Annie Alexander was a trailblazer, who, around 120 years ago, was participating in paleontological expeditions. This was unusual for a woman at the time, but that is no longer the case. This semester, four women who are faculty at the University will present on paleontological sciences at the Nevada Museum of Art as part of the “Deep Time: Sea Dragons of Nevada” exhibit.
The presentations are part of the “Women in Science Era,” one of three eras running during the exhibit’s time at the museum.
The first presenter is Paula Noble, chair of the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering and professor of geology, on diatoms. Her talk, “Invisible Art Forms: Diatoms in the Victorian Era,” discusses how diatoms, algae that produce glass skeletons, were used to create arrangements which fascinated naturalists in the mid-1800s. Noble will present on Sept. 11 from 6-7 p.m.
Montana Hodges, an assistant professor, paleontologist and science communicator, will discuss how Nevada’s fossils illuminate the conditions of past mass extinctions, and how similar they are to the conditions we experience today on Sept. 18.
Wendy Calvin, Foundation Professor and Daniel A. and Edith E. O’Keefe Endowed Professor for the Mackay School, is an expert in oceans from which we are separated by space, rather than time. Calvin, who has studied the presence of water on Mars and was part of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission Science Team, will speak about the seas of other worlds on October 16.
On November 13, Elizabeth Leger, the director of the University's Museum of Natural History and Foundation Professor, will present on the resilient plant life in the Great Basin, which inhabits the landscape where ichthyosaurs once swam. Leger will talk about work which has surprised her the most.
On Sept. 19, Jean-Paul Perrotte, an associate professor and composer, will also share how he created an immersive soundscape for the exhibition.
The full lineup of speakers and tickets for each event can be found at the Nevada Museum of Art website.
Last semester, talks were also given by the University’s W. M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum Manager Garrett Barmore and alumnus and paleontologist Joshua Bonde.
University students can purchase discounted tickets to the talks online and can visit the museum any time for free with their student ID.
