UNC-Asheville's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday: GIS Day Celebration

Chocolate Friday

Brought to you by UNC Asheville’s NEMAC

Everyone is welcome... interesting presentations, lively conversation and excellent chocolate...

November 21, 2008

Theme: GIS Celebration Day

3:00 – 5:00pm

New Venue: Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville

A Community Collaborative Approach for Developing GIS Applications: The Steep Slope Calculator and mapWNC.org

Jason Mann, GIS and Application Services Manager, City of Asheville

Dave Michelson, GIS Analyst, City of Asheville

Gene Hume, GIS Coordinator, Buncombe County

Vicki Magnis, GIS Developer/Analyst, Buncombe County

Greg Dobson, GIS Coordinator, UNC Asheville’s NEMAC

The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and RENCI – UNC Asheville have successfully partnered to produce an online community tool in response to local "steep slope" ordinances. Given that the ordinances require slope to be calculated by parcel boundaries, a traditional GIS overlay district could not feasibly be used due to the fact that parcel boundaries change frequently (thus the overlay district would have to be continuously updated). The proposed alternative was to create a method by which government staff, developers, and private citizens could, in real time, evaluate a given parcel and dynamically analyze the slope to determine if ordinance restrictions apply. The “Steep Slope Calculator” has become part of mapWNC.org, an effort to provide innovative web-based mapping solutions to address issues that affect our region. This presentation will discuss technical lessons learned from developing the tool, and the nature of the collaboration and mapWNC.org.

GIS Technology and Its Applications: Bridging the Gap

Clay Tabor, UNC Asheville Student and NEMAC GIS Student Researcher

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a dynamic and evolving field that combines various computer technologies to manage, display, and analyze spatially referenced data. From its roots in geographic research, the use GIS technologies are quickly expanding to a variety of fields. With such demand, the number of GIS programs and features are rapidly increasing. However, as the integration of GIS into various fields increases, so has the integration between GIS applications. This integration between applications as well as the response to the needs of specific research has allowed GIS technologies to flourish. The presentation will attempt to illustrate the process, work involved, and results of working with these various GIS applications. Using specific examples from summer research with NEMAC, the presentation will provide a glimpse into the potential of GIS integration with other technologies. These examples will come from the field of atmospheric sciences, which is still in its early stages of GIS embrace. Included will be the work done for the Greenville-Spartanburg national weather service office and the various geospatial web applications. These projects demonstrate the unique challenges and benefits of working with GIS. The results convey the promise of this new field as a means for analysis and display of data throughout many domains.

Multigraph: A New Tool for Viewing Historical Weather Records in a Geographic Context

Mark Phillips, Research Scientist, UNC Asheville’s NEMAC / NCDC

This will be an informal demonstration of new software that is being developed at NEMAC and NCDC for viewing time series data such as historical temperature and precipitation records in a geographic context. The software runs in a web browser and can be used in combination with web mapping tools such as Google Maps.

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Climate Change

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

October 3, 2008

Theme: Climate Change

3:00 – 5:00pm

New Venue: Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville

Planning for Climate Change: A Handbook for Rural and Urban Area Planners

Joan M. Walker, CERO Summer Intern, NEMAC/NCDC

Climate change is a global problem that will be solved largely at the local level. The ways in which communities plan for the future will determine not only their impact on climate change, but also how resilient these communities will be to the effects of climate change. "Planning for Climate Change,” a cooperative effort by the National Environmental Modeling Center, National Climatic Data Center, and the Environmental Quality Institute, and is geared towards preparing local planners for the effects that climate change will have on their communities, ways that they can adapt to these impacts, as well as outlining strategies for mitigating green house gas emissions at the local level.

Joan M. Walker is a recent graduate of the Environmental Studies Department at UNCA. Her degree concentration is Environmental Management and Policy, and she also holds a minor in Economics. Along with several other dedicated students, Joan participated in acquiring the student Green Fee, the first student fee specifically intended for sustainability projects on campus, co-founded the Student Environmental Center at UNCA, where she served as research assistant and director. Joan is currently working at the Land of Sky Regional Council as part of Americorps' Project Conserve.

