Curious about what might happen as land-based ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica continue to change, either by melting or falling into the sea?
Dr. Robin Elizabeth Bell, a senior research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, will offer some answers in her talk, "Exploring our Changing Poles." Her presentation, on Tuesday, April 20 at 5:15 in Olin Auditorium, is the final discussion in the Distinguished Science and Engineering Lecture Series.
The series is part of a joint research initiative between Union and Skidmore College to study recruitment and retention of female professors in science (including social science), technology, engineering, and math fields. It is funded by a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant the colleges received in 2008.
Union Mathematics Professor Brenda Johnson and Skidmore Sociology Professor Catherine White Berheide are currently managing the project. Skidmore Mathematics Professor Alice Dean co-led the effort with Johnson last year.
“The idea is to showcase the work of remarkable women,” Johnson said. “We want to give faculty chances to connect with peers who share common interests, and we want to give students the opportunity to see how many possibilities are out there in these fields.”
In March, Vera Rubin of the Carnegie Institution of Washington spoke at Skidmore and Diana Dabby of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering spoke at Union.
Bell’s presentation is co-sponsored by Union’s Geology Department and the NSF Advance Skidmore Union Network, as the research initiative is officially known.
Her talk is open to all members of the Union community. For more information on Bell or the NSF Advance Skidmore Union Network, click here.