Until further notice, all presentations and meetings are via Zoom Teleconferencing.

UPCOMING MONDAY:

7/26/2021 --- Freaks & Strange Things: Irvington Architecture

Speaker: Paul C. Diebold --- BFA in Art History - Herron Art MS Ball State - Historic Preservation - 1988 President Irvington Historical Society IN Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (Email: PDiebold@dnr.IN.gov) (Sponsored By: William H. Dick)

Paul Diebold will give a background to Irvington, a Historic District on the East Side of Indy. He will further discuss its Architecture dating back over 100 years.

8/2/2021 --- We Have All the Charts and Graphs: The Science of Harm Reduction

Speaker: Chris Abert --- Executive Director, Indiana Recovery Alliance (Email: chrisabert@gmail.com) (Sponsored By: Joyce Mallette)

Overview of the 40 years of peer reviewed research on the efficacy Harm Reduction as an effective response to the Methamphetamine/Opioid Crisis

8/3/2021 --- Board Meeting

8/9/2021 --- CRISPR-Cas9 Technology, Gene Editing for the Future

Speaker: Levi Beverly --- B.S. University of Cincinnati PhD University of Cincinnati-Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, & Microbiology (Email: levi.beverly@louisville.edu) (Sponsored By: M. P. Meisenheimer)

Jennifer Doudna & Emmanuelle Charpentier received the Noble Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of this process. This talk will discuss the process and applications of gene editing to disorders such as cancer and genetic diseases.

8/16/2021 --- Old Drugs, New Issues: Cannabis and OWI in the Recreational Age-

Speaker: Michele Glinn PhD F-ABFT --- Michele Glinn has a BA degree in Anthropology & a PhD in Biochemistry from Wayne State University. She was visiting scientist and postdoc at Eli Lilly then joined the Indiana State Dept of Toxicology as Assistant Director. She has served as program director for Michigan State Police laboratory toxicology program, where she also provided scientific support for the breath alcohol program. She has worked as Laboratory Director and program coordinator for several public and private toxicology and drug testing programs. Dr. Glinn is a Fellow of the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board Consensus Body for Toxicology, and has served as VP, and President of the Midwestern Association for Toxicology and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring. (Email: michele.glinn@gmail.com) (Sponsored By: Karen Bumb/Sarah Halter)

This presentation explains the effects of cannabis on the human body and on cognitive function. A little chemistry, physiology and law review provides a better understanding of the history of cannabis and its use in the US. How does cannabis impair driving? What type of scientific evidence is available? Prosecuting for driving under the influence of cannabis has changed as the law has changed and concludes with discussion of a typical cannabis-OWI case.

8/23/2021 --- The 21st Century: the Golden Age of Health Quackery?

Speaker: Hunter Heath, MD --- Physician, MD Washington University (St. Louis); former professor of medicine and researcher at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and University of Utah School of Medicine; retired Executive Director of US Medical Division, Eli Lilly and Company. Currently adjunct professor, department of medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. (Email: calciophile@gmail.com) (Sponsored By: self)

Medical quackery through most of history represented only deviance from the most widely accepted practices, with the pecuniary interests of the mainstream doctors at stake. With the emergence of scientific medicine, the distinction between quackery and rational, proven medical practices became clearer. However, the digital revolution and public gullibility have made today the Golden Age of Quackery. There are ways to sort out fact from fantasy and protect oneself from being misled.

8/30/2021 --- (TBA)

9/7/2021 --- Board Meeting

9/13/2021 --- The Three-Legged Stool of Research, Education and Advocacy

Speaker: Paula Grisanti --- Paula Grisanti, D.M.D., MBA, is CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF). Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, NSCF funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, connects children of limited means to clinical trials for rare diseases, and underwrites the National STEM Scholar Program for middle school science teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM pioneers nationwide. She is currently an officer of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Kentucky Chapter, a member of the Executive Women’s Advisory Board to the School of Business at the University of Louisville and a member of the Jewish Family and Career Services Advisory Committee. She has served on the Louisville Metro Board of Health as an appointee of Mayor Greg Fischer since 2019 and serves as a mentor for Women In Advanced Therapies, an initiative of global biomedical organization Phacilitate. (Email: paula@nationalstemcellfoundation.org) (Sponsored By: Doug Gettelfinger)

An overview of NSCF's research collaborations and partnerships, including a first-in-man study of neurodegeneration on the International Space Station; the large and growing gap between available STEM jobs and the U.S. STEM-educated graduates who can fill them; why providing access to clinical trials for children of limited means accelerates discovery - and how all of them are connected.

9/20/2021 --- Contributions of Nobel Prize winners in Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Economic Science

Speaker: Alan Schmidt, Tom Lauer --- Alan Schmidt is a retired chemical engineer. He has a BS in chemical engineering from Michigan State and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. Tom Lauer is Professor and Director, Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Center, Ball State University. He has BS and MS degrees from Ball State and a PhD from Purdue University. (Email: tlauer802@gmail.com alan.schmidt@att.net) (Sponsored By: Jim Willson)

Tom Lauer will summarize the contributions of the Nobel winners for Medicine of Physiology. Drs. Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice on Monday received the prize for their discovery of the hepatitis C virus. The Nobel committee said the three scientists had “made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives.” Alan Schmidt will summarize the work of the winners for Chemistry: Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna for their work on the development of Crispr-Cas9, a method for genome editing.

