Lehigh University: Alumni

From Super Storm to Super Flu:
A Lehigh Valley Perspective on Natural and Man-made Disasters

Lehigh Valley Panel Discussion II
Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Lehigh University Alumni Association and the Lehigh Home Club invite you to join them for an evening of the academic perspective on natural and man-made disasters. Participate in this unique opportunity featuring the renowned insight of the most respected minds in Lehigh Valley academia from Lehigh University, Cedar Crest College, Lafayette College, Moravian College and Muhlenberg College. Engage in discussion with fellow alumni, community members, current students and associates from fellow Lehigh Valley institutions to further understand the natural and man-made disaster...From Super Storm to Super Flu!

Participants:

Lehigh University: Dr. Anne Meltzer
Cedar Crest College: Dr. Alan Hale
Lafayette College: Dr. Lawrence Malinconico, Jr.
Moravian College: Dr. Lisa Fischler
Muhlenberg College: Dr. Theodore Schick
DeSales University: Unable to participate

Moderator: Dr. Bettie Moretz Smolansky, Sociology, Moravian College

Program Welcome: Chris Marshall '88, Executive Director, LUAA

$10.00 per person
Free: Current students

Diamond Theater, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University
5:30-6:30 PM Reception
6:30-8:00 PM Panel Discussion in Diamond Theater
8:00-9:00 PM Question and Answer

Panelists:

Dr. Anne Meltzer, Herbert and Ann Siegel Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Lehigh University, Tsunamis and Hurricanes: Living on the Edge

Published in numerous journals, Dr. Meltzer’s research has had a great impact in the field of earth science. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Lehigh, Dr. Meltzer is chair of the executive committee of the Independent Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), a consortium of nearly 100 academic institutions with research programs in that area. In this role, Meltzer worked closely with the USArray Steering Committee and the executive committee of the EarthScope Working Group to secure funding from the National Science Foundation. She has recently been engaged in a joint project to examine the highest peaks in the Himalayas to determine whether forces such as wind and rivers contribute to tectonic shifts miles below the earth’s surface. Dr. Meltzer received her Ph.D. from Rice University and her M.S. from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Dr. Bettie Moretz Smolansky, Sociology, Moravian College, Moderator

A professor of sociology at Moravian College, Dr. Smolansky’s interest in natural and man-made disasters stems from both her teaching and her scholarly research interests. Her substantive teaching areas focus upon aspects of structured inequality and the effects of disasters on the poor. Her scholarly work has included collaboration with her spouse, Oles Smolansky, Distinguished University Professor of International Relations Emeritus at Lehigh University. They have written two volumes, The USSR and Iraq (winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies award as the outstanding book in Slavic Studies for 1992) and The Lost Equilibrium (2001), an analysis of the changing dynamic in international affairs in the post-Cold War world, as well as several articles on international affairs. Issues of man-made disasters appear in all this work.

Dr. Alan Hale, Biology, Cedar Crest College: Emerging Infectious Diseases

As a Professor of Biology at Cedar Crest College, Dr. Hale’s research has evolved over the years from theoretical and applied ecology to conservation genetics and the genetic diversity of natural populations to molecular genetics of viruses and their hosts. He currently focuses on emerging infectious diseases, particularly those that are caused by disease agents that are themselves infected with viruses. Dr. Hale teaches a course entitled "Bioterrorism & Emerging Infectious Diseases" and also presents his work at state and international meetings of the American Society for Microbiology. Dr. Hale hopes to focus more attention on preventable infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera that kill millions of children and adults each year. He earned his B.S. from Cornell University, his M.S. from Penn State and his Ph.D. from Idaho State University.

Dr. Lawrence L. Malinconico Jr., Geology and Geophysics Lafayette College: Monitoring and prediction of volcanic eruptions – 25 years after Mount St. Helens

Dr. Malinconico's research and teaching interests include applied geophysical, tectonic, structural, and environmental studies; volcanology; and computer applications in geology. His research has been in Pakistan, Italy, Central America, Hawaii and the Cascades. Current research projects include: geophysical studies on the tectonics and structure of rift basins with a focus on the Newark Basin in the eastern United States, development of geophysical methodologies for detecting sinkholes, correlation of the geology and structure with radon emissions in eastern Pennsylvania and the compilation and production of the gravity map of Pennsylvania. In addition to numerous scientific articles he has also published several pieces of software. Dr. Malinconico earned his A.B., A.M., and Ph.D. in geology from Dartmouth College.

Dr. Lisa Fischler, Political Science, Moravian College: Damming China: Environmental Disasters and Global Futures

Dr. Fischler is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Moravian College, where she specializes in China and East Asian studies and also works with the women's studies curriculum. She received her B.A. at the University of Puget Sound, an M.A. at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. One of a select group of college teachers selected to participate in Columbia University’s Expanding East Asian Studies Teaching Collaborative for 2004-05; she led their first session with a problem-solving session on environmental politics in China. Dr. Fischler is author of several book chapters on the women's movement in Hong Kong. Her current research involves globalization and gender in Chinese societies.

Dr. Theodore Schick, Philosophy, Muhlenberg College: Natural Disasters and Natural Evil

Dr. Schick is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Muhlenberg Scholars Program at Muhlenberg College. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from Brown University, and is the author of three texts: How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age; Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments; and Readings in the Philosophy of Science: from Positivism to Postmodernism. He serves on the editorial board of Free Inquiry and Philo, has published numerous articles, and has also contributed to a number of volumes in Open Court’s Philosophy and Popular Culture series including "Seinfeld and Philosophy" and "The Matrix and Philosophy". His current teaching interests include biomedical ethics, philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics.