Kevin Svitana, assistant professor of life and earth sciences and Westerville resident (43081), recently delivered two research presentations at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), held in Portland, Ore., Oct. 18-21. Approximately 6,000 scientists from across the country attended the exposition.

“Otterbein Lake: an Example of Public/Private Partnership, Community Engagement and Science” outlines a unique community relationship in Westerville based on the Otterbein Lake Project. The presentation highlights how grants were secured to improve Otterbein Lake’s appearance, access and appreciation; and several faculty members now integrate the project into their teaching curriculum.

“Mapping the Development of a Web-Based Teaching Resource: Dreams vs. Reality” focuses on the use of an internet-based teaching resource that uses the Woburn, Mass., Toxic Trial to teach science to all majors. The presentation chronicles the development of the Web site and user statistics for the past two years and enables students to investigate and understand science-related issues related to the court case.

Svitana brings more than 20 years of experience to Otterbein and serves as chairperson for the environmental studies program. He teaches courses in geology, earth science, land use planning and environmental studies. His research focuses on hydrogeology, particularly on the assessment and remediation of groundwater and surface water resources.