UH Manoa Library events celebrate "The Year of Science"

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Teri Skillman, (808) 956-8688
Events & Communications Coordinator
Posted: Feb 5, 2009

With the designation of 2009 as "The Year of Science" by the grassroots effort known as the Coalition of Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), Hamilton Library at UH Manoa is presenting a number of upcoming events.

On Thursday, February 12, the film premier of "Hawaiʻi — A Long Story Short" will be held in Hamilton Library, Room 301, at 12:15 p.m. The ancient drama of the Hawaiian Islands, with their unique plants and animals, is revealed in this short documentary. Narrated by Kayla Rosenfeld of Hawaii Public Radio, with original music by Michael Tanenbaum, the 20-minute film tells the story of the birth and destruction of the islands over millions of years, and how life found a new home in one of the most isolated places on Earth.The work emerged from a graduate course on science documentary film-making taught by Dr. Eric Gaidos. It is the result of the collective effort of the instructor, a teaching assistant, eight students, and many individuals and agencies who contributed video, images, or assistance. Production was sponsored in part by the UHM Sea Grant College Program and the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.Following the film screening, there will be a faculty lecture by Steven Stanley, UHM professor of Geology and Geophysics, in celebration of Charles Darwin‘s 200th birthday. The lecture, "Darwin and the Origin of The Origin," will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., also in Room 301.

Darwin‘s early informal training in natural history under the tutelage of a variety of mentors prepared him well for his life‘s work. Geographic distributions of organisms that he observed on the voyage of the HMS Beagle convinced him of the reality of evolution.

The Faculty Lecture series is presented by the UHM Library, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, and Office of Research Relations.

Finally, peruse a trio of exhibits — developed by Science & Technology Librarians Sara Rutter, Allie Jordan and Eileen Herring — which will be on view on Hamilton Library‘s ground-floor. They feature:

  • Books that inspired some UHM scientists to pursue the challenging work of unveiling the secrets of the natural world (Elevator Gallery).

  • A look at the life of Charles Darwin as he developed an understanding of the mechanism for the development of the astonishing diversity of organisms in nature. His seminal book, Origin of Species, continues to inform discoveries in biological sciences today (Bridge Gallery).

  • A celebration of the life and work of E. Alison Kay (1928-2008), a noted UHM malacologist, scientist and teacher whose committed engagement to her scholarly and public communities stands as a model of the citizen scientist (Sci Tech Commons Area).
The exhibits will be on display at UH Manoa until February 27.

The goal of COPUS is to engage sectors of the public in science to increase their understanding of the nature of science and its value to society. Its key objective is to create new forums for communication, and to develop new opportunities for engaging the public with science. See the Web site at http://www.yearofscience2009.org.

For more information, visit: http://www.yearofscience2009.org