"Science at Bard"

Celebrating the opening of the Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center for Science and Computation

Sunday, September 23, 2007
Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York

Schedule of Events

9:45 a.m. Welcome

10:15–10:45 Hands-on Workshops and Classes:

Web Programming: Three Tiers for the Price of One
Robert McGrail, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
We will explore the Links system for the development of dynamic web sites. Links employs many recent advances in programming language theory in order to harness three types of programming in one programming paradigm.
Room 100, George I. Alden Trust Computer Teaching Lab
How Biodiversity Can Protect Your Health
Felicia Keesing, Associate Professor of Biology
We will discuss recent studies that demonstrate that biodiversity protects people from risk of West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Hanta virus, and a suite of other serious diseases, based largely on research conducted by Bard Faculty and students.
Room 101, Patricia Ross Weis and Robert Weis Lecture Hall
Why Is the Tuba So Big and the Piccolo So Small?
Matthew Deady, Professor of Physics; Director, Physics Program; Co-Director, First Year Seminar
We will look at various musical instruments and discover the simple physical principles behind the sounds that they make.
Room 102, Class of '65 Lecture Hall In Honor of It's 40th Reunion
Hot Off the Presses The 2007 IPCC Report on Global Warming
Catherine O'Reilly, Assistant Professor of Biology
Participants in this session will learn about the science of global warming from one of the authors of the recent IPCC report on climate change. Our particular focus will be on how global warming is affecting humans already, and what we can do about it.
Room 103, Lásló Z. Bitó '60 Auditorium
Mobile Robots
Rebecca Thomas, Associate Professor of Computer Science
We will program small Lego-based robots to carry out simple tasks. Working as a group, we'll program one robot to move toward a light source and another to dance when it perceives sound. Workshop participants can then work in small groups on other suggested problems, or on their own ideas
Room 107, Hardware Teaching Lab
Complex Traits: The New Genetic Paradigm
Michael Tibbetts, Associate Professor of Biology; Director, Biology Program
Most human traits are influenced by multiple genes interacting with multiple environmental factors. We will examine a complex trait in a simple model organism, the fruit fly, and discuss how understanding this system can give us insights into complex human diseases.
Rooms 111/112, Biochemistry Labs

10:45–11:30 Poster Viewing and Tours

11:30–12:00 noon Hands-on Workshops and Classes:

Why Do Ghettos Emerge?
Sven Anderson, Associate Professor of Computer Science; Director, Computer Science Program
We will use computer simulation to explore how individual preferences can cause segregation.
Room 100, George I. Alden Trust Computer Teaching Lab
How Biodiversity Can Protect Your Health
Felicia Keesing, Associate Professor of Biology
We will discuss recent studies that demonstrate that biodiversity protects people from risk of West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Hanta virus, and a suite of other serious diseases, based largely on research conducted by Bard Faculty and students.
Room 101, Patricia Ross Weis and Robert Weis Lecture Hall
Why Is the Tuba So Big and the Piccolo So Small?
Matthew Deady, Professor of Physics; Director, Physics Program; Co-Director, First Year Seminar
We will look at various musical instruments and discover the simple physical principles behind the sounds that they make.
Room 102, Class of '65 Lecture Hall In Honor of It's 40th Reunion
Hot Off the Presses The 2007 IPCC Report on Global Warming
Catherine O'Reilly, Assistant Professor of Biology
Participants in this session will learn about the science of global warming from one of the authors of the recent IPCC report on climate change. Our particular focus will be on how global warming is affecting humans already, and what we can do about it.
Room 103, Lásló Z. Bitó '60 Auditorium
Mobile Robots
Rebecca Thomas, Associate Professor of Computer Science
We will program small Lego-based robots to carry out simple tasks. Working as a group, we'll program one robot to move toward a light source and another to dance when it perceives sound. Workshop participants can then work in small groups on other suggested problems, or on their own ideas
Room 107, Hardware Teaching Lab
Complex Traits: The New Genetic Paradigm
Michael Tibbetts, Associate Professor of Biology; Director, Biology Program
Most human traits are influenced by multiple genes interacting with multiple environmental factors. We will examine a complex trait in a simple model organism, the fruit fly, and discuss how understanding this system can give us insights into complex human diseases.
Rooms 111/112, Biochemistry Labs

1:00–2:30 p.m. Panel Discussion: "Educating Future Scientists"
Featuring Darcy Kelley, professor of biological science at Columbia University and 2002 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor; Leon Lederman, 1988 Nobel prize winner in physics and former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Jeanne Narum, director of Project Kaleidoscope, a science education advocacy group; and Rafael Viñoly, founder of Rafael Viñoly Architects PC, an award-winning New York City-based firm whose critically acclaimed civic, private, and institutional designs can be found worldwide; moderated by Leon Botstein, president of Bard College.
Location to be announced.

3:00 p.m. Bard College Conservatory of Music Chamber Orchestra
Guillermo Figueroa conducts works by Mendelsohn, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky; featured soloist, Weigang Li, violin.
Sosnoff Theater, Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts

All events and programs are free and open to the public.
For more information, call the Office of Special Events, 845-758-7504.