The Raymond Falconer Natural History Lectures
The Falconer Lectures are the University at Albany's longest running public science lecture series
that were started by Ray when he worked as site manager of the ASRC Whiteface Mountain Field Station in
the early 1960's. The original lectures were held in the summer at the Marble Mountain Lodge
facility and in 1973, Falconer expanded the lectures to a spring series held on the campus of
The University at Albany.
At the beginning of each lecture, Ray would provide a brief weather forecast and discussion, and quickly became known as "The Dean of Weather Forecasting". Sometime in the 1970's, Gertrude S. Thompson, an environmentalist with a keen interest in weather and also a regular attendee of the Falconer lectures, became a close friend of Ray's and made a bequest and established The Ray Falconer Endowed Chair at the University at Albany.
The Summer 2024 Lecture Series
Attend in-person at ASRC's Whiteface Mountain Field Station, 110 Marble Mountain Lane, Wilmington, NY 12997; or join us via Zoom at the links below!(Note: Falconer lectures start promptly at 7PM! Starting this summer, we are planning on providing a ten minute weather briefing before the start of the lecture, to honor Ray Falconer. Scott McKim, ASRC's Whiteface Mountain Science Manager will provide the briefing in a non-technical, yet informative format.
- July 9, 2024
- Adam Deitsch, PhD student at the University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center with a background in Environmental Science
- "PFAS at Whiteface: A Peek at Forever Chemicals in the Adirondack Mountains"
- Zoom Link
- July 23, 2024
- Robert Haynes, Meteorologist, National Weather Service forecast office Burlington, Vermont
- "Introduction to the National Weather Service and Outlook for the Fall/Winter Season 2024"
- Zoom Link
- August 6, 2024
- Phil Snyder, Water Quality Research Manager, Ausable Freshwater Center
- "The Browning of Adirondack Lakes: Chemical Responses to Decreasing Acidification and a Changing Climate"
- Zoom Link
- August 20, 2024
- Mary Barth, Senior Scientific Head, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
- "The Role Clouds Play in Affecting the Atmospheric Composition"
- Zoom Link
For a full color brochure of this summer's lectures with abstract, click BROCHURE
Recordings
Summer Lectures
The summer Falconer Lectures are held biweekly on Tuesday evenings at 7:00PM at the ASRC Whiteface Mountain Field Station located at 110 Marble Mountain Lane in Wilmington, NY 12997.
Spring Lectures
The spring Falconer Lectures are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00PM in the University at Albany's Emerging Technology & Entrepreneurial Complex, ETEC, 1220 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12226
Donation Information
Tax‐deductible donations to sustain the Falconer Natural History Lectures may be made out to the "The University at Albany Foundation" and mailed to the University at Albany Foundation UAB‐201, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222. Please address donations as "Attention: Ray Falconer Fund."
In addition, donations made be made online at UAlbany Giving. Just click "Give Now," then "View All Areas of Support," and enter "Attention: Ray Falconer Fund" in the comment box.
