October 16, 2007

LIVINGSTON, Ala.--Two members of The University of West Alabama faculty will present diverse lectures as part of the James E. Colquitt Faculty Colloquium, co-sponsored by Phi Kappa Phi honor society, Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Callaway Schoolhouse, with a reception following at the Spence-Moon House.

“Because UWA seeks to promote an environment of intellectual engagement, a pair of faculty members is chosen each semester to present completed studies or research in progress,” explained event organizer Mary Pagliero, president of Phi Kappa Phi. “The lectures are varied and intellectually stimulating sessions, with scholarship from diverse disciplines being shared.”

Presenters include Dr. Andrew Rindsberg, associate professor of environmental geology and paleontology, and Richard Day, assistant professor of computer and information systems.

Rindsberg will present “Houses of the Black Forest: From barn to cathedral in Southwest Germany.” He is a graduate of Stanford University, the University of Georgia and the Colorado School of Mines, where he specialized in paleoecology and ichnology. Most of Rindsberg’s work in the past 20 years has been devoted to Alabama geology and paleontology. He has documented more than 300 paleontologic sites in the Alabama Black Belt and has compiled an unpublished bibliography of the Cretaceous geology of the state. Currently, he is working on the environments of modern landsnails in Sumter County, and in his spare time, he photographs local butterflies. He is a member of the Nature Conservancy of Alabama.

Day will present “Consumer privacy: Who owns the information?” A graduate of the University of South Alabama and Troy University, Day is currently pursuing a doctorate in advanced management and decision sciences. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, and he also holds the title of Chartered IT Professional. Day is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Phi Kappa Phi and Upsilon Pi Epsilon honor societies.

The colloquium is named in honor of Dr. James E. Colquitt, UWA English professor from 1984-94 and winner of the William E. Gilbert Award for Outstanding Teaching. A beloved teacher, a lover of knowledge and a devotee of language, Colquitt was instrumental in establishing the faculty colloquium.

The colloquium is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Mary Pagliero at 205-652-3765.