[116]MTSU GEOSCIENCES CELEBRATES EARTH SCIENCE WEEK IN OCTOBER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 25, 2008
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2941, or lrollins@mtsu.edu

MTSU GEOSCIENCES CELEBRATES EARTH SCIENCE WEEK IN OCTOBER
Free & Open Events Include Lectures on Global Warming and Petroleum’s Future

(MURFREESBORO)—The Department of Geosciences at MTSU will participate in Earth Science Week in October with a series of activities and events that are free and open to the public.
This year’s National Earth Science Week, which is designed to help raise awareness about the many contributions geoscientists make to society, is set for Oct. 12-18. In turn, MTSU’s geosciences faculty will celebrate the week with a number of activities beginning Oct. 12
Dr. Melissa Lobegeier, assistant professor, geosciences, said among the celebration’s MTSU-sponsored highlights will be a guest lecture/brown bag forum 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, by Gerry Calhoun, a surface geochemist consultant at New Paradigm Exploration, whose talk, “Petroleum: Its Past, Its Present, Its Possibilities,” will be held in Room 452 of Kirksey Old Main on the MTSU campus.
Another featured brown-bag forum, “Climate History and Global Warming: Fact and Fiction,” will begin at 12:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in KOM 452. Led by Lobegeier and Dr. Jim Henry, geosciences professor, the two-hour discussion will include a panel whose members will answer questions about global warming and climate change.
Other on-campus Earth Science Week functions will include the below-listed activities.
• Wednesday, Oct. 15: Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Keathley University Center courtyard. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the MTSU chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon
• Thursday, Oct. 16: Department of Geosciences Open House at 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in KOM 300. Sponsored by Sigma Gamma Epsilon, the event will feature posters and displays on department courses. Refreshments and snacks will be provided by Sigma Gamma Epsilon.
Also, throughout the day faculty and staff will be present to provide information and answer questions on careers in geosciences. Participating faculty will include the following: Dr. Henry (remote sensing, meteorology) at 9-9:45 a.m.; Dr. Melissa Lobegeier (paleontology, climatology) at 9:45-10:30 a.m.; Dr. Warner Cribb (mining/mineralogy, geochemistry) at 10:30-11:15 a.m.; Dr. Albert Ogden (hydrogeology) at 11:15 a.m.-noon; Dr. Mark Abolins and Dr. Pat Boda (geographic information systems) at 12-12:45 p.m.; Dr. Clay Harris (petroleum geology) at 12:45-1:30 p.m.; and Dr. Laura Collins (K-12 earth science education) at 1:30-2 p.m.
For more information about these local Earth Science Week events, please contact MTSU’s geosciences department at by calling (615) 898-2726.


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