Climate Change and the Local Economy

Scott Shuford, President, Shuford Planning Services; author of Planning for Climate Change: A Handbook for Urban and Rural Area Planners

Economic development impacts resulting from climate change may well prove to be one of the most significant issues of concern for local economic development in the future. Industries and people have always migrated because of climate. Water supply problems, difficulties in finding affordable insurance, availability of cheaper shipping, and other factors affected by climate change may cause businesses and industries to relocate to more advantageous places. Migration, therefore, has enormous implications for local economies, creating different issues depending upon whether business is moving in or is moving out. Additionally, the dependence of much of our local economy on global economic conditions increases our vulnerability to changing markets, resource limitations, social unrest, and other global factors that may also be strongly influenced by climate change.

Scott Shuford worked in a variety of local government planning programs for over 25 years before starting his planning consulting firm, Shuford Planning Services, in 2007. He has worked in senior planning positions in Asheville (where he served as Planning and Development Director for the eight years prior to establishing Shuford Planning Services), in the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Florida, in Brevard County, Florida, and in Wilmington and Carolina Beach in North Carolina. His experience in a wide range of local government settings attracted the attention of UNC Asheville’s NEMAC and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, leading to a collaborative project designed to bring climate change science to urban and rural areas through the creation of a practical handbook for professional planners. Scott received his Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The Climate Crisis: Turning Information into Action

Mary Lynn Manns, Associate Professor, Management and Accountancy, UNC Asheville

Most people will agree that climate change is an important issue and it is a good idea to take actions that will have a positive effect on the environment. But “good” ideas often fail. Even when people nod their heads to convincing information, it can be difficult to persuade them to take action. Mary Lynn Manns will discuss why the climate crisis is a unique and challenging problem in “change.” She will present the relevant issues in “change theory” and suggest strategies that scientists and other communicators can use to encourage the general public to make lifestyle choices and persuade decision and policy makers to support climate change initiatives.

Mary Lynn Manns is an Associate Professor in the Management and Accountancy department at UNCA. Her concentration in management information systems includes a specialty in change leadership. She is co-author of the popular book, Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas and does many presentations on this topic.

For more information on Chocolate Fridays:

http://orgs.unca.edu/nemac/

Did you know…

UNC Asheville's NEMAC engages students in paid undergraduate research and community internship projects year round. NEMAC is always on the lookout for faculty in various departments who are willing to serve as mentors for these students. For further information please contact Susan Weatherford at sweather@unca.edu.

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Land Use Planning

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The fourth Chocolate Friday of Spring 2008 is April 25 and features three presentations on Land Use Planning.

Beaches vs. Buildings: Coastal Management in North Carolina

Andy Coburn, Assoc. Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University

Andy’s presentation will focus on coastal development, beach erosion and how North Carolina manages its developed shorelines. He will discuss coastal storm impacts (including Katrina), structural and nonstructural coastal management alternatives, sea level rise, good and bad state coastal policies (more bad than good), current pressures and anticipated problems and issues. Andy will also discuss the PSDS (Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines), what we do and why a coastal science and policy center at WCU makes sense.

GIS in Support of Regional Planning

Tom Tribble, Manager, Asheville Field Office, NC Center for Geographic Information & Analysis (CGIA)

GIS and Geospatial Imaging Technology support a broad range of applications. This presentation will describe two applications by CGIA, the State’s lead agency for GIS. One is a joint project with NCDOT and USGS to map land cover to support water quality and transportation planning in the Upper French Broad river basin. The second describes GIS support to the Sustainable Sandhills initiative, an EPA funded effort to support sustainability planning in an eleven-county region including Fort Bragg.

A Hedonic Valuation of Open Space in Buncombe County

Christie Gonzales, UNC Asheville Math Major and Farmland Values Project Undergraduate Research Student

This research examines the value of open space to property owners in Buncombe County, North Carolina. A hedonic model is used to estimate the many factors that influence residential property values, including open space. This method can improve understanding of how differing types of open space, such as protected areas, farmland, and golf courses, affect the market value of neighboring homes. This research builds on open space variables from previous literature while also determining those factors that are important to the mountainous region of Western North Carolina. The results are useful for estimating the value of open space preservation.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in fall 2008!

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce
36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Water Resources

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The third Chocolate Friday of 2008 is March 28 and features four presentations on Water Resources.

