The Future of Fossil Fuels (in-person)

Overview

As we try to diminish our dependence on fossil fuels, we can ask ourselves: Can we ever accomplish this? Is this achievable with an expanding world population's growing demand for abundant and cheap energy? What are the chances of success? Join Stephen Macko, Professor, Environmental Sciences Department at UVA, for an informative discussion.

Speaker Biography

Stephen Macko, Professor of Isotope and Organic Geochemistry, Department of Environmental Sciences

Stephen Macko is a Professor of Isotope and Organic Geochemistry in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. He received his PhD from the University of Texas in Chemistry. He has authored over 300 refereed research papers (with an H-Index of approximately 60 based on over 12,000 citations) and books, including the singular work in the field, Organic Geochemistry; he was elected a Fellow of the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry and was a Corresponding Editor for EOS, the publication of the American Geophysical Union. Currently, he is editor-in-chief of the Nitrogen and Biogeosciences journals. At the University of Virginia, he teaches Oceanography and Geochemistry. He received the All-University Teaching Award at UVA and was a finalist for the State of Virginia Faculty of the Year award. He recently held the position of Program Officer for Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry at the US National Science Foundation.

His current research includes studies on chemosynthesis at cold seeps and hydrothermal vents using the Johnson Sea Link and Alvin submersibles, identifying geochemical biomarkers of climate change in high Arctic marine sediments and soils of sub-Saharan Africa. He has been a scientist or chief scientist on numerous oceanographic expeditions, being involved in five legs of the Ocean Drilling Program, including the Antarctic Legs 113 and 119 and the sub-Arctic Legs 105 and 106, as well as in dives to depths of over 500m in the submersible Johnson Sea Link. During five field seasons, he was a principal research scientist on the High Arctic Canadian Ice Island. He has long been involved with oil spill assessment, including the Ixtoc I oil well blowout in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, which was the largest accidental spill prior to the Gulf of Mexico incident of 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. His laboratory has been featured on PBS, the Discovery, and National Geographic television channels (The Moche Murder Mystery, Ultimate Guide to Mummies), the independent Peabody Award-winning film King Corn, as well as internationally, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, UK), Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS, Korea), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC, Yeosu, Korea), Ríkisútvarpið Public Television (RUV, Reykjavik, Iceland) and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).

This special opportunity is for local UVA alumni, parents, friends, and families. The Lifetime Learning Program and the Alumni Association collaborate to offer a unique educational experience during Reunions Weekends. Selected Reunions Seminars are free and open for you to attend. Seminars are held in Charlottesville on the University’s Grounds.