State University of New York at Fredonia Professor of Computer Science Reneta Barneva will deliver the annual Kasling Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. in the Juliet J. Rosch Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
 
"The Kasling Award is the most prestigious scientific award at SUNY Fredonia," said Dr. Barneva, who will offer a speech entitled "The Beauty of Computer Graphics" at the presentation. "I feel greatly honored that it was conferred to me."
 
The Kasling Memorial Lecture is named for Robert W. Kasling, a Professor of Geography at SUNY Fredonia from 1946 to 1966 who earned a reputation for his inspirational levels of personal integrity and academic scholarship. In honor of his contributions to the university, SUNY Fredonia established a lecture series in 1973 that annually allows one distinguished faculty member to discuss his or her research and creative activities.
 
Dr. Barneva joined what was then known as the SUNY Fredonia Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in September 2001 – the two became separate departments in 2004 – after teaching in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at Eastern Mediterranean University in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Department of Computer Science at the University of Mining and Geology in Sofia, Bulgaria. Dr. Barneva has written or co-authored dozens of journal articles and reference materials related to her studies, and she continues to actively increase and share her vast wealth of computer science knowledge.
 
"I feel that the active scholarly activity of a university professor has a very positive impact on the quality of education his or her students obtain," Dr. Barneva said. "Only by doing active research can an educator learn the latest trends, results and open questions in a scientific field, deeply understand all technical details and all possible theoretical obstacles."
 
Dr. Barneva’s Kasling Memorial Lecture, "The Beauty of Computer Graphics," will delve into one of the many areas on computer science in which she has contributed her expertise. Expect a colorful, vibrant speech from one of SUNY Fredonia’s most resident technology experts.
 
"In my lecture, I’m going to briefly consider the development of computer graphics over the years and my own contributions to it," Dr. Barneva said. "Although studying computer graphics requires a strong mathematical background, I promise to avoid any kind of boring formulas and specific terminology; instead, I will present in a popular form some important ideas and applications, and illustrate them with a lot of images."
 
For more information on programs and events at SUNY Fredonia, visit the university online at www.fredonia.edu.