Flame Chub Talk Yesterday

I gave an invited talk yesterday about my flame chub research to a class run by the Physics Department, "Frontiers In Science". This class is also part of our Honors program. The 40 students were probably about a third physics majors, almost as many biology majors, and scattered engineers and other majors. The point of invited speakers is to expose students to a range of scientific research, and especially the background of the researchers.

So I'm a little weird that way, my undergraduate degree is in Economics and I went to grad school in my early thirties. But the talk went well, explaining why and how I came upon this project of surveying the historic range of flame chubs in north Alabama. The students had some good questions at the end of my 30 minute presentation. This lead into a discussion of how to protect wetlands and streams with me giving a review of the recent Supreme Court decision that narrowly upholds the EPA's work to protect "navigable waters".

At the very least I don't think I bored or confused anyone, possibilities if you don't couch your research in some understandable context. No one volunteered to work with me, but you never know... It was good as a first comprehensive presentation of my research to some kind of informed audience. Now I just have to write it up and get it published somewhere!