UW News

July 31, 2001

MEDIA ADVISORY: UW Astrobiology program to host its first national conference

News and Information

* WHAT: Astrobiology conference hosted by the University of Washington’s Center for Astrobiology and Early Evolution.

* WHO: Talks will be presented by noted leaders in the emerging field of astrobiology, including a number of faculty members from the UW’s unique doctoral program in astrobiology.

* WHEN: Monday, Aug. 6, through noon Wednesday, Aug. 8.

* WHERE: Crystal Mountain Resort, at the northeast edge of Mount Rainier National Park.

DETAILS: This is the UW’s first astrobiology conference in the three years since the inception of its astrobiology program, which involves studying the evolution of life in extreme conditions on Earth as a way of understanding and potentially discovering simple life in outer space. The conference presentations will be compiled into a textbook for the UW’s astrobiology program and in general for new researchers in the field.

Reporters are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions. Information about the conference is available at http://depts.washington.edu/astrobio/activities/AB_Conf.html

Crystal Mountain is about 35 miles southeast of Enumclaw, Wash., (about 70 miles southeast of Seattle) on State Highway 410.

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For more information, contact Woodruff Sullivan, UW astronomy professor, at (206) 543-7773 or woody@astro.washington.edu, or Linda Schieber, conference coordinator, at (206) 543-9541 or lindas@astro.washington.edu