Science & Technology

UWF to host astrophysicist for distinguished lecture

The University of West Florida Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering will host astrophysicist Dr. Nadine Barlow as a distinguished lecturer April 6-7 at events in downtown Pensacola and on the Pensacola campus.

Barlow, a professor at Northern Arizona University and director of the NAU-NASA Space Grant Program, will present “The Search for Water on Mars,” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 6 at the Museum of Commerce, 201 E. Zaragoza St., in downtown Pensacola. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. On Friday, April 7, Barlow will discuss “How Understanding Water on Mars Informs our Understanding of the Martian (and Earth) Climate,” at 1 p.m., following a 12:30 p.m. reception in Building 4, Room 102 on the Pensacola campus. Both events are open to the public.

“We are excited to host Nadine Barlow, who is recognized for her research on Martian craters and their association with the search for water on Mars,” said Dr. Matthew Schwartz, associate dean of HMCSE. “This is the first in what will be a regular series of UWF HMCSE seminars from national and international speakers.”

The author of “Mars: An Introduction to its Interior, Surface and Atmosphere,” Barlow has researched impact craters on Mars, as well as the understanding of Mars’ climate history and Earth’s own climate, past and future. She is a member of multiple scientific societies, including the American Astronomical Society, Division for Planetary Sciences, American Geophysical Union, Planetology Section, Geological Society of America, Planetary Geology Division, International Astronomical Union, Sigma Xi and the Committee on Undergraduate Research. In addition to her scientific accomplishments, Barlow has received multiple accolades for mentoring research students at NAU.

Barlow’s visit to UWF is funded by the generosity of Hal Marcus to UWF’s Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. For more information, contact Schwartz at 850.474.3455 or mschwartz@uwf.edu.