlop] [nutrition: Judy Jones] [physics: Cheryl Wagner] [physiology: Jenny Edwards] [plant physiology: Janice Kennedy] [poultry science: Linda Houtz] [Vice President for Research: Emily Rowlands] [science, technology, and society: Karen Snare] [statistics: Bonnie Cain] [veterinary science: Loretta Muchinsky].

NOTICE: PRESS RELEASES AVAILABLE
Press releases occasionally are written for some of the lectures sponsored by the Eberly College of Science. If you would like to receive copies of these press releases in the future, send a note to Barbara K. Kennedy at SCIENCE@PSU.EDU. Your e-mail address will be added to a distribution list.

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Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university. Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the office in charge of the seminar in advance of your attendance. U.Ed. SCI 06-111

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Leta A. Krumrine and Kristen Devlin.