West Virginia University astronomer Maura McLaughlin will presentLooking at the Sky with Radio EyesWednesday, Nov. 19, as part of the fall 2008 Faculty Dinner Series at WVU .

The dinner presentation will be from 6-8 p.m. in the Gold Ballroom in the Mountainlair.

McLaughlin was one of only 23 physicists in the United States and Canada selected for the 2008 Sloan Research Fellowship. In 2006, she distinguished herself by discovering a new, mysterious class of radio-bursting collapsed stars.

The Faculty Dinner Series is a Student Affairs Sophomore/Junior Year Experience initiative. The programopen to WVU sophomores and juniorsbrings students and faculty together in a comfortable, intimate environment, where they can enjoy complimentary meals and informal conversation with professors.

The dinner series is designed to help students have a successful college experience,said Sheila Powell, special assistant to the vice president of WVU Student Affairs.Sophomores and juniors learn more about a subject in their particular major or area of interest, hear from outstanding faculty and spend time with other students with similar interests.

Three dinners are held each semester. Participants will receive a gift, as well as dinner and dessert.

WVU sophomores and juniors interested in attending the free event should e-mail ” Kelli.Eisentrout@mail.wvu.edu rel=nofollow> Kelli.Eisentrout@mail.wvu.edu to reserve a space.

Spring 2009 presenters include David Stewart, associate vice president/dean of students and associate professor of English, who will discussPoetryFeb.10 and Thomas Kammer, professor of geology, whose March 24 talk is titledExtinction of the Dinosaurs and why YOU are Here Instead.An April presentation will be announced at a later date.

To learn more about the Sophomore/Junior Year Experience, visit http://sophomorejunioryear.experience.wvu.edu/ .