Keynote Speaker

Valery E. Forbes, Ph.D

Director, School of Biological Sciences
University of Nebraska—Lincoln

Dr. Forbes will open the Conference with a presentation at the 6:00 PM banquet on Friday, February 17. Her presentation is titled:

"What's a nice girl like me doing in a job like this? The unexpected adventures of a biologist"

Valery E. Forbes has her Ph.D. in Coastal Oceanography from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In January 2011, Dr. Forbes started as Director of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. From 1989 to 2010, she lived in Denmark where her latest position was Founding Chair of the Department of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change and Professor of Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology at Roskilde University, Denmark.

Specific research topics include population ecology and modeling, fate and effects of toxic chemicals in sediments, and ecological risk assessment. Dr. Forbes has published more than 100 internationally peer-reviewed articles and two books on these topics. She is on the editorial board of several international journals and provides scientific advice to the private and public sectors. She is currently supervising seven Ph.D. students and four postdoctoral researchers.

Dr. Forbes is participating in two large European research projects; the first is a 7th Framework Initial Training Network, “Mechanistic effect models for ecological risk assessment of chemicals” (CREAM), which runs from September 2009 to August 2012, and the second is a 7th Framework Collaborative Project, “The reactivity and toxicity of engineered nanoparticles: risks to the environment and human health” (NanoReTox), which runs from December 2008 to November 2012.

Application

High school sophomore and junior women who have an interest in exploring a career in science are encouraged to apply. Participants are selected by their teachers based on interest and aptitude.

Interested high school teachers or counselors should contact:

Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
251 Avery Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0131
402-472-8965
scimath@unl.edu