Geothermal Energy Next Kaler Lecture Topic Nov. 4
UI civil engineering professor to speak at Staerkel Planetarium
Geothermal energy will be the subject of the next edition of the James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series at the WIlliam M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College.
On Friday, November 4 at 7 p.m., Dr. Tuğçe Baser, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois, will present "Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet: Geothermal Energy." Tickets for Kaler lectures are $2 or are free for the Friends of the Staerkel Planetarium.
In a DOE study on geothermal energy, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry recognized the "enormous untapped potential for geothermal energy in the United States," adding that "making geothermal more affordable can provide a more diverse electricity generation source for heating and cooling solutions for all Americans." Dr. Baser's presentation will first introduce existing approaches to untap the earth's potential for energy harvesting via various geothermal systems. The second part will involve Dr. Baser and her team's ongoing work on geothermal energy development on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus and statewide.
Dr. Baser earned a bachelor's degree in geological engineering at Çukurova University in Turkey and a PhD in geotechnical engineering at University of California, San Diego. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alberta before joining the U of I in 2018. She and her team research unsaturated soil mechanics, energy geotechnics, climate change related subsurface multiphysics phenomena, and sustainable geo-energy applications. She received the ISSMGE Bright Spark Lecturer Award in 2019 for her achievements in the area of energy geotechnics. Dr. Baser was also awarded with the 2020 Young Investigator Program and Defense Instrumentation Program at AFOSR for her research on multiphysics behavior of geomaterials.
Kaler Science lectures are filmed by Parkland College TV. After the talk, the planetarium will premiere the fulldome program, The Sun, Our Living Star at 8 p.m. Admission to fulldome shows are $6 for adults or $5 for children, students, or seniors. Please visit parkland.edu/planetarium for the show schedule or call 217/351-2568 for information about booking the dome.