August 2010
Brevard College Art Faculty Exhibition Opens September 3
An exhibition of work by Brevard College’s talented art faculty will be held from Sept. 3 to Oct. 1 at the College’s Spiers Gallery.
An opening reception will be held Friday, Sept. 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the gallery, which is located in Sims Art Center.
Working in a variety of two-and-three dimensional media, Brevard College faculty artists participating include: Bill Byers, Jo Pumphrey and Kyle Lusk as well as adjunct faculty Aaron Alderman, Michael Bryan, Lori Park, David Sheldon and Ike Wheeless. Professor Emeritus Tim Murray will also exhibit his work.
The reception and exhibit visitations are free to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. weekdays when the College is in session. The exhibit will be on display until October 1.
Spiers Gallery is a contemporary 1,500 square foot gallery located within the Sims Art Center on the Brevard College campus. Exhibitions in Spiers Gallery are ongoing throughout the year and include shows by Brevard College students and faculty members as well as visiting artists from Western North Carolina and around the country.
For more information about this exhibition, contact Diane Pomphrey at 828-884-8188.
Posted 8.27.10
Sigma Xi Hosts Blue Ghost Firefly Presentation by Brevard College Professor/Author
The local chapter of the scientific research society Sigma Xi will host a presentation on the biology of the Blue Ghost Firefly on Tuesday, September 21 at Brevard College.
The presentation will feature Brevard College Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Studies and Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for Environmental Education Jennifer Frick-Ruppert.
Little was known about the Blue Ghost Firefly, which is unique to the Southern Appalachians, until Dr. Frick-Ruppert’s recent publication with Brevard College graduate Josh Rosen in the Journal of the NC Academy of Sciences. Dr. Frick-Ruppert will also discuss the general biology of the Southern Appalachians – especially the interactions between plants and animals of the region.
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m. held in Room 125 of the College’s McLarty-Goodson Building.
Dr. Frick-Ruppert, who has taught at Brevard College since 1997, teaches courses in environmental perspectives, biodiversity, and natural history and was awarded the 2003-2004 Award for Exemplary Teaching. She earned her Ph.D. in Zoology from Clemson University in 1995.
Originally from South Carolina, Frick-Ruppert grew up with a love of nature and an appreciation for her surroundings. She has written several scientific articles, most recently on the biology of the Blue Ghost Firefly, and has authored websites for South Carolina Educational Television. From 2001-2005, she wrote a regular column for The Transylvania Times.
Her long awaited book, Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, is now available from UNC Press. Illustrated with both color and black- and-white images, it conveys the seasonal change in animals and plants of the region, emphasizing their interactions and unique characteristics. It has already received several notable reviews for its quality and lively writing style.
A 6 p.m. reception and 6:30 p.m. dinner are planned prior to the presentation. Cost to attend the reservation-only reception and dinner, which will be held in the Institute Room of Brevard College’s Myers Dining Hall, is $8. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Jeff Llewellyn at llewellyn@brevard.edu or 828-883-8292, ext 2277. Reservations must be received by Monday, September 20.
UNC-Asheville chapter of Sigma Xi is comprised of members from Brevard College, Mars Hill College, Warren Wilson College and UNCA.
Posted 8.26.10
Brevard College Group Explores Geologic Wonders of Iceland
(Left to Right) BC sophomore Mary Kathryn Webb; senior Billy Swords; senior Chelsea Shew; Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds; incoming freshman Elena Reynolds; and sophomore Mark Migliore pose in front of the Skaftafellsjökull glacier in Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park. To read a travel log and view photos and videos from the group's adventure in Iceland, go to www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/magellanic/4/tpod.html |
Six Brevard College students recently joined Brevard College Associate Professor of Geology Jim Reynolds on an 18-day, camping field trip throughout Iceland.
The July trip included recent BC graduate Hunter Boyd of Hickory, N.C.; senior Chelsea Shew of Hendersonville, N.C.; senior Billy Swords of Atlanta, Georgia; sophomore Mary Kathryn Webb of Tyler, Texas; sophomore Mark Migliore of Jacksonville, Florida; and incoming freshman Elena Reynolds of Webster, N.C.
Connestee Falls resident Lee McMinn also joined the group that included seven other college students, faculty members and interested volcanophiles from around the world.
“Iceland was a nonstop adventure where I met people that I will never forget, experienced their amazing culture, and walked on geological features that have built Iceland into the active island it is today,” said Shew, a General Science major. “Everyday was something new to be amazed about.”
Swords, a general science major who is also working towards his teacher certification, was equally impressed with the island’s offerings especially its “wonderfully effective geothermal energy system, along with kind, strong and intelligent people.”
During the trip, the group visited a geothermal power plant near the capital, Reykjavík, as well the fjords of western and northwestern Iceland. They also traveled to Mývatn – in northeastern Iceland – where they explored volcanoes around the large lake, a large geothermal area, Krafla caldera and Dettifoss, Iceland’s largest waterfall.
While traveling to south Iceland, the group crossed the Sprengisandur – also known as the Central Iceland Desert – passing close to the Vatnajökull, the world’s third largest icecap. They also visited the hot springs and orange mountains of Landmannalaugar.
While based out of Kirkjubæjarklaustar, the group explored the rifts at Eldgjá and Lakagígar – where the two largest eruptions in recorded history took place. They also visited Jökulsárlón, a coastal lagoon that traps hundreds of icebergs that calved off of the Vatnajökull.
The final adventure was an overnight trip to the island of Heimaey – where, in 1973, the Eldfell volcano grew in the town and buried a neighborhood.
“I’m very fortunate to have the opportunities to take students to places like Iceland where they can get a sense of Earth in formation,” added Professor Reynolds. “The only disappointment was that Eyjafjallajökull stopped erupting by the time we arrived. We were able to go right to its base and collect some ash but it would have been icing on the cake to see an actual eruption.”
Posted 8.25.10
Move A Mountain Service Day
More than 250 new students, upper classmen, faculty and staff took part in Brevard College’s Move A Mountain Day on Monday, August 23. The half-day service-focused experience offered the volunteer groups a chance to work on projects that directly or indirectly serve their new community. Click here to view a Move A Mountain Service Day Photo Gallery.
Posted 8.24.10