George Liepa Sigma XI Speaker Series
Save the Date! The 2024 George Liepa Sigma Xi Annual Speaker event will take place on Thursday, March 14th, 2024.
The George Liepa Sigma Xi Annual Speaker Series Endowed Fund at Eastern Michigan University presents:
Dr. Sarah Comstock, "Human Milk: Shaping Microbial Communities, Supporting Positive Child Health Outcomes"


Thursday, March 14, 2024, 7–8 p.m. in The Student Center Auditorium
For more information please contact the Graduate School at 734.487.0042 or [email protected]. This event is free and open to the public.
History


The George Liepa Sigma XI Speaker Series Endowed Fund was established in 2011 in memory of Dr. George Liepa [PDF]. George was an active campus member of Sigma Xi, a professor of human nutrition and a department head in the College of Health and Human Services.
When the Graduate Research Fair was created, it was his idea to have a science-related speaker present at the end of the day. George secured funding from Sigma Xi National to start the event and was a key figure in helping to select the annual speaker as well as marketing the event to EMU students, faculty and local high schools.
Previous George Liepa Sigma Xi Speakers:
- Thursday, March 23, 2023 - Dr. Jeremy Bassis: "A Tale of Two Cities: Climate Resilience and Adaptation in a Changing World"
- Thursday, March 17, 2022- Dr. Stefan M. Pasiakos: "Leveraging Nutritional Science to Optimize Soldier Health and Performance" [PDF]
- Thursday, March 18, 2021 - Dr. Anne Casper, "Effective Teaching to Support Inclusivity and Diversity in STEM" [PDF]
- Due to COVID-19, the 2020 George Liepa Sigma Xi Speaker Series event was postponed until 2021.
- Thursday, March 21, 2019 - Dr. Sophia Lunt, "Starving Cancer Away: Deciphering Metabolic Rewiring in Cancer" [PDF]
- March 15, 2018 - Richard Lunt, "Solar Panels: A Revolution in Distributed Power Production" [PDF]
- March 23, 2017 - Marie S. O’Neill, “Climate Change and Health: Research and Partnerships for Action” [PDF]
- November 17, 2016 - David Cappelleri, “Robots Deliver Results: Multi-Scale Robotics and Automation, from the Large to the Microscopic” [PDF]
- November 19, 2015 - Dana Dolinoy, “Your Epigenome: DNA is not Necessarily Your Destiny” [PDF]
- November 13, 2014 - Gary Huffnagel, “Your Gut: So Much More Than a Digestive System” [PDF].
- March 18, 2013 - Donald Beitz, "Genetic Regulation of Bovine Milk Fatty Acid Composition: Improving the Healthfulness of Milk through Selection" [PDF]
- March 26, 2012 - Jeanette Hasse, "Nutrition Strategies to Improve Organ Transplant Outcomes" [PDF]
- March 21, 2011 - Carol Ireton-Jones, "Malnutrition, Inflammation & Energy Metabolism" [PDF]
- March 16, 2010 - Elizabeth Friedman, "Archaeological Science: Forging Common Ground across Academic Disciplines" [PDF]
- March 23, 2009 - Norman G. Hord, "Dietary Guide to Prevent Cancer" [PDF]
- March 24, 2008 - Jeanette Adams, "Preserving the Nation’s Cultural Heritage through Chemistry: Analytical Materials Science at the Library of Congress" [PDF]
- March 26, 2007 - William S. Harris, "The Cardioprotective Effects of Fish Oils: Consensus and Controversies"
- March 27, 2006 - Peter Mancuso, "Phat Hormones: The emerging Role of the Adipokines in Health Care"
- March 28, 2005 - Tony England, "The Opportunity Cost of the New NASA" [PDF]
- March 22, 2004 - Howard Van Till, "Finders and Keepers: Can Religion Keep What Science Finds?" [PDF]
- March 24, 2003 - Jacqueline Krim, "Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems: These Squeaky Wheels Will Get No Grease" [PDF]
- March 18, 2002 - Milford Wolpoff, "Paleo-Anthropology" [PDF]
- Fall 2001- external speaker, topic: genetic engineering of food