Fall 2010 Conference

On October 8th and 9th the RGVSA will hold its 23rd annual Rio Grande Valley Science Conference at South Texas ISD campuses of Med High and Science Academy in Mercedes Tx. Friday evening will feature a science keynote speaker. This presentation is open to the public.

Saturday, October 9th, will consist of four workshop sessions, a TEA Update, exhibits, along with breakfast and lunch. Registration is from 7-8 am and then the conference begins.

Featured Speaker: Dr. Craig Wheeler

Professor of Astronomy

J. Craig Wheeler is the Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as Chair of the Department from 1986 to 1990. He is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at the University of Texas. His research interests are supernovae, black holes, gamma-ray bursts and astrobiology. Wheeler received a BS in physics from MIT in 1965 and a PhD in physics from the University of Colorado 1969.
He has published about 200 papers in refereed journals and numerous conference proceedings, edited five books, and published a novel that has been made into an independent film.
His popular-level book, Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts and Adventures in Hyperspace (Cambridge University Press 2000) won an award in a University of Texas faculty book competition. The second edition was named one of the top astronomy books of 2007 by CHOICE magazine.
He served on the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council from 2002 - 2006 and was co-Chair of the NRC Committee on the Origin and Evolution of Life from 2002 - 2005. He served a two-year term as President of the American Astronomical Society from 2006 to 2008.