Undersea Explorer Delivers Honors Day Address
American marine biologist, environmentalist and oceanographer Sylvia
Earle, known as ambassador for the world’s oceans, will deliver the
keynote address for Alma College’s 12th annual Honors Day.
Earle will discuss “Sustainable Seas: The Vision, The Reality” at 8
p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in the Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian
Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
Sylvia Earle
Earle,
chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
from 1990 to 1992, is currently founder and chair of Deep Ocean
Exploration and Research, a company that designs, operates, supports
and consults on manned and robotic undersea vehicles. She also is
Explorer-in-Residence for the National Geographic Society.
She has led more than 60 expeditions worldwide involving more than
7,000 hours underwater in connection with her research. From 1998 to
2002, she led the Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five-year program to
study the National Marine Sanctuary Systems sponsored by the National
Geographic Society and funded by the Goldman Foundation. An expert on
the impact of oil spills, she was called upon to lead several research
trips during the Gulf War and following the spills of the ships, “Exxon
Valdez” and “Megaborg. “
Earle led the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project
in 1970 and still holds the undersea depth record for a solo ocean dive
at 1,000 meters.
She is the author of more than 100 publications on marine science and
technology, including the books “Exploring the Deep Frontier,” “Sea
Change,” Wild Ocean” and “The Atlas of the Ocean.” She has
participated in numerous television productions and given scientific,
technical and general interest lectures in more than 60 countries.
She has won numerous awards, including induction into the National
Women’s Hall of Fame, and serves on various boards, foundation and
committees relating to marine research, policy and conservation. She
has degrees from Florida State University and Duke University, plus
honorary degrees from 11 colleges and universities.
Honors Day Celebrates the Liberal Arts
More than 100 Alma College students will share their original research,
creativity and talents during the 12th annual Honors Day,
Thursday, April 3.
The College’s annual Honors Convocation will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the
Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian Hall. The Convocation recognizes
individual and collective achievements. Seniors reveal their choices
for outstanding professors, and the top students are recognized.
The Barlow Trophy, Alma's most prestigious academic honor, will be
awarded to one graduating senior. Ann Armbruster of Ann Arbor, Hadley
Boehm of Perry and Terra Teague of Monroe have been nominated as most
representative of the liberal arts philosophy, successfully blending
academics with an active role in campus life.
From 12:30 to 5 p.m., students perform music, stage dance productions,
deliver oral presentations of scholarly research, and lead poster
discussions in afternoon sessions at various locations around campus.
Some of the presentations are outgrowths of senior theses, and some are
presented by underclass students.
The Ronald O. Kapp Honors Prize will be awarded to the best Honors Day
oral presentations in the humanities, natural science and social
science divisions. Three awards of $500 each will be presented to the
winners in each division at 5:15 p.m. in the Remick Heritage Center
lobby.
Student research topics run the gamut of liberal arts education,
including world hunger, sleep loss, water quality, immigration reform,
military advancements in the 15th and 16 centuries, tribal health care,
muscle strength and range of motion, heroes in American folklore,
studies in chemistry and biochemistry, and the impact of retirement
plan changes in the automotive industry.
Other research topics include using animation to study animal behavior,
owls, turtles, wolf spiders, eating disorders, soil contamination,
career planning, wound-healing time, effects of hiking the Appalachian
Trail, Martin Luther’s theology, presidential image, and factory farms.
Wednesday, April 2
- 8 p.m. Keynote address: Sylvia Earle, Remick Heritage Center
- 9:30 a.m. — Honors Convocation, Remick Heritage Center, Presbyterian Hall
- 11:15 a.m. — Luncheons
- 12:30 p.m. — Concurrent Session I
- 1:40 p.m. — Concurrent Session II
- 2:50 p.m. — Concurrent Session III
- 4 p.m. — Concurrent Session IV
- 5:15 p.m. — Kapp Honors Day prize presentations, Remick Heritage Center lobby
- 5:15 p.m. — Sigma Xi Prize presentations, Remick Heritage Center lobby
Posted: Tue, March 25th, 2008 at 5:02PM
