DSC Foundation kicks off fall WISE series – from fracking to Sunrail to ET

DAYTONA BEACH , Fla. (Aug. 18, 2014) - From everything you wanted to know about SUNRAIL, fracking and the possibilities of extraterrestrial life to historical perspectives of the Middle East and World War II, the Daytona State College Foundation’s Wisdom in Senior Education (WISE) program will feature something to suit everyone’s interests when it kicks off its fall season in September.

The season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with a presentation on the history and future of Central Florida’s commuter rail system by Thad Joseph, public information specialist for SUNRAIL.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, Dr. Michael Olson, professor of meteorology at Daytona State, will discuss the latest forecasting technology, as well as the effects of powerful weather events and climate change.

Tuesday, Sept. 30, Dr. Donald May, professor of education at Daytona State, will describe what he, three fellow faculty and nine students experienced on a recent service-learning trip to Haiti, where they worked with students and teachers at a school in the city of Cap-Hatien as part of May’s “Teaching Beyond Borders” initiative.

Award-winning News 13 television journalist Scott Fais will share some of the off-the-beaten-path travel tales he’s collected for his acclaimed “Florida on a Tankful” series on Tuesday, Oct. 7, followed on Oct. 14 by Dr. Emily Faulconer, a professor of chemistry at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), who will explain the general concepts of fracking technology and make the case for why the U.S. should connect to the Keystone Pipeline.

Also presenting this fall is Daytona Beach native and member of the college’s District Board of Trustees Stanley Escudero, who served as U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. Escudero will discuss his perspective of this volatile part of the world on Oct. 21. He will be followed on Wednesday, Oct. 29, by Dr. Ted von Hippel, professor of astronomy at ERAU, who will speak about the latest technology in space exploration and offer his views on the possibilities of life beyond earth.

Tuesday, Nov. 4, will feature local obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Kelly Molpus, who will speak about the da Vinci Robotic Surgery platform, which is seeing wider use in complex procedures because of its minimally invasive approach.

Maj. Trish Hayden and Col. Irving Davidoff will share their experiences in the Middle East wars and World War II on Nov. 11, followed on Nov. 18 by Mickey Grosman, wilderness survivalist, cancer survivor and Special Forces veteran, who will share his inspiring story of perseverance and courage.
On Dec. 9, Daytona State’s culinary faculty will help kick off the holidays with demonstrations featuring some of the season’s most favored gastronomical delights.

All WISE presentations will take place in the Hosseini Center on the college’s Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The Foundation created the WISE program to provide continuing education and cultural enrichment activities to senior members of the community. Since 2009, WISE’s membership has grown from its original three founding couples to an association of more than 250 patrons. WISE is open to anyone age 50 or older. Find a complete listing of Fall 2014 WISE presenters on the Foundation’s website.

For more information, contact Kent Ryan, (386) 506-4425 or ryank@daytonastate.edu.

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