KNOXVILLE — An estimated 8 to 12 thousand feral cats roam the backyards and dumpster sites of Knox County. Teresa L. Jennings, program director of Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will discuss wild cats and the trap-neuter-release program.
Her talk — “Knoxville’s Community Cats: Problems and Solutions” — will begin at noon on Friday, Sept. 24, in Thompson-Boling Arena Dining Room C-D. The program is free and open to the public; attendees are welcome to bring their lunches or purchase lunch at the Café at the Arena.
The UT Science Forum is a weekly event where academic, medical and research professionals share their knowledge and unique insights in their fields. Different science topics will be discussed with a question-and-answer session at the end of each 40-minute presentation.
“People feed one stray cat at their back door, not realizing that four other homeowners are also feeding that cat,” said Jennings. “It’s not just the feeding; it is the need to keep the population from increasing. On Kingston Pike alone there, are over 200 colonies of feral cats.”
The UT Science Forum is sponsored by the UT Office of Research. Upcoming presentations include:
- Oct. 1: Sherrell R. Greene, director of nuclear technology programs at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, presents “Reprocessing Nuclear Fuel.”
- Oct. 8: Fall Break – no meeting
- Oct 15: David Buehler, professor of wildlife science, presents “Tennessee’s Warblers, Jewels of the Forest — Why They Are Vanishing.”
- Oct. 22: Yilu Liu, Governor’s Chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering, presents “Monitoring of Smart Electrical Grids.”
- Oct. 29: Randall W. Gentry, director of the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, presents “Water Resources and Sustainability Science.”
- Nov. 5: John Bell, medical doctor and director of the Cancer Institute at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, presents “Epidemiology of Women’s Cancer.”
- Nov 12: Andy Kramer, professor and head of anthropology, presents “Teaching the ‘E’ Word in Tennessee: Student Misconceptions about Evolution.”
- Nov 19: Jill Narak, assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine, presents “Neurologic Exams on Dogs and Cats — Patients Who Can’t Talk.”
For questions about the UT Science Forum, contact Mark Littmann, littmann@utk.edu or 974-8156, or Mike Clark, clarkgmorph@utk.edu or 974-6006.
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C O N T A C T:
Whitney Holmes (865-974-5460, wholmes7@utk.edu)