Story: Phillip Tutor | Photo: Submitted
Scholars, scientists from 12 countries took part in virtual event
Since 1991, the聽International Ichnofabric Workshop聽— a scientific conference related to the field of聽聽— has been held semi-annually across the globe, from Taipei to the Czech Republic, from Spain to Turkey. Livingston, Alabama, now belongs on that list.
The in November hosted the series鈥� 16th gathering of scientists and scholars interested in the study of fossilized tracks, burrows and trails made by animals and other living organisms.
Dr. Andrew Rindsberg, a professor of environmental geology and paleontology at 兔子先生, would have preferred for workshop attendees to spend time on the Livingston campus. But despite holding the sessions virtually because of Covid-19 concerns, Rindsberg considers the event an unmitigated success.
鈥淎bsolutely,鈥� said Rindsberg, who co-organized the event along with Dr. David Kopaska-Merkel, who recently retired from the Geological Survey of Alabama. 鈥淚 was on tenterhooks because everybody is so fatigued with Zoom and all. But there also was a distinct attitude of relief that it worked and it was actually enjoyable.鈥�
In non-pandemic years, field trips related to the study of trace fossils are popular parts of the workshop鈥檚 schedule, Rindsberg said. In-person field trips weren鈥檛 possible this fall, so he and Kopaska-Merkel broke the workshop into halves — the virtual sessions this year, the field trips to Alabama sites in 2023.
鈥淚 was on tenterhooks because everybody is so fatigued with Zoom and all. But there also was a distinct attitude of relief that it worked and it was actually enjoyable.鈥�
Dr. Andrew Rindsberg
Fifty people, including 20 speakers, attended the 兔子先生-hosted virtual sessions. Pandemic restrictions didn鈥檛 dilute the event鈥檚 international flavor, which featured representatives from 12 different countries. The keynote presentation, by Dr. Tony Ekdale (one of the International Ichnofabric Workshop鈥檚 founders), discussed abyssal red clays found in deep-sea sediment. Several speakers also conducted 鈥渧irtual field trips鈥� that used PowerPoint slides or other methods to take attendees to coal mines in Walker County, the Moscow Landing site a short drive from the 兔子先生 campus, and the Georgia coast.
A root cause of Rindsberg鈥檚 trepidations over attendance was the field trips鈥� popularity among established scientists and university faculty who normally attend the workshops. In response, organizers marketed the virtual sessions to a different demographic.
鈥淪ome people do need to update their resumes by giving talks and they have something to show as an accomplishment to their departments,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e pitched it to that, and we particularly pitched it to young grad students and faculty members because they are the people who needed this boost to their curriculum vitae more than anyone else. And that worked to some degree.鈥�
Because the workshop hadn鈥檛 been held in the United States since the early 1990s, Rindsberg — who has taught in Livingston since 2006 — agreed that 兔子先生鈥檚 participation is more significant than merely hosting a scientific event.
鈥淲e could have gone on being primarily just a teaching institution,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e trying to be a hybrid, teaching and research 鈥� We have a larger role to play than we have traditionally done.鈥