Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno will address "Why Do We Do Science?" as the keynote speaker during the 10th annual GREAT Day April 19.
GENESEO, N.Y.—SUNY Geneseo students will participate in a daylong campus celebration April 19 by presenting their creative and scholarly endeavors during the college’s 10th annual GREAT Day—Geneseo Recognizing Excellence, Achievement & Talent. In addition to the plethora of students who will be showcasing their work through presentations, performances and exhibits, the astronomer at the Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, Brother Guy Consolmagno, will deliver the keynote address.
“It’s hard to believe this is the 10th anniversary of GREAT Day, but it continues to grow and the campus always looks forward to it,” said Provost Carol S. Long. “The day-long event honors our students’ dedication to scholarship and creativity and the faculty members who collaborate with them. We are particularly pleased to have Dr. Consolmagno for what promises to be a fascinating address.”
Consolmagno will deliver the Jack ‘76 and Carol ‘76 Kramer Endowed Lectureship at 1 p.m. in Wadsworth Auditorium. Titled “Why Do We Do Science?” Consolmagno’s GREAT Day keynote will explore all the different initiatives that go into science, with everything from such billion-dollar efforts as discovering gravitational waves to such smaller scale science as measuring meteorite properties.
The research that Consolmagno has conducted explores the connections between meteorites, asteroids and the evolution of small solar system bodies. Additionally, Consolmagno’s research observes Kuiper Belt comets with the Vatican's 1.8 meter telescope in Arizona and works toward understanding asteroid origins and structure. Consolmagno has had more than 200 scientific publications and he is the author of a myriad of books, including Turn Left at Orion (with Dan Davis).
Consolmagno’s talk will examine such questions as, “Why does the federal government spend billions looking for something as esoteric as gravitational waves?” and “Why does the Vatican support an astronomical observatory?” Consolmagno will even explain how under these questions lies an even deeper query, such as, “Why do individuals choose to spend their lives in pursuit of pure knowledge?”
Not only will Consolmagno draw from his research at the Vatican Observatory for the talk, but also from his work, which has ranged from all around the world—Consolmagno’s work has brought him to every continent on Earth. This will include his work in East Antarctica, where he spent six weeks collecting meteorites with a NASA team in 1996.
Consolmagno received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his doctorate in planetary science from the University of Arizona. Additionally, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard and MIT, served in the United States Peace Corps (Kenya) and taught university physics at Lafayette College before entering the Jesuits in 1989.
As well as granting the GREAT Day Lecture series, Jack and Carol Kramer—both 1976 Geneseo graduates—have provided Geneseo with major support for various programs, including The Carol Kramer Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Psychology and The Jack Kramer Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Physics.
The college will also be honoring 16 professors at this 10th anniversary for their yearly sponsorship of GREAT Day. The group includes Aaron Steinhauer (physics and astronomy); Rose-Marie Chierici (emerita professor of anthropology); Graham Drake (English); Kurt Fletcher (physics and astronomy); Charlie Freeman (physics and astronomy); Caroline Haddad (mathematics); Jennifer Katz (psychology); Jani Lewis (biology); Kevin Militello (biology); Olympia Nicodemi (mathematics); Jeff Over (geological sciences); Paul Pacheco (anthropology); Stephen Padalino (physics and astronomy); Robert O'Donnell (biology); and Kazushige Yokoyama (chemistry).
No classes are scheduled at Geneseo April 19 to accommodate GREAT Day events. Free and open to the public, all are welcome to attend.
Also on April 19, Geneseo will commemorate Great Knight, the second annual simultaneous celebration of Geneseo across the nation – and beyond. Alumni, parents and friends are invited to attend events throughout the country, host impromptu gatherings and participate via social media with the hashtag #GreatKnight.
Last year’s first-ever Great Knight was a huge success with 22 alumni events. This year, 31 alumni events are scheduled nationwide. View the complete list of this year's events.
News release written by College Communications intern Alexandra Ciarcia.