SIU launches Antarctica, Imagined Geographies
My colleagues Gary Kolb, Dr. Peter Lemish and Megan Lotts and I have been busy over the past several months preparing a large scale initiative here in Carbondale centering on Antarctica. The initiative features lectures, films, panel discussions an installation and a concert event. Many of these events may be of special interest to MSAE members and friends as we will be hosting several presentations relating to Acoustic Ecology. We launch the initiative with a keynote lecture and book signing by Andrea Polli (see below) and will also be hosting a concert featuring works by Doug Quinn, Cheryl Leonard, Andrea Polli and myself on April 14th. If MSAE members or others have an interest in any of the programming and are interested in traveling to carbondale, please email me and I will be happy to provide more information. All the events are free and open to the public.
March 23-24 The opening reception will take place at 6-7 pm this Friday, March 23, in the Morris Library Rotunda, followed by an all SIU faculty panel in Guyon Auditorium, beginning at 7 pm.
On March 24 at 4:30 pm, in Guyon Auditorium, Professor Andrea Polli (University of New Mexico) will deliver the Initiative’s Keynote Lecture. Professor Polli’s work exemplifies our interest in the Antarctica Initiative in understanding the potential of inter-disciplinary collaborations, as she has many years of experience working as an audio artist and engineer with scientists engaged in polar research, including work known as sonification.
March 28-29 [Attachment #2]: On March 28 (Guyon, 7 pm), Claire Parkinson Ph.D, a climatologist working in NASA’s Goddard Space Program, will discuss scientific evidence gathered through satellite imagery of changes in the Antarctic ice sheet, sea ice and the ozone hole.
Dr. Parkinson will also discuss one of the matters of interest to scientists on our campus and beyond, namely Climate Change and Challenges to Science Reporting and Policymaking. The Brown Bag luncheon discussion will take place in Communication Building Room 1032. This is a Global Media Research Center event.
WEBSITES: The initiative has launched two websites, where you can find updates, additional information about events and Antarctica-related resources…including nearly daily updates from our colleague a member of the Organizing Committee – Professor Scott Ishman, who is currently conducting research off the Antarctic coast
www.Antarctica-Initiative.org …. [perhaps accessible for the next day or two via: www.mcma.siu.edu]
www.lib.siu.edu/antarctica
Facebook: Become a friend of the Initiative on Facebook and receive updates and Scott Ishman’s blogs
http://www.facebook.com/AntarcticaImaginedGeographiesInitiative
We hope to see you at these and other upcoming events.
Cheers and all my best,
Jay Needham and the Antarctica Initiative Organizing Team