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Science symposium to explore "Living in our Toxic World"

By Peter Hill '08
April 28, 2008

Toxic substances arising from technological developments have significantly impacted our world during the past century. As part of the 10th annual Honors Day Science Symposium this Friday, May 2, three environmental experts from across the country will come together at St. Olaf College to consider what it means to thrive in a "toxic" world. Their lectures will be streamed online. All Science Symposium events are free and open to the public.

Each of the three experts will examine the impacts of toxic waste from a different perspective. Warren P. Porter, professor of zoology and environmental toxology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will kick off the symposium by addressing the health effects of pesticides. Porter's research focuses on how environmental contaminants affect the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, as well as developmental processes. His lecture will begin at 2:15 p.m. Friday.

Dr. Allison Macfarlane, associate professor of environmental science and policy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., is an expert on international security and the environmental policy of nuclear power. Her lecture will address the environmental factors that might accompany a global expansion of nuclear power, including climate change and the need for secure nuclear waste disposal. She will begin speaking at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Dr. Terry Collins, Thomas Lord professor of chemistry at Carnegie-Mellon University, will deliver the day's final lecture. His research focuses on developing "green" methods for initiating oxidation reactions, in which oxygen is used to break down a chemical compound. Oxidation has many industrial applications, but toxic substances are often required to jump-start the reaction. Collins' address will focus on recent developments that provide cost-effective, less-toxic ways to catalyze these reactions. His lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The Science Symposium begins at 2 p.m., with introductory remarks from St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74 and Ted Johnson, professor of biology and director of the environmental studies program at St. Olaf. Student posters will be available for viewing beginning at 9 a.m. in the Buntrock Commons Crossroads, with a formal presentation of research beginning at 4:45 p.m.

The Honors Day Science Symposium celebrates the contributions of the natural sciences and mathematics to the college and to society. The symposium was founded in 1999 with funding provided by the Paul and Mildred Hardy Distinguished Professorship in the Sciences. This annual event highlights undergraduate research in biology, biomedical studies, biomolecular science, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, psychology and statistics, and offers interaction with invited guests working at the forefront of their fields.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.