Events - Issue 13

Darwin-Lyell Distinguished Lecture Series

Date: Monday, Feb 12, 2024

Time: 6:30–8:00 PM

Speaker: Lawrence M. Witmer, PhD, Professor, Ohio University, Athens

Title: “Fleshing out the past! From Darwin, Lyell, and Huxley to today’s 3D digital dinosaurs”

Synopsis: Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell rocked the world with evolution and uniformitarianism, but Thomas Huxley—“Darwin’s Bulldog”—wrapped dinosaurs around this framework, laying the foundation for current notions of the origin of birds and how to interpret the past. Today, the latest advances in high-tech imaging and 3D computer modeling, combined with Huxley’s old-school anatomy, allow us to “flesh out” dinosaurs in unprecedented ways, shedding new light on dinosaur biology. Prof. Lawrence Witmer will show how his team rebuilds and restores the dinosaur anatomy that time has stripped away, revealing new insights into dinosaur function, physiology, and behavior.

Short Bio: Lawrence M. Witmer is Professor of Anatomy at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to arriving in 1995, he received degrees from Cornell, Kansas, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Witmer is known for “fleshing out” dinosaurs, combining classical anatomy with high-tech CT scanning to shed light on dinosaur biology. Witmer has received numerous federal grants, and has published in Science, Nature, and other technical journals. He was recently featured in National Geographic Magazine and has appeared on dozens of televised documentaries, as well as on CNN, NPR, and other national media. He is an OHIO Presidential Research Scholar and the Chang Professor of Paleontology.

Hudson Mathematics Colloquium

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 14, 12:15 pm

Location: University Hall 158 and zoom

Zoom Meeting ID: 894 3865 6346, Passcode: J99iyG3Wc+

Speaker: Dr. Duc Huynh, GS Mathematical Sciences

Title: Aquaponics with Machine Learning

Abstract: In this talk, we will discuss a proposed undergraduate program on machine learning with aquaponics. We will discuss its structure, tools, and pedagogy. We will discuss various techniques in implementing tools such as Pandas and Microsoft Fabric for exploratory data analysis and modeling, and spark for big data transformations. The program will bring undergraduates from various backgrounds into a single, cross-disciplined environment, thus providing an experiential learning experience for all. The curriculum for the program will consist of carefully crafted topics from multiple disciplines. The goal is to have the students become interested in data science by providing explicit and exciting applications, and we will provide further guidance by finding an appropriate research adviser. This proposal is joint work with the Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center and the Department of Computer Science to be submitted to USDA HEC.

Light lunch provided courtesy of Dr. Denu.