NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt University Center for Science
Outreach and the Adventure Science Center are co-hosting a forum on
tsunamis and other natural disasters Tuesday, Feb. 1, from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. The forum will be held at the Adventure Science Center in
Nashville and is free and open to the public.
“What we‘re trying to do in these public science forums is present
current and emerging topics that will be of interest to the public,”
Virginia Shepherd, director of the Center for Science Outreach and
professor of pathology at Vanderbilt, said. “This is the first
partnership program between the Vanderbilt Center for Science and
Outreach and Adventure Science Center. We‘re enthusiastically looking
forward to other partnership opportunities.”
The forum will include a panel discussion on the reasons behind
tsunamis and other natural disasters, how disasters can be predicted
and what the public can do to prepare and help.
“Adventure Science Center is committed to science education for all
ages, including adults,” Valerie Johnston, Adventure Science Center
outreach coordinator, said. “We, along with the Vanderbilt Center for
Science Outreach, want to do our part by helping the public understand
this natural disaster and, in the future, by providing informal science
lectures on a variety of topics.”
Panel members will include Vanderbilt geology professor John Ayers and
Vanderbilt Center for Teaching member Jeff Johnston, who will speak
about oceanography; WKRN News 2 meteorologist Davis Nolan; and a
representative of the American Red Cross.
The discussion will be followed by a question and answer session.
Monetary donations to the Red Cross for tsunami relief efforts will be
accepted at the event.
The Adventure Science Center is located at 800 Fort Negley Blvd. Call
615-401-5079 for more information.
Media contact: Melanie Catania, (615) 322-NEWS
melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu