University of New England

Archeological chemistry scholar Sr. Mary Virginia Orna to discuss the Shroud of Turin and other mysteries April 6th

Shroud of Turin scholar and professor of chemistry Sister Mary Virginia Orna, Ph.D., will discuss "The Shroud and Other Mysteries: Uncovering Traces of the Past through Science" Thursday, April 6, 2006 at noon in the Simard- Pettapiece-Wescott Rooms, Campus Center at the University of New England in Biddeford.

Her lecture, part of UNE's Core Connections Spring Lecture Series, is free and open to the public.

Archeological chemistry can help scientists and non-scientists alike appreciate our recent and ancient past. Sister Orna will examine several laboratory techniques, including stained glass, uses of atomic absorption on ancient poetry and, in the case of the Shroud of Turin (said to be the winding sheet of Christ), the radiocarbon dating of ancient linen. She will also discuss the present theories surrounding the Shroud, as well as the pros and cons of each argument.

Sister Mary Virginia Orna received a Ph.D. in analytic chemistry at Fordham University and is currently professor of chemistry at the College of New Rochelle. She is also editor-at-large of Chemical Heritage Magazine, publications coordinator of the Journal of Chemical Education and president of Chemsource, Inc., a major effort in chemistry teacher preparation and enhancement funded by the National Science Foundation. She is a 1984 recipient of the Chemical Manufacturing Associations Catalyst Award for excellence in college chemistry teaching and was a Fulbright Fellow in Israel (1994-95), where she lectured at The Hebrew University.

For information on other upcoming Core Connection speakers at UNE, visit www.une.ed/ur/news/corespring06.asp.

(Press release issued March 30, 2006)