Water Quality Trends in Buncombe County Streams

Marilyn Westphal, Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) Coordinator, Environmental Quality Institute, UNC Asheville

The Volunteer Water Information Network of the Environmental Quality Institute has been monitoring Buncombe County streams monthly for over fifteen years. Samples are analyzed for stream sedimentation and water clarity, nutrients, and heavy metals. Over the period of analysis, water quality trends related to stream flow, time, season, and land use have become evident. This presentation will discuss some of these trends, as well as other water quality trends that are evident throughout the mountain region.

Watershed Assessment and Restoration: An Overview of Typical State-Level Programs

Barry Evans, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIE)

An overview will be provided of typical, federally-mandated state-level programs that are driven by the requirements of the national Clean Water Act. The focus will be on the process of how “impaired waters” are identified, how water quality problems are quantified, and how watershed restoration efforts are undertaken. Material and examples will be drawn primarily from state agency programs in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Challenges of Water Resource Management: A Regulator’s Perspective

G. Landon Davidson, NCDENR – Division of Water Quality, Aquifer Protection Section

North Carolina’s natural resources provide the foundation of our economy. Perhaps more importantly, these very resources are what make North Carolina a desirable place to live, a place to explore our heritage and build on our future. However, sustainable management of our natural resources, such as water, is a monumental challenge. The water resource has quickly moved from an assumed promise to a questionable and dubious prospect. From the regulators’ perspectives, we are facing an ever-increasing and often daunting task. We are now aware that our current approach to managing the water resource is highly stressed and very likely not sustainable given the projected population growth and the associated environmental stressors. Natural resource stressors such as drought only exacerbate the issues. Therein, we’ve now recognized that broadening of our perspective through collaboration and through innovative approaches is no longer a vague option but a specific mandate. To simply maintain our current level of regulated oversight, with the increasing demands on our water resource, will require advanced planning, implementation of new technologies, and expanded partnering with a variety of stakeholders. Understanding and fully appreciating the necessity of technical fieldwork while acknowledging the value and expanded scale environmental modeling provides, requires a balance of internal resources and focus. To move beyond our current level of water resource management will require substantial vision coupled with a commitment on all levels by resource users. In-depth assessment of the resource itself followed by expanded support for implementing sustainable measures by all of us is a necessity.

Models for Management, the Owasco Lake Watershed View

Bob Brower, CEO and Chair, Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT), Cayuga Community College

This presentation will demonstrate a viewer, a geospatial information tool that is intended to provide local decision-makers and watershed advocates with a “bridge” to the science of watershed management, including nutrient transport models. The presentation will include a brief description of the tool’s development and use, and will advocate for the value of three-dimensional visualization as the foundation of the bridge. Reference will also be included to the related deployment of a lake monitoring buoy in Owasco Lake.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday Bonus Session on Improving Science and Math Education

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested.

And yes, chocolate is served!

A bonus Chocolate Friday event "Improving Science and Math Education" will be held April 4th in the Chestnut Ridge Room in the UNCA Reuter Center . America struggles with science and math education as well as technical literacy; too many students are deficient and too many teachers not well qualified. At the same time, schools are increasingly challenged; almost half the public school students in the South are now in poverty. As a result, American innovation and competitiveness is weakened. In Asheville and Buncombe County, employers -- such as Mission Hospital -- struggle to find mathematically competent employees and thus weaken our own innovation and competitiveness.

These talks demonstrate three approaches taken by UNC Asheville to address those challenges: a community-campus project, programs to improve the K-12 to campus linkage, and an innovative mathematics program for college students.

Civil Rights and the Algebra Project
Janet Moore, Director of Community Relations and Marketing, Mission Hospitals
Harry Harrison, Executive Director YMI Cultural Center; Former CEO, African American Museum of Philadelphia; VP Museum of African American History in Detroit.
An innovative approach to combining civil rights and numeracy was pioneered by Robert Moses, a civil rights veteran and organizer of "The Algebra Project." The Algebra Project seeks to impact the struggle for citizenship and equality by assisting students in the inner city and rural areas to achieve mathematics literacy. The project has successfully engaged students in higher order thinking and problem solving; as a result, the Project has spread through many states. On February 27, Mission Hospital funding and strong community support brought Robert Moses for a day and half of workshops and presentations. This presentation describes how this approach developed in the US and the potential application of similar numeracy initiatives here.

