Bass in Susquehanna River topic of lecture at Penn State Hazleton

HAZLETON, Pa. — The public is invited to learn about disease research and management of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River during a lecture at Penn State Hazleton. The talk will be presented at 12:20 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8, in Room 1 of the Kostos Building by Geoffey Smith, Susquehanna River biologist for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Smith’s work includes management and research on fisheries in the Susquehanna River Basin, including smallmouth bass disease research, which he will discuss as part of his multidisciplinary approach. The bulk of his career has been focused on large rivers in the middle and eastern United States. In addition to working with smallmouth bass, in recent years Smith has been working on a research project understanding population characteristics of invasive flathead catfish and evaluating stocking practices for walleyes. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Fisheries Society and a member of the Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies, NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team, and Geisinger Medication Take-back workgroup. He holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Lycoming College and a master of science degree in biological science from Marshall University. 

Sponsored by the Lecture and Events Committee at Penn State Hazleton, the event honors the late campus physics professor Mylar Giri. The Mylar Giri Lecture series was established in 1988 to honor a beloved Penn State faculty member by inviting a distinguished speaker in the natural sciences to the Hazleton campus.