Pros and cons of genetically engineered crops is topic of lecture at SUNY New Paltz

NEW PALTZ — The School of Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at New Paltz will continue its 2005-06 colloquium series with a lecture titled “Genetically Engineered Crops and the Environment” at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, in the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium, with a reception at 3:30 p.m.

The speaker, Dr. Alison Power, will discuss genetically engineered crops and the risks they pose to the environment. She will provide examples of such risks and recommend strategies for evaluating them. Power is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Cornell University; she also serves as dean of the graduate school.

“In the near future, we as a society, will need to decide if genetic engineering of crops will play a significant role in 21st century agriculture,” said David Clark, colloquium chair and associate dean of the School of Science and Engineering. “In order to make an informed decision, there are a number of conflicting claims we need to resolve.

“Dr. Power’s lecture will provide facts and background about this critical issue so that we can each make an informed judgment about these claims,” Clark said.

The lecture is open to the public at no charge. An informal conversation with the speaker will follow in the Coykendall Science Building Lounge. For more information and directions, contact David Clark at (845) 257-3728.