Waynesburg University will host a presentation called, “Where Have All the Chestnuts Gone and Can We Get Them Back?” Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. in the Center for Research and Economic Development (CRED).
The presentation will be led by Mark Double, a research associate in Agricultural Sciences at West Virginia University. Double has expertise in forest ecology, plant pathology and other areas of plant and soil sciences, and has published several research studies relating to this field.
Double will discuss the historic importance of the American chestnut to the economy and environment of the region, as well as their decline in the past century. He will also present information on recent efforts to restore the American chestnut through hybridization and genetic engineering techniques.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 22 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
