New York State Wildlife Expert Ward Stone Highlights UAlbany Lecture Series

Atmospheric Sciences Research Center anniversary program begins with March 23 event, 8 p.m. in the CESTM building

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 19, 2010) -- Wildlife expert Ward B. Stone�s talk on �turmoil in the environment� begins the University at Albany�s Ray Falconer Natural History Lecture Series on March 23 at 8 p.m. in the John J. Sullivan Auditorium, CESTM building. Stone will discuss climate change, introduced exotic diseases, and toxics in the environment. A recipient of the Sierra Club's 2009 Distinguished Service Award, and the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy Distinguished Public Service Award in 2008, Stone serves as a wildlife pathologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Falconer, who passed away in 2001, was a renowned weather forecaster and the first employee hired by the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) at UAlbany, which hosts the series and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. 

Stone is responsible for diagnosing, monitoring, and researching the causes of sickness and death in the state's wildlife. Stone conducts field and site investigations on the impact of pesticides, pollutants, and hazardous materials on wildlife. As one of the nation's leading wildlife pathologists, he has provided depositions and expert testimony in numerous local, state, and federal court cases. He has also addressed the United Nations on two separate occasions, in addition to hosting a radio show on WAMC.

Later this spring, Phillip Falconer will discuss how meteorology is used in court. Son of the late Ray Falconer, Phillip Falconer runs a meteorological consulting firm in Scotia, N.Y., that provides information to lawyers, weather-sensitive businesses, engineers and government agencies. He was formerly a research associate with the ASRC.

Lecture series schedule:

April 6: Katherine von Stackelberg, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, will explore the risk assessment conducted for the Hudson River, one of many analyses that formed the basis of the decision to dredge PCBs.

April 13: Stanley Ulanski of James Madison University will focus on how European nations, from the 15th century onward, became familiar with the winds and currents of the Atlantic, and used that knowledge to explore the New World.

April 20: Taury Smith of the New York State Museum, will give insight into the controversy over the possibility of natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale in New York State.

April 27: Kathleen Sanford, assistant director, NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources, will give an Environmental Review of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Development, including a description of potential adverse impacts, and will offer preventive measures.

May 4: Phillip Falconer, CCM Falconer Weather Information Service, LLC, Do You Swear to Tell the Truth and Nothing but the Truth�A Glimpse into the World of Forensic Meteorology.

The free public lectures are Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m in the John J. Sullivan Auditorium, CESTM building, 251 Fuller Road, at the University at Albany.

 

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds

Educationally and culturally, the University at Albany-SUNY puts "The World Within Reach" for its 18,000 students. An internationally recognized research university with 58 undergraduate majors and 128 graduate degree programs, UAlbany is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice. With a curriculum enhanced by 300 study-abroad opportunities, UAlbany launches great careers. For more information about this globally ranked University, visit www.albany.edu. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.shtml.