January 28, 2002

Jan. 31, - Giant Crocodile Fossils, 17th Century Social Dancing Are The Topics of Faculty Research Forum

Professor David Schwimmer will discuss 'Giant Crocodylians from the Age of Dinosaurs,' and music professor Kristen Hansen will describe 'The Dancing Masters of 17th-Century England,' from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday on the Schwob Library first floor. The program is part of CSU's spring semester series of faculty research forums. Admission is free and open to the public, with refreshments available.

Schwimmer recently was quoted as an expert by national media outlets including the Washington Post and National Geographic in regard to a Chicago scientist's uncovering of the fossilized remains of a giant crocodile, Sarcosuchus Imperator. Those remains indicated a dinosaur-preying 10-ton croc the length of school bus.

The story related to Schwimmer's findings on the Deinosuchus rugosus - a giant croc which roamed the Chattahoochee Valley. These crocs are believed to have weighed about 3 tons and up to 28 feet in length. These crocs, as Schwimmer has discovered, likely were the top predators on the southern coast, even feeding on carnivorous dinosaurs.

Hansen will combine discussion, musical examples and dance demonstrations to illuminate the importance of dances in social hierarchy. For more information, call 568-2042.

Jan. 31 - Stanford Expert to Discuss El Nino and Global Climate Causes/Effects

Stanford University Science Professor Robert Dunbar investigates how world climate patterns, such as El Nino, have historically impacted environments and national economies - and vice versa.

Dunbar, who directs Stanford's graduate program in environment and resources, will share his knowledge in a presentation titled 'Southern Ocean Impacts on Global Climate: Clues from the Antarctic Margin,' 7-8 p.m. Thursday in the Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public. The lecture is presented by the Columbus State University Honors Program and the CSU Department of Geology and Chemistry. For more information, call 568-2075.

Dunbar also will give a less formal presentation in Lenoir 101 earlier that day - at 12:30 p.m. - on similar research based on the coral reefs of Panama. This presentation is free and open to the public as well.

Dunbar's work coincides with a recently-reported forecast by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center of an upcoming El Nino bout, potentially on par with a 1997-98 episode that caused flooding in California and along the GulfCoast.

His lecture topic is based on his ongoing investigation of climate patterns of the Antarctic region, including changes in the Antarctic ice sheet. From his Stanford Web page, Dunbar has summarized his methodology, which begins with sampling underwater sediments and reef corals: 'We use chemical, isotopic, and morphological measurements of these materials to investigate past climate variability in the very important but poorly studied warmer parts of our planet.'

He identifies those 'warmer parts' to include the Galapagos Islands, Kenya, Easter Island, Chile, Sumatra, Lake Titicaca and Bolivia. The study results, he adds, 'deal with the long-term history of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phenomena, its interactions with the Indian Monsoon and its impacts on North American climate.'

As an adviser for Stanford's Center for Environmental Science and Policy, Dunbar also is expert on the impacts of climate change on economies worldwide and the complex issues that drive energy-related decisions in developing countries. Contact: Tom Hanley at 568-2075

Jan. 31 - CSU Theatre Production: Opening Night for 'And Now....A Word From Our Sponsor'

Columbus State University's Theatre Department presents the play, 'And Now..A Word From Our Sponsor,' Thursday , Feb. 1-3 and Feb. 7-10 in the Fine Arts Hall auditorium on the CSU campus. Those who attend the production are studio-audience members for a 1940s broadcast of a pair of suspenseful radio plays in the tradition of Orson Wells' 'Mercury Theater.' Thursday through Saturday show times are 8 p.m., and 2 p.m. on Sundays. For ticket information, visit the CSU box office in Fine Arts Hall or call 569-3179.