SRSU announces Fall 2026 Science Seminar series

The Office of the Provost at Sul Ross State University is pleased to announce the speakers and topics for the Fall 2026 Science Seminar Series. The series is designed to highlight the research expertise available across the sciences at Sul Ross State University, inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences and encourage collaboration among academic departments. The seminars are open to all SRSU students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Big Bend community. Refreshments will be provided at each seminar. Each one-hour seminar will be held in Room 201 in the Warnock Science Building. Participants are encouraged to continue the conversation at an informal off-campus mixer at the Ritchey following each presentation. The series will begin Thursday, Sept. 17, at 3:30 p.m. with Dr. Esra Balcioglu, assistant professor of Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology in the Department of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice. Balcioglu will present 'Killing without a Weapon: The Forensic Science of Arsenic Poisoning,' exploring the scientific and investigative methods used to understand arsenic poisoning. Dr. Philamer Torio, research scientist with the Meadows Research Institute for West Texas Water and visiting assistant professor of Business in the Rio Grande College of Business, will present 'Beyond Performance Metrics: Equity and the Human Dimension of Water Services Management' on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 3:30 p.m. Torio's presentation will examine water services management through the lens of equity and the human factors that extend beyond traditional measures of performance. The Fall 2026 series will conclude Thursday, Nov. 12, at 3:30 p.m. with Dr. Dan P. Collins III, senior research scientist with the Borderlands Research Institute and associate professor of Wildlife Management in the Department of Natural Sciences. Collins will present 'Connecting Fieldwork, Science and Conservation Decisions,' highlighting the relationship between scientific fieldwork, research and the decisions that shape wildlife conservation The Office of the Provost invites the SRSU community and residents throughout the Big Bend to attend these seminars and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from Sul Ross researchers while connecting with others interested in science, research and discovery. ###