Improving STEM Education at UNC Asheville
Sam Kaplan, Associate Professor Mathematics
The National Academy of Science Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy has determined that improving mathematics and science education would vastly improve the pool of students interested in pursuing STEM disciplines at advanced levels and entering math and science related Þelds. Preparing the workforce for the 21st century is one of the NSF's 2008 budget priorities including programs that encourage student interest in STEM Þelds at all grade levels as well as programs that build bridges between PÐ12 and higher education.
This presentation describes ongoing efforts of the UNC Asheville Mathematics Department to work with the Asheville City and Buncombe County School systems to improve the problem-solving skills of its teaching staff, increase the number of UNC Asheville Math majors serving the schools and tutors, and bolster the math literacy of the Asheville area workforce.

NSF REU Students at UNC Asheville Perform Original Research in Mathematics
Patrick Bahls, Assistant Professor Mathematics
The UNC Asheville Mathematics Department is home to an NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates summer site program. During the summer of 2007, eight undergraduate Mathematics majors from various colleges and universities nationwide came to UNC Asheville to perform original research in mathematics. Having been provided the opportunity to explore unsolved mathematical problems early in their academic careers, these students have been given a head start as researchers, fortifying their interest and proficiency in math research and giving them an edge in obtaining competitive offers from graduate schools. Moreover, they are now well on their way to joining in the international community of scholars in their field. This presentation describes the structure of the program and examines the experience of the first cohort of students to take part in it.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Urban Sustainability

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The second Chocolate Friday of 2008 is February 22 and features four presentations on Urban Sustainability: The Built Environment:

Sustainability in Asheville Policy Making

Robin Cape, Asheville City Council
How does a local city council member use sustainability as a decision making model for her votes on local policies? What does sustainability look like through the political lens?

The Contribution of Eco-Neighborhoods to Urban Sustainability
Bill Fleming, Westwood Cohousing Community
This presentation will focus on a path toward sustainability. Bill will discuss eco-neighborhoods and eco-villages as paradigm-shifting interventions in response to climate, energy, and water limits to growth.

Adding Up the Built Environment
Joe Minicozzi, Projects Director, Public Interest Projects
In assessing the built environment, especially with an eye toward sustainability, one has to be cognizant of the current practice of urban design and what one is shooting for in the built environment. Does policy and practice of city making meet the goals of the Asheville community and is it sustainable? Joe will present the work of the Asheville Design Center in addition to other works of planning and design to highlight the current practice of urbanism in the context of sustainability.

The Youth Climate Movement: Mobilizing for the 21st Century and Beyond
Ellie Johnston, Co-Chair of Active Students for a Healthy Environment (ASHE)
The youth of our nation are quickly becoming organized and stepping up to the challenge of global climate change. In the past year alone youth have mobilized in unprecedented numbers to fight against climate change and for a sustainable future. This presentation will overview the dynamics of the growing Youth Climate Movement as well as review some of its milestones at the national and state level, as well as on UNC Asheville's campus.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Climate

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The first Chocolate Friday of 2008 is February 8 and features four presentations on Climate in Asheville:

A Vision for Asheville's National Leadership in Climate for the Public Good

Ron Gordon, Director for Economic Development, North Carolina Arboretum and Program Manager, Centers for Environmental and Climatic Interaction

The Centers for Environmental and Climate Interaction (CECI) is an emerging non-profit partnership between government, academia, and commerce that leverages the extraordinary assets of the Asheville region in translating the results of scientific observation and assessment into useful public tools for mitigating or adapting to predicted climate change. CECI seeks to create the resources and collaborative alliances needed to promote the critical mission of the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), to act as an honest broker of scientific information, and to influence the course of the national response to the emerging grand challenge of Climate Change Management. CECI is a HUB Alliance sponsored initiative that enjoys growing support from many government, academic and commercial partners to include NCDC, ORNL, UNCA (RENCI/NEMAC), TNCA, IGES, the Nicholas School (Duke), and John Hopkins Center for Genetics & Public Policy.

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center – Climate Services and Drought

Tim Owen, Educative Officer, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

From its roots as the nation's official archive for climate information, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has emerged as a national leader in supporting climate services to a broad community of users and stakeholders. This presentation will outline the Center's current emphasis on climate monitoring, product delivery through web services, and its role in climate assessments at the national and international levels. NOAA's lead role in the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) will also be discussed.

