RSC Special Events

Geneva Sayre Lecture

The Annual Geneva Sayre Lecture is held every spring and brings to the campus a nationally known biologist who gives a formal lecture and also spends a full day on campus meeting with biology students. Past lecturers have included Rosalyn Yalow, Beatrice Mintz, Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Candace Pert, Ann Young, and Lynn Margulis.

Our 2009 Geneva Sayre lecturer was Dr. Helen Ghiradella of SUNY Albany who investigates irridescence of butterfly wings.

Dr. Helen Ghiradella

Past Lecturers:

Dr. Michelle Lennartz, Albany Medical College, presented her research on plaque formation in the 2008 lecture. A biology student is currently interning in her laboratory.

Dr. Mariana Figueiro of the Lighting Research Center at RPI. Dr. Figueiro, a nationally known researcher in photobiology,spoke aboutlight and health for our2007 Lecture. Dr. Figueiro is a visiting assistant professor at Sage.

Our 2006 Geneva Sayre lecturer was Dr. Mary A. Carskadon, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University School of Medicine. Dr. Carskadon is a well-known researcher in circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles. She presently studies sleep patterns in teenagers.

The 2005 Geneve Sayre lecturer was Dr. Sally Temple of Albany Medical Center. Dr. Temple discussed her work on neural stem cells. She is studying how the complex structure and functions of the brain are determined by these simple cells during development.