Programs

Highlights from Past Programs...

January - Drifting Continents: A Scientific Revolution

The society is grateful to Dr. Peter H. Ranelli, Retired US Navy Captain for his wonderful discussion on drfiting continents. In 1912 Dr. Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist, proposed that the Earth's landmasses once formed a super continent, Pangea, which slowly drifted apart to form the seven continents of today. Geologists of his time rejected Wegener’s idea that the continents could move. Dr. Wegener started a scientific discussion that lasted over sixty years. The debate resulted in a unifying framework of the Earth’s geologic processes and an understanding of how the Earth’s surface evolves. Plate Tectonics explains how mountain-building, volcanoes, and earthquakes occur and aids in reconstructing past continents and oceans. This talk will follow the rising recognition of the puzzle fit of the continents, the opposition of the geologic community and the geophysical and oceanographic research that confirmed Dr. Wegner’s theory.

Dr Ranelli has over 45 years’ experience in oceanography and meteorology, Naval operations, and maritime activities. He completed a 25-year career in the US Navy, specializing in operational oceanography and meteorology, retiring with the rank of Captain. He has extensive experience in underwater systems including autonomous underwater vehicles, underwater acoustics for anti-submarine warfare, physical oceanography and meteorology, and operational environmental support. Dr Ranelli has a Master's Degree with Distinction in Meteorology and Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Doctorate in Oceanography from the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College.

December - The Science Behind the Scenes

The society is grateful to Sarah B. George, Ph.D., Executive Director Emeritus, Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, for her wonderful presentation! We explored museum-collections-based research, from building evolutionary trees and providing the foundation for models of climate change impacts, to mapping the history of the human family, including a discussion of a recent Nobel prize winner’s work. 

Sarah George is a biology graduate of the University of Puget Sound, Fort Hays State University, and the University of New Mexico, where she completed her Ph.D. in evolutionary genetics of small mammals. She started her career in museums as an undergraduate and worked continuously as a scientist and then administrator in museums for 43 years.  At the University of Utah, Sarah and her team of staff and board members designed and built the new home for the Natural History Museum of Utah, the award-winning Rio Tinto Center, which opened in 2011. As a museum professional, she has been active nationally and internationally, serving on the boards and as an officer for museum organizations including the Association of Science Museum Directors and the Association of Science and Technology Centers. In 2016, she was awarded the Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology for the State of Utah.

November - Ornithological Diversity in Ding Darling

The Society is grateful to Toni Westland, BS, Supervisory Ranger for her wonderful presentation about Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. 

Westland joined the staff of Ding Darling in 2002 as environmental education specialist. She transferred to the refuge from a position as environmental educator for the Corps of Engineers at the Lake Okeechobee Waterway, which she began in 1998 as a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Points with a major in natural resource management, emphasis on environmental education. She has received many awards for her service, including a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Regional Director's Award for her curriculum design and proactive approach to resolving student transportation problems to the refuge. In 2018, she received The Wildlife Society's Florida Chapter's 2018 Outstanding Educator Award. 

October - Identifying Natural Compounds As Anti-Cancer Agents in Metastatic Breast Cancer

The Society members and guests enjoyed an informative and engaging event with Dr. Lindsay Rhodes, who conducts molecular research on breast cancer and heads the Florida Gulf Coast University’s new Masters program in Biology. Dr. Rhodes shared background information about the various types of breast cancer, with a focus on the triple-negative subtype that is aggressive and highly metastatic.