http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-534357.mp3
Albany, NY – COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTIAL SERIES
DR. FRANCES DALY FERGUSSON, VASSAR COLLEGE -
The cost of higher education is a frequent topic of conversation in the
halls of Congress, and in the homes of parents with school children.
We begin this periodic series on College and University Presidents,
Past and Present, with Dr. Frances Daly Fergusson. She was the
ninth President of Vassar College. Her extended 20-year tenure at
Vassar concluded just this past summer. In this exclusive wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Fergusson provides insight into many of today's
important campus issues, including: tuition, SAT scores, women faculty, academic freedom, community involvement, and the future of higher
education. To begin with, TBOOK asked Fergusson about some of the
more sweeping changes she experienced during her 20-years at the
helm, from 1986 to 2006.
Allison Dunne reports. (13:01)
ORIGINS OF LIFE - SCIENCE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION SERIES
AUTHENTICATING ORIGINS AND INDEGENEITY OF ANCIENT
ORGANIC MOLECULES , Pt. 1 of 2 -
Meteorites are of special interest to scientists, because, like life on
Earth, they contain organic or carbon-based compounds. But
chemical studies of meteorites have been challenging and sometimes
unreliable. Scientists claim contamination through exposure, storage,
and handling. Yet new tools, like mass spectrometers, are now
revealing more information about the relationship of chemical building
blocks of life, both those found in outer space, and those found here
on Earth. One of the lead scientists in this investigation is Dr. Steve
Macko, a Professor of Isotope and Organic Geochemistry at the
University of Virginia. His major areas of interest include marine
organic carbon preservation, and K - 12 education and outreach.
Dr. Macko has been featured on Discovery and National Geographic
Channel programs.
Glenn Busby reports. (5:30)
The preceding material is supported by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration.
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