Contact: Thor Hansen, WWU professor of Geology, (360) 650-3648, or e-mail thor.hansen@wwu.edu. BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University Professor Thor Hansen will present "The Secret Lives of Dinosaurs" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at the Bellingham City Council chambers, second floor, Bellingham City Hall, 210 Lottie St.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is offered as the third event of the annual Science and the univerCity community science lecture series. It is sponsored by the WWU College of Sciences and Technology, the City of Bellingham, and, along with the other CST outreach programs, 'Wizards at Western" and the "Leaders in Their Fields," is also sponsored in part by a grant from the Cherry Point BP refinery.
Recent fossil finds are providing new clues as to how dinosaurs lived. For example, a recent discovery revealed that many dinosaurs had feathers, which has forced researchers to take a new look at how they reconstruct the behavior of these creatures.
In this presentation, Hansen will discuss some of these recent findings and how they are providing new insights into dinosaur behavior. He will compare some of these new dinosaurian models with clips from movies like Jurassic Park and the TV show "Prehistoric Park."
Hansen grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and majored in Geology at George Washington University. He received his doctorate from Yale University and taught at the University of Texas at Austin for seven years before coming to Western in 1985. At WWU, he teaches Geology and Paleontology. He has received both of Western's highest faculty honors, the Peter J. Elich Excellence in Teaching Award (2001) and the Olscamp Outstanding Research Award (1994). He has also published a book of activities for middle-school teachers and their students called "Adventures in Paleontology."
"We are pleased again this year to have the support of the City in our efforts to bring programs on important topics in science and technology to the Bellingham community. Furthermore, to have endorsement of our efforts, in the form of support for this series by the BP Corporation, is especially gratifying," said Arlan Norman, dean of the College of Sciences and Technology. "This is a program for the community, a program that we hope really contributes to the general understanding of many important and exciting topics in today's complex world of scientific and technological advances."
Hansen's presentation will also be taped and rebroadcast on Bellingham BTV 10.
For more information, contact Thor Hansen, WWU professor of Geology, (360) 650-3648, or e-mail thor.hansen@wwu.edu.
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