March 2: Maryland’s Fossil Sharks (and Other Paleontological Wonders)
With Dr. Victor Perez
Visiting Assistant Professor
St. Mary’s College Department of Environmental Studies

$75 for the series (6 events)

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Southern Maryland is known worldwide for the exceptional fossil record of Miocene marine life, offering ample opportunities for research, education, and recreation. The fossils along the local Calvert Cliffs are inherently connected to coastal erosion in the Chesapeake Bay. Consequently, my research also explores the active geologic processes along Calvert Cliffs to understand how these processes impact fossil preservation and modern aquatic ecosystems.

As a STEM educator, I am actively involved in undergraduate and K-12 education, as well as community outreach. I create and evaluate educational programs that engage diverse audiences in inquiry-driven learning. I am currently a co-PI on a National Science Foundation ITEST grant that is introducing middle school students to artificial intelligence using fossil shark teeth. Through this project, we are developing a curriculum in which students create machine learning models that are capable of classifying images of fossil shark teeth.