LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Lock Haven University will host a panel discussion on how the extraction of natural resources affects the economy and environment of Pennsylvania. The discussion will include the effects of extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. The event, sponsored by the LHU Environmental Focus Group, is scheduled for 7:00- 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 in the Hamblin Hall of Flags (Robinson 115). The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Dr. Robert Myers, chair of the LHU English department and chair of the Environmental Focus Group, stated, “From the lumber and coal industry of the nineteenth century to the recent discovery of technologies that enable the extraction of natural gas from the Macellus Shale, Pennsylvania's history has been shaped by its abundant natural resources.” He urges the public to attend this discussion.

The panelists include a diverse group of experts, who will represent different perspectives on these issues:

Rebecca Dunlap is Project Manager for Trout Unlimited’s West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Initiative, one of four regional restoration programs in the nation. Becky’s work with Trout Unlimited began as an intern with TU’s Kettle Creek Home Rivers Initiative. Armed with the experiences gained through this program, she went on to receive her B.S. and M.S. in biology with a focus on aquatic ecology. Before coming back to TU she served as the Water Resources Coordinator for the ClearWater Conservancy located in the heart of Pennsylvania.

Mary B. Wolf is an intergovernmental relations consultant to Anadarko Petroleum and the PA Economy League. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business/Economics from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Michigan. She has taught political science at Lycoming College, and has served as Mayor of Williamsport as well as a member of the Williamsport City Council.

Dan Vilello is the North Central Region local government liaison for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Technology, until recently he owned a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning business. In addition to many community service projects, he has served as a Clinton County Commissioner from 1996 to 2003.

Md. Khalequzzaman holds a Masters degree in Mining Engineering from Baku, (formerly of the USSR), and another M.S. and a Ph.D. in Geology from University of Delaware. His areas of expertise and research include water quality and watershed management in central Pennsylvania, water-related environmental problems in Bangladesh, GIS, and coastal oceanography. He has numerous publications on water and energy-related issues and is involved in community-based watershed alliances and environmental research in both Bangladesh and in central Pennsylvania.