Last month, Clark Planetarium began hosting Salt Lake Community College professors as part of a four-part lecture series focused on environmental science. The most recent lecture took place on Feb. 8 and was given by Assistant Professor of Geology Chris Johnson, alongside five of his students.
Johnson used his lecture to explain how hands-on research provides SLCC students with numerous benefits, including a better understanding of the material, a greater chance of graduating college and expanded options for future career opportunities. The lectures began in January and will continue the second Thursday of every month through April 2024.
“We at Clark Planetarium really wanted to bring an opportunity to learn science from local scientists, and so we decided that we would start with a lecture series about a planet that’s very important to us. That is planet Earth,” said Clark Planetarium’s Associate Division Director Jason Sills in an interview for the college’s official blog.
The Clark Planetarium lecture series provided Johnson with the opportunity to share findings on environmental issues that he and his students are actively researching.
“It impacts Salt Lake City mostly by engaging geology majors in doing research,” Johnson said. “[Students] are collecting data on what is known as ‘wicked problems,’ which are scientific and societal problems that don’t have an easy or clear answer.”
Geoscience Associate Professor Maura Hahnenberger provided the first lecture of the series on Jan. 11. Her lecture covered dust transport from Great Salt Lake and its impact on the health of Salt Lake County residents.
“All particulate matter is harmful and can cause health impacts such as stuffy nose[s], coughing, sore throat[s] or breathing difficulties,” Hahnenberger said. “PM2.5 (particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter) are able to move deep into your lungs and can additionally contribute to cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke and even cardiac arrest.”
Johnson explained how engaging in this kind of research impacts SLCC students directly.
“Many community college students, especially those majoring in STEM majors, don’t finish [their] degree,” Johnson said. He added that learning science through active participation increases the likelihood of graduating college.
Johnson and Hahnenberger offered some ways for more students to get involved. They recommend taking courses in the major-level geoscience department and staying updated on research from the Dust^2 cluster, one of nine clustered facilities in the Critical Zone Collaborative Network that investigates the dust system in the southwestern United States.
Anthropology Professor Melissa Seaboch will give the next lecture on March 14; the last lecture will follow on April 11. Anyone looking to attend can reserve free tickets.
