C.W. Post to Host Science Expo April 18

Experience the wonders and uncover the mysteries of science, health and technology through demonstrations, shows and exhibits at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University's 12th Biennial Science Expo on Sunday, April 18.

The day's events will run from 1 to 5 p.m. in Humanities Hall, Pell Hall/Life Science Building and the Pratt Recreation Center. The Science Expo is open to the public and admission is free. The event will be held rain or shine.

The Expo will showcase more than 100 exhibits featuring live amphibians and reptiles, such as turtles, frogs, lizards, salamanders and numerous species of snakes; fossil and mineral displays; colorful insects such as beetles and butterflies; and live mammals as well. Biological exhibits and presentations will show actual human organs, including normal and abnormal brains, human hearts and other cardiovascular specimens, normal and diseased lungs, gastrointestinal tracts, normal and abnormal kidneys, human reproductive structures and normal and abnormal human skeletons. Formal presentations will focus on vertebrate evolution, ecology, anatomy, physiology, ethology and pathology.

The science extravaganza includes hands-on activities designed to educate and entertain adults and children of all ages. Make "slime" in the Chemistry laboratory; touch crystals, rocks and minerals in the Earth and Environmental Science Center and get tips on the importance of healthy eating. Attendees will see powerful electron microscopes and learn how radiographic images are produced. For dinosaur enthusiasts, there will be illustrated lectures on aspects of dinosaur evolution. Presentations on amphibian ecology and forensic pathology will also be given.

The Science Expo will include a special Health Fair that will focus on the signs, symptoms and risk factors of diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Sponsored by the Professional Nurses Association and the Department of Nursing at the C.W. Post Campus, the Health Fair will also cover all areas of women's health, including pre-natal care, hormone replacement therapy, self-breast exams, abnormal pap smears and birth control methods. Additionally, psychiatric nurses will discuss the causes, symptoms and treatment modalities of common psychiatric illnesses.

"This event has become an important part of science education on Long Island," said Jeffrey A. Zeisler, Science Expo Committee chairman. "The hands-on exhibits and in-depth presentations that characterize this Expo are both educational and enjoyable. There truly is something of interest for everyone."

Several special presentations will highlight the day's events:

• "The Forensic Autopsy, an Illustrated Lecture," by Donald Ferruzzi, chairman of the Department of Science at the Grant Campus of Suffolk County Community College
• Peter Warny, research associate in zoology at the New York State Museum, will give an illustrated lecture on wetlands ecology
• "The Biology of Reptiles," a presentation with live animals by Schuyler Smith, biology teacher at Westlake High School in Westchester
• Every 30 minutes, the Long Island Science Museum will present its Starlab Planetarium Sky Show in C.W. Post’s Pratt Recreation Center
• Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery will give a presentation featuring live animals indigenous to the Long Island area
• Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary will present "Birds of Prey" with live predatory birds
• The Hicksville Gregory Museum and Nassau Mineral Club will both give presentations on fossils and minerals
• Long Island Herpetological Society will give numerous presentations featuring live reptiles and amphibians, including snakes, tortoises, lizards and turtles

Many local high school students plan to present exhibits and/or the results of their experiments, including the following schools: Rockville Centre’s Southside High School, Syosset High School, Half Hollow Hills High School West, and North Shore Hebrew Academy HIgh School and Woodland Middle School. Students from Suffolk County Community College, Western Campus, will also be participating.

The C.W. Post Campus is located at 720 Northern Boulevard (Route 25A) in Brookville. For additional information, call the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at (516) 299-2233, the C.W. Post Biology Department at (516) 299-2481 or visit http://www.cwpost.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/clas/expo.htm