A number of TTU faculty and students participated in the 115th meeting of the Tennessee Academy of Science, held Nov. 17-18 at the University of Tennessee-Martin.

Biology Professor S.K. Ballal, 2004 Distinguished University Teacher of Tennessee and a Fellow of the academy, gave the plenary address, "Tsunami 2004." Steven Hayslette of Biology presided over two Zoology sessions.

Tennessee Tech authors and their papers are:

* S.K. Ballal, Biology: "Distribution of Lemnaceae and Taxa in Coastal South Carolina" (with student B. Alley).

* Ismail Fidan, Manufacturing and Industrial Technology: "Web-based Evaluation of STEM Projects" and "Computer-Aided Knowledge-Based Process Planning for SMT Rework."

* John Harris and S.K. Ballal, Biology: "Enzymatic Activity of Spirodela Oligorrhiza."

* Steven Hayslette, Biology: "The Use of Artificial Nesting Structures in Mourning Dove Nesting Research and Habitat Management" (with student S. Simmons).

* Wayne Leimer, Earth Sciences: "Mineralogical Analysis of Barite Nodules and Quartz Veins within the Chattanooga Shale Formation of the Eastern Highland Rim Region, Tennessee" (with student S.B. Smith).

* M. Vance (student), Biology: "Ecology of Castanea dentata on the Cumberland Plateau of Kentucky and Tennessee" and "An Update on the Ecology of Castanea dentata at Mammoth Cave National Park."

* Donald Visco and Joseph Biernacki, Chemical Engineering: "Diffusion in Polystyrene: Experimental Results and Multi-Scale Modeling."

Faculty and students contributing posters to the meeting were Barbara Jackson, Dan Swartling, Alicia E. Blakley and Elijah Hixson of Chemistry, as well as Peter Li, J. Tittle, and Jeffery S. Hensley of Earth Sciences.

Several TTU faculty serve on the group's standing committees: Michael Redding and John Harris of Biology and Jeffrey O. Boles of Chemistry. Redding is past president of the group, and Harris is president-elect. George Webb of History serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science.