9/27/2021 --- TOUR--- Current polar bear research and behind the scenes tour of the Indianapolis Zoo

Contact: Dr. Steven Amstrup --- Dr. Amstrup is chief scientist of Polar Bears International and an adjunct professor at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Before joining PBI, Amstrup was a research wildlife biologist with the United States Geological Survey at the Alaska Science Center, Anchorage AK., where he led polar bear research in Alaska for 30 years. He earned a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Washington (1972), a M.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Idaho (1975), and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (1995). He is the winner of the 2012 Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation. (Sponsored By: Dr. Rob Shumaker and Rick Whitener)

The Indianapolis Zoo will host Scientech Club members in the Dolphin Pavilion beginning with lunch around 11:15 AM. At noon, Dr. Steven Amstrup will talk about recent research into the status of polar bears and efforts that are underway to help their numbers recover. After the program, zoo staff members bring in some 'animal ambassadors' to visit with club members. Staff from the Center for conservation will also come in to answer questions on their work.

10/4/2021 --- (TBA)

10/5/2021 --- Board Meeting

10/11/2021 --- Contributions of 2020 Nobel Prize winners in Physics and Economic Science

Speaker: Dick Carter Presenter X --- Dick Carter is our current Scientech Club President. He has a BS from Purdue University and is a member of the Intl Microelectronics and Packaging Society. (Email: gotownrichard@gmail.com) (Sponsored By: Jim Willson)

Dick Carter will summarize the award for Physics which was presented to Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their discoveries that have improved understanding of the universe, including work on black holes. Presenter X will summarize the award for Economic Science which was presented to Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.

10/18/2021 --- China's One Child Policy

Speaker: Richard Gunderman --- Professor Indiana University School of Medicine. (Email: rbgunder@IU.edu) (Sponsored By: Rick Whitener)

China's "One Child policy," in force from 1980 to 2015, represents the largest effort to control human reproduction in world history. This talk will review the number of births prevented, the number of forced sterilizations, abortions, and infanticides, and the long-term demographic consequences of the program. For example, within a couple of decades, the number of people in China over age 65 will outnumber the populations of every nation on earth, except India and China. Moreover, the number of workers to retirees will drop from 6 to 1 to 1.5 to 1. Sex selection was also an issue, and it is estimated that there are 45 million more men than women in the nation, which is creating another set of problems.

10/23/2021 --- ANNUAL DINNER (at Woodlland Country Club), Speaker: Tom Lauer

10/25/2021 --- IF IT WEREN’T FOR OPERA… I would not know a thing about AKHNATEN!

Speaker: Ray Busmann --- Ray Busmann was born and raised in Germany, where he hosted classical music radio shows. Since his move to Southern California in 1992, Ray has worked as a teacher for vocational schools, and as a German translator and voice-over artist for feature films. Presently, he is employed by the Los Angeles Public Library and is enjoying his ninth season as a volunteer Community Educator for LA Opera. (Email: raybusmann@gmail.com) (Sponsored By: Alison Brown)

Hear the story of this revolutionary young pharaoh, whose incredible contributions to history and the arts were erased from the world’s memory for 3,000 years. Rediscovered in all his glory and mystery only 100 years ago, Akhnaten is the title character of Philip Glass’ mesmerizing 1984 opera.

11/1/2021 --- (TBA)

11/2/2021 --- Board Meeting

11/8/2021 --- (TBA)

11/15/2021 --- Evansville's part in the war effort

Speaker: Dona Bone --- Event chairwoman of Evansville Wartime Museum Wartime museum author (Email: DonaBone@mac.com) (Sponsored By: Russel.l Judd)

After Pearl Harbor 600 million dollars in defense contracts came to Evansville. Over 300 products were made for the military. Evansville became the highest producing city per capita in the nation. It was the lead in production of Let's and P-47's. Women in the workforce were important to the production effort.

11/22/2021 --- (TBA)

11/29/2021 --- (TBA)

12/6/2021 --- Cultural Heritage Chemistry: Science Unravels a Museum Textile Mystery

Speaker: Greg Smith PhD --- Dr. Greg Smith Senior Conservation Scientist Newfields Conservation Science Lab Duke Univ PhD Analytical Chemistry Centre Univ BS Chemistry/Anthropology/Sociology (Email: Gdsmith@discovernewfields.org) (Sponsored By: Helmi Banta)

In 2017 the museum purchased an intact 19th Century Moroccan Arid to complement an 18th century fragment in the collection. Concerns led to a full technical study of the materials and methods used in its construction. Dye analysis proved the use of modern synthetic colorants while spectrography and optical microscopy identified fibers from the second half of the 20th century. Comparison with the authentic fragment allows for compelling material comparisons.

12/7/2021 --- Board Meeting

12/13/2021 --- (TBA)

12/20/2021 --- Annual Meeting and Scientech Foundation Update

Speaker: Dick Carter and Joe Abella --- (Sponsored By: Dick Carter)

We will elect officers for 2022 and get an update on Scientech Foundation activities