  
|
 |
Sister Mary Virginia Orna
Sister Mary Virginia Orna, O.S.U. (Order of Saint Ursula,) is Professor of Chemistry at the College of New Rochelle. She is also Editor-at-Large of Chemical Heritage magazine, former Director of Educational Services at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and presently Publications Coordinator of the Journal of Chemical Education. She received her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Fordham University.
She has lectured and published widely in the areas of color chemistry and archaeological chemistry. Her articles have appeared in the Journal of Chemical Education, Color Research and Application, Studies in Conservation, Analytical Chemistry, Microchemical Journal, Journal of Biological Chemistry, American Chemical Society monographs, and various other journals. She has also authored numerous book chapters and encyclopedia articles, three books and edited seven others.
Dr. Orna is active in several divisions of the American Chemical Society, having served as Chair, Program Chair, and Treasurer of the Division of the History of Chemistry. She is currently serving as ACS Councilor and a member of the ACS Council Policy Committee and served as Treasurer and Member of the Examinations Institute Board of Trustees of the Division of Chemical Education for 12 years. She was also Program Chair for the 14th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education, which was held at Clemson University in August 1996. Also, she is former Associate Member of the Society Committee on Education, and former member of the Divisional Activities Committee, the Committee on Committees, and the Committee on Meetings and Expositions. She is a 1984 recipient of the Chemical Manufacturing Association’s Catalyst Award for excellence in college chemistry teaching, the 1989 CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) New York State Professor of the Year and National Gold Medalist Award, a recipient of the 1989 Merck Innovation Award, the 1996 Western Connecticut ACS Section's Visiting Scientist Award and the 1996 recipient of the James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry. She received the American Chemical Society’s 1999 major teaching award, the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education, at the Society’s National Meeting in March 1999.
She has presented plenary lectures and named lectureships on at least a dozen different occasions. Presently, Dr. Orna is President of ChemSource, Inc., a major effort in chemistry teacher preparation and enhancement funded by the National Science Foundation, and also of Dwight D. Eisenhower Title IIA chemical education summer programs at the College of New Rochelle. She was a Fulbright Fellow in Israel (1994–1995) where she lectured at the Hebrew University, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Shenkar College of Textile Technology. She also did research on ancient Middle Eastern artifacts in collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Museum, and the Edelstein Center for the Analysis of Middle Eastern Textiles and Related Artifacts.
She spent spring 1995 in Italy where she studied Italian language and examined medieval Italian manuscripts. As a hobby, she enjoys constructing crossword puzzles and has been a frequent contributor to the Sunday New York Times, SciQuest, Clinical Chemistry News, American Laboratory, Today’s Chemist, and other publications. She is a tour speaker on the roster of the American Chemical Society and has been an invited lecturer to every part of the United States and many countries in Europe and the South Pacific.
"The Shroud of Turin: An Inexplicable Mystery"
Applications of the methods of archaeological chemistry can help scientists and non-scientists alike to appreciate our recent and ancient past. Chemistry in particular is an aid to (1) Understanding the techniques used to create artifacts and works of art; (2) Gain knowledge of the provenance, or origins, of the work; and (3) Provide evidence that can support or “de-authenticate” the claims to authenticity of such famous artifacts as the Shroud of Turin. In addition to a discussion of the scientific examination of the Shroud, the history and method of manufacture of this famous relic will be used to outline the pros and cons of its authenticity.
|
Contact Us
For additional information, please contact:
Cultural Events Hotline
p - 516.877.4555
Adelphi University
Ruth S. Harley University Center
1 South Avenue
P.O. BOX 701
Garden City, NY 11530-0701
|
