Georgia Southern University to Host Georgia Regional Astronomy Meeting Oct. 26-27
Georgia Southern University’s Physics Department will host the Georgia Regional Astronomy Meeting (GRAM) on Oct. 26-27 marking the first time that the meeting has been held in Statesboro. The conference will kick off with a public lecture on Friday, Oct. 26.
Participants from 12 universities, one museum and four amateur astronomy associations will be traveling to Georgia Southern for the two-day meeting which will be held in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology Building’ Room 1005.
“We are excited to host this important gathering of astronomy professionals at Georgia Southern University,” said Martha Abell, Ph.D., interim dean of Georgia Southern University’s College of Science and Mathematics. “This is the first time that we have hosted this meeting and it is a great opportunity to not only showcase Georgia Southern, but further our efforts as a center for astronomy education in the state.”
Experts from Georgia Southern, the University of Georgia, University of South Carolina, Georgia State and other universities will deliver lectures on a variety of topics ranging from galaxy evolution to the future of planetariums as a tool for astronomy education. The two-day conference will also include a public lecture by Georgia State University professor Misty Bentz, Ph.D. Bentz will deliver a lecture entitled, “Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galaxies.” The public lecture will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26 in the Biology Building’s Lecture Hall Room 1119 located at 69 Georgia Avenue.
According to Bentz, black holes are often depicted in science fiction as voracious cosmic monsters, but they are a reality of science fact. “Supermassive black holes, with masses that are a million to a billion times larger than that of the sun, inhabit the centers of most galaxies including the Milky Way.”
On Saturday, Oct. 27, conference activities will begin at 8:45 a.m. in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology Building’ Room 1005 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. with a tour and demonstration of Georgia Southern University’s recently renovated Planetarium.
Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906 offers more than 120 degree programs serving more than 20,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University is one of the Top 10 most popular universities in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, and is the top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu
Posted in Archive, Press Releases