Climate Change and Society Masters Program: An Asheville Graduate Center Update on the UNC Office of the President Planning Grant

Sandra Byrd, Assistant Provost for Graduate and Continuing Education and Associate Professor of Education, UNC Asheville

Dr. Byrd will lead an informal presentation and Q&A on the who, what, where and when of a future masters program on Climate Change and Society in Asheville.

A Most Convenient Truth: As global attention focuses on climate change, Asheville continues its efforts to attract weather, climate, and environmental technology companies to the area

Pamela McCown, Director of Marketing, Education and Research Services

The timing could not be better – Buncombe County and local leaders are actively marketing Asheville as the prime location for companies that wish to venture into the emerging climate-related business sector. As the home to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, Asheville is positioned to be a prime location for companies that will develop products and services based on the data archived at NCDC. Education Research Services, the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission and others are working together to build the collaborations necessary to support such an economic base and to make Asheville attractive to relevant companies and government agencies.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

February 22: Urban Sustainability: The Built Environment

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on the Biosphere

Chocolate Friday is a bi-weekly research and idea sharing event. Each week features presentations from NEMAC staff, University faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested in NEMAC and the topics.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The sixth Chocolate Friday is December 7 and features four presentations on The Biosphere:

No more magic bullets? Try the magic shotgun! ... the Bent Creek Institute's unique approach to developing next-generation treatments for human disease
Jeffrey D. Schmitt, PhD, Bent Creek Institute
Combination therapy refers to the simultaneous use of two or more methods to treat a given disease. The purview of combinatorial therapy now captures allopathic medicines and treatments as well as alternative medicines and treatments. Combinatorial therapy has been successful in treating numerous diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, leprosy, malaria, HIV/AIDS and diabetes (type II). The scientific literature is now replete with examples of the advantages provided by combinatorial therapies compared to mono-therapy; these advantages include: lower failure rates; lower case-fatality ratios; slower development of resistance in the case of cancer and infectious disease; and reduced acute toxicity, because the synergistic action of combined medicines frequently allows lower dosing regimens. The Bent Creek Institute is embarking on exciting initiatives to develop new ways to explore and create novel combination therapies to treat human disease.

The NC Arboretum: Tapping Regional Uniqueness and Opportunity
George Briggs, Executive Director, The NC Arboretum
Located in the Southern Appalachian mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum emerges as a new institution of the University of North Carolina system in a region possessing a rich cultural heritage, great botanical diversity and noted landscape beauty. In addition to these natural assets, our mountain region and the State as a whole are experiencing substantial shifts in economic patterns, environmental trends and land use. This presentation will describe the current status of development, programs and strategies in aligning the Arboretum's priorities with the challenges and opportunities confronting North Carolina.

Monitoring invasive exotic plant species in the National Forests of the Southern Appalachians
Andy Brown, President of Equinox Environmental
Invasive species have been cited by the Chief of the US Forest Service as being one of the top four threats to the health and sustainability of America’s national forests. Yet we know relatively little of the science behind the risk of alien plant invasions and the associated impacts on native species in forest ecosystems. Efficient invasion management requires that we learn more about these issues. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the circumstances and conditions of alien plant invasions in southern Appalachian National Forests so they might be predicted and managed more effectively.

Dissection of a Molecular Communication Pathway in Cancer Cells
Thomas E. Meigs Assistant Professor of Biology UNC Asheville
A typical human cell contains thousands of different proteins, and a small but growing number of these proteins have been suggested to play important roles in cancer progression. G{alpha}12 is an intracellular protein that has been demonstrated to drive cells toward cancerous proliferation (uncontrolled cell division) and metastasis (invasion of cancer cells into other areas of the body). The molecular mechanism of G{alpha}12 action in cells is not well understood; however, in the past several years approximately twenty different proteins have been identified as directly interacting with G{alpha}12. My laboratory has developed an experimental system for identifying the specific regions of G{alpha}12 critical for interaction with each of these proteins; our ongoing studies should reveal protein-protein interactions that are important for cancerous progression in human cells. Our hope is that the structural information garnered from these studies will aid the design and development of novel anti-tumor drugs.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.