Bioengineering Center ribbon-cutting, talks slated

A host of activities are planned this week in conjunction with the grand opening of Union's new Department of Bioengineering and Computational Biology, headquartered in renovated Butterfield Hall.

On Wednesday, author and biologist Steven Vogel of Duke University will deliver the keynote address, "Power from the People: Life When Muscle Was Our Main Motor" at 7 p.m. at the Nott Memorial. A reception will follow. Vogel's talk is part of the College's Perspectives at the Nott series.

On Thursday at 12:30 p.m., Vogel will give a joint Biology and Mechanical Engineering lecture titled "Flower Stems to Feather Shafts: Twisting in the Wind Without Getting Bent out of Shape" in Olin 115. It is sponsored by the departments of Biology, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Computer and Electrical Engineering.

The lecture will be followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception in Butterfield Hall (first floor) at 2 p.m.

After the reception, at 3 p.m., Vogel will join a roundtable discussion on "The Role of Bioengineering in Undergraduate Biology Education" in Everest Lounge. Panelists include Gary Gillis of Mount Holyoke, Amy Johnson of Bowdoin College, John Long of Vassar and Wolf von Maltzahn, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, RPI.

Biology Professor Steven Rice said the new center will transform the way students learn about the sciences.

"Whether evaluating structural properties of novel composites for use in surgical implants or deciphering neural sensory signals in lizards, the Center provides opportunities for students to engage with interdisciplinary research in emerging fields at Union," Rice said. "In addition the Center places undergraduates in research experiences at partnering institutions, including Syracuse University, RPI and the Wadsworth Center.

Union's new academic department is funded through a $1.5 million grant to Union College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.