Series of Environmental Presentations Set for July

Series of sessions on environmental topics planned at WVU Parkersburg.

CONTACT: Phil McClung, professor of psychology, 304-424-8268; Denise McClung, associate professor of psychology, 304-424-8230.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

West Virginia University at Parkersburg will offer a free series in July of public information sessions concerning environmental topics.

Sessions will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings in July in the Caperton Center auditorium at WVU Parkersburg.

The presentations and resident consultants include: "Global Warming," Thursday (July 6), Bill Douglas, WVU Parkersburg associate professor of chemistry; "Population and Water," July 13, Dr. Wayne Dunn, dentist and environmental activist, and Dr. Patty Morrison, fish and wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of the Interior; "Pandemics," July 20, Tim Wickam, regional epidemiologist with the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, and "Resource Management," July 27, Jane King, WVU Parkersburg assistant professor of biology and chemistry.

The environmental series is free and open to the public. It is designed to share up-to-date information about each topic, projected trends, and suggestions for impacting change.

The sessions are the result of a new course entitled Ecological Psychology which is being co-taught this summer by Phil McClung, professor of psychology and Denise McClung, associate professor of psychology. Students in the upper level course are conducting research in specific sub-areas of each major topic and will present their informational findings and recommendations as a panel presentation.

"The class is already influencing change as students become personally engaged in their research," Phil McClung noted. "They are thinking more critically about the topics and associated issues and are taking action to make a difference in our community."

McClung said one of the goals of the class is awareness that reaches out into the community and influences change which will make a positive difference in the environment and the quality of life for future generations.

"If each individual commits to some action of doing something to improve our environment, think of the power for overall change that is possible," he said. "People often think that just one person doing something won’t have any impact – but that just isn’t so. By taking positive steps, you also influence others’ thinking and doing and suddenly we start to see change – in our thinking, our actions, our policies, and our futures."

Additional information regarding the sessions is available by contacting McClung at the college.

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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
WVU Parkersburg
Executive Director
Institutional Advancement
Office: 304-424-8203
Fax: 304-424-8315