Join Darrin Rubino, Professor of Biology at Hanover College, as he hosts the first session of the Nichols Community Inquiry Series on April 28th at 7:00 p.m. EST. Dr. Rubino will be discussing how tree rings, the annual increments of wood that are deposited around the circumference of a tree, offer a unique opportunity to study historic growth patterns in trees and forests. This lecture will focus on how tree rings are used to date historic buildings and will highlight how tree-ring analysis is used to better understand historic architecture, forest use, and regional history throughout the Mid-Ohio River Valley. Along with his student researchers, Darrin has been able to date timbers from over 200 buildings (including barns, churches, houses, mills, and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and to create a vast database of accurately measured and dated tree rings that reaches back to the mid-15th century.

Darrin joined the Hanover College Biology Department in 2002. He teaches introductory biology, botany, ecology, and research methodology courses. You can learn more about how Darrin, his students, and colleagues have been investigating the ages of buildings in his and his co-author’s (Christopher Baas) recent book, Dating Buildings and Landscapes with Tree-Ring Analysis: An Introduction with Case Studies. The Zoom link will be in the event registration confirmation email.

The Nichols Community Inquiry Series was made possible by the generous support of Mark Nichols '74 and Cheri Griffith Nichols '74. The purpose of the Nichols Community Inquiry Series is to promote lifelong learning opportunities for alumni and friends by creating events for the Hanover College Community to interact with faculty.

Questions? Contact Nicole McKown, Director of Constituency Engagement and Annual Giving, at mckown@hanover.edu or 812-866-7013.