Exploring 'Frontiers in Science'

The Sisters Science Club is presenting another of their Frontiers of Science programs in January. The program will be held at The Belfry, located at the corner of Spruce Street and Main Avenue. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for those who would like to enjoy food and drink before the program begins. Angeline's Bakery & Café is providing light entrées, beer and wine. There will also be crackers and milk for those who don't take to alcoholic beverages.

Forrest Towne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Central Oregon Community College will present a study investigating whether adolescence is a critical time period that determines how high our IQ will be, entitled "How Do We Become Smart?"

Towne hails from the Eugene area and has a long and illustrious career in chemistry that began at George Fox College, where he gained his B.S. in chemistry. He went on from there to the University of Montana, where he earned his Ph.D. under Professor Mark S. Cracolice, investigating the potential to improve middle school, high school, and college students' intelligence and academic performance by training them in an intensive thinking skill intervention program.

After a short time in the private sector investigating synthesized organic specialty chemicals for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and material science industries he became Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Montana State University-Northern for three years, where he was head of the chemistry and physics departments.

The University of Montana at Missoula played a vital role in Professor Towne's career, and from August of 2009 to 2012 he occupied the position of Lead Instructor of Preparatory Chemistry and General Chemistry in that institution.

Participants do not require any scientific background to come to The Belfry to eat, drink and learn. Kids are also welcome.

Professor Towne will begin his lecture at 7 p.m.

The next SSC program will be held February 14, same venue and times. The topic will be "Male/Female Difference in Sports Performance," offered by John Liccardo, MS, Instructor of Health and Human Performance at COCC.