University at Buffalo experts available to discuss the solar eclipse

BUFFALO, N.Y. - University at Buffalo researchers are available to discuss the following topics related to the total solar eclipse taking place on April 8.

Eye safety

Andrew Reynolds is an ophthalmologist who can discuss how people can protect their eyes during the eclipse.

Reynolds, clinical associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, specializes in pediatric eye care.

He is available at (716) 881-7900 or alr23@buffalo.edu.

Science

Tracy Gregg, professor and chair of the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences, can discuss why eclipses are significant scientific events.

She studies the planets and is an expert of planetary volcanology, including topics that range from Martian volcanoes to lava lakes on the surface of lo, the intensely volcanic moon that orbits Jupiter.

Gregg is available at (716) 645-4328 or tgregg@buffalo.edu.

Dejan Stojkovic and Sambandamurthy “Murthy” Ganapathy, both professors in the Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. They can speak about the scientific aspects of the eclipse. Stokkovic studies the interface between gravity, particle physics and cosmology, and Ganapathy researches the physical properties of low dimensional condensed matter systems.

Stojkovic is available at (716) 645-5014 or ds77@buffalo.edu; Ganapathy is available at (716) 645-2906 or sg82@buffalo.edu.

Nick DiFrancesco, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences, can speak to the basic science behind the eclipse.

DiFrancesco can explain what is happening in terms of size, distance, and position of the Earth, sun, and moon. He can also speak generally about when different kinds of eclipses occur and why they are relatively infrequent.

He is available at (716) 645-4864 or ndifranc@buffalo.edu.

Education

Noemi Waight, associate professor of learning and instruction in the Graduate School of Education, can speak about how the eclipse is being taught in K-12 classrooms. 

An expert on technology use in education, Waight can discuss culturally relevant ways to design and enact science lessons about the eclipse. She can also discuss how the eclipse can be used to engage community learning.

Waight is available at (716) 645-4045 or nwaight@buffalo.edu.

Culture

David Schmid is an expert of on pop culture and cultural studies.

He can speak to the media about how large scale events such as the eclipse, have a communal and unifying effect on society.