The Provost's Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series 2016-17
All lectures are free and open to the public
Cara Nelson
Global Challenges in the Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration
Associate Professor, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences
4 p.m. Thursday, March 16, 2017
UC North Ballroom, University Center
Dr. Cara R. Nelson is an Associate Professor in the Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences Department at University of Montana’s W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, the Chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Ecological Restoration Thematic Group and the past Chair of the international Society for Ecological Restoration. Dr. Nelson’s research focuses on increasing knowledge about ecological processes and their application to restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, she and her students study ecosystem responses to abiotic and biotic disturbances, the efficacy and ecological impacts of ecological restoration, and the science behind the selection of native plant materials for repairing degraded ecosystems. Dr. Nelson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in ecological restoration and restoration ecology, as well as courses in sampling methods for assessing the efficacy and effects of management activities. She is active in efforts to improve the quality of restoration practice and meet current global restoration targets.
Julie Bullard
The Development of the Young Child's Brain: Why the Environment Matters
Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning
5 p.m. Tuesday, November 15, 2016
UC North Ballroom, University Center
Mike DeGrandpre
From Sewer Pipe to the XPRIZE: The Evolution of a Chemical Sensor
Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
5 p.m. Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Dell Brown Room, Turner Hall
Mike DeGrandpre became fascinated with science and chemistry after ruining his mother’s card table with an incendiary chemical reaction at the age of 10. He enrolled in chemical engineering at Montana State University in 1981 and then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1990. His research at UW was focused on fiber optic-based chemical sensors. He used this knowledge as a post-doctoral scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to develop a successful CO2 sensor (the “SAMI”) for marine applications. He came to UM in 1996, to oddly enough, continue his ocean-focused research. The SAMI sensor technology has been a career-long endeavor, with the development and commercialization of related sensors while also using the sensors in aquatic environments, improving our understanding of the global carbon cycle and ocean acidification. His current research is focused on the Arctic Ocean carbon cycle and development of an autonomous alkalinity sensor.