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

5 to 11 March 2007

MONDAY, 5 MARCH

"The Atmospheric/Oceanic Memory of Tropical Cyclones and Their Aggregate Role in Modifying Climate," Bob Hart, Florida State University, 11:00 a.m., 529 Walker Building, Department of Meteorology (863-8566).

"Using Non-Pathogenic Bacillus spp. to Induce Systemic Resistance to Fungal Pathogens of Cacao," Rachel Melnick, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, hosts: Paul Backman and Mark Guiltinan, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Unconventional Donor-Acceptor Architectures for Supramolecular Applications," Ron Castellano, University of Florida, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Blake Peterson, Department of Chemistry (865-2969).

"The Pleurotus of the Umbellifers: Ecology and Genetic Diversity," Alma Rodriguez-Estrada, Penn State, 3:30 p.m., 112 Buckhout Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology (865-3761).

(title to be announced), Carme Calderer, University of Minnesota, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Phase-Field Modeling of Microstructure Evolution in Materials," Long-Qing Chen, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 203 Sackett Building, host: Lyle N. Long, Department of Aerospace Engineering (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"What to Do When the Pointwise Ergodic Theorem Doesn't Work," Omri Sarig, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Environmental Epigenomics and Disease Susceptibility" (Simpson lecture), Randy Jirtle, Duke University, 4:00 p.m., 102 Thomas Building, host: Andrea Mastro, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-0152).

"The Development of Plum-Pox-Virus Resistance in Stone Fruits through Genetic Engineering: From Concept to Product," Ralph Scorza, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4:00 p.m., 111 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (865-2571).

"The Future of Food Biotechnology," Terry D. Etherton, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., S-209 Henderson Building, Graduate Program in Nutrition (865-3448).

TUESDAY, 6 MARCH

"Relation Between Schroedinger and Polymer-Quantum Mechanics," Alex Corichi, Universidad Nacional Autonoma (Mexico), 10:00 a.m, 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Statistical Debugging and Automated Program-Failure Triage," Chao Liu, University of Illinois, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technologies Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Bioconjugated Inorganic Nanoparticles as Sensors," Rebecca Grimme, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: John Golbeck, Department of Chemistry (865-1163).

"Toward Open-Source Modeling in Systems Biology," Walter Fontana, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 100 Life Sciences Building--Berg Auditorium (with videoconferencing to Lecture Room D at College of Medicine), Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences (865-1626).

WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH

"Injecting Utility into Anonymized Datasets," Daniel Kifer, Cornell University, 10:00 a.m., 113 Information Sciences and Technologies Building (Cybertorium), Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Lie, Beltrami, and Schouten Problems," Vladimir Matveev, University of Jena (Germany), 4:00 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

THURSDAY, 8 MARCH

"Converting Vinegar to Natural Gas: The Characterization of the Physiological Role of the Ma-Rnf Protein Complex in Methanosarcina acetivorans," Mingyu Wang, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Greg Ferry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-5721).

"New Approaches to the Chemical Synthesis of Bioactive Molecules," John Porco, Boston University, 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Steve Weinreb, Department of Chemistry (863-0189).

"Galton Board," Dmitry Dolgopyat, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 114 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 9 MARCH

TIME CHANGED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Roles of the CLAVATA1-Protein Clade in Arabidopsis Anther Development," Carey Hord, Penn State, 10:10 a.m., 423 Life Sciences Building, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (865-3155).

"Superconformal Algebras and Semi-Infinite Cohomology," Elena Poletaeva, Institute for Advanced Study, 10:10 a.m., 309 Boucke Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Life-History-Parameter Similarities and Differences Between Sympatric and Allopatric Univoltine and Multivoltine Ecotypes of European Corn Borer, Ostrinia nubilalis," Faruque Zaman, Penn State, 11:00 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Quantum Fields at Any Time," Madhavan Varadarajan, Raman Research Institute (India), 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Soil Physical Properties as a Measure of Soil Quality Under Four Crop Rotations in Central Pennsylvania," Jill Weaver, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (865-6541).

"Characteristic Classes for Riemannian Foliations," Jerry Kaminker, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and University of California, 2:30 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"The Dark Side of the Universe" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"Discrete Dynamical Systems and Iterative Eigensolvers," Richard Lehoucq, Sandia National Laboratory, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 10 MARCH and SUNDAY, 11 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.

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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.

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

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 07-93

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Barbara K. Kennedy and Kristen Devlin.