In Brief: March 20

Reception to honor Poor’s 50 years of teaching

The College of Business Administration and the Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership will honor Dr. Gene Poor, Hamilton Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship, for his five decades of teaching excellence with a reception during Entrepreneurship Week. The event will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. April 6 in 317 Bowen-Thompson Student Union (Dimling Lounge). Register to attend.

Poor came to BGSU in 1970 after teaching at Kent State University for three years. At BGSU, he earned a Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision, and founded the visual communication technology program in the early 1970s, becoming an iconic professor who inspired generations of students. He continues to teach entrepreneurial classes through the College of Business Administration and has received numerous recognitions, including being designated a Master Teacher by the University. He is also a professor emeritus in the College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering.

In addition to his academic roles, Poor is the founder and chief imagination officer of LifeFormations, an innovative company that designs and builds animatronic characters for theme parks, museums, science centers and retail establishments. He was inducted into the BGSU Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Hall of Fame in 2010 to honor his notable journey of starting up ventures and commitment to promoting entrepreneurial education.

Lecture looks at Earth’s largest microbial habitat

A U.S. Science Support Program (USSSP) distinguished lecturer will present “Those Rocks Are Alive!” as part of a public seminar this week on campus. Dr. Jason Sylvan, an assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&M University and a 2016-17 USSSP distinguished lecturer, will talk about the deep biosphere, a vast microbial biome deep below the seafloor at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 22) in 112 Life Sciences Building.

During the lecture hosted by the biology department, Sylvan will share his research focusing on geomicrobiology in basement rocks. He will present findings from two International Ocean Discovery Programs in which he participated: Expedition 330, which sampled 55-80 million-year-old extinct volcanoes along the Louisville Seamount in the southwest Pacific Ocean, and Expedition 360, which drilled 789 meters below the seafloor into 11-million-year-old lower crustal rocks as the first part of a multi-expedition program to drill to the Earth’s mantle. Results from the cruises helped redefine the understanding of biomass in igneous basement and provided insight into the lifestyles subseafloor microbes lead in these environments.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Guests with disabilities are requested to indicate if they need special services, assistance or appropriate modifications to fully participate in this event by contacting Accessibility Services at access@bgsu.edu or 419-372-8495, prior to the event.