Wayne Theatre Science Talk

*Please note that this presentation will take place at the Historic Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, Virginia (521 W. Main Street, Waynesboro, VA).

The 2022-23 season of Science Talks at the Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, Virginia returns Tuesday, September 13 at 7pm.

Virginia Museum of Natural History Assistant Curator of Archaeology Dr. Hayden Bassett, who also serves as director of the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) headquartered at VMNH, is set to present "Using Satellite Technology to Help Protect the Cultural Heritage of Ukraine" on Tuesday, September 13 at 7pm at the Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, Virginia. The presentation is free to attend and will also be broadcasted live on the Virginia Museum of Natural History Facebook page.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
The Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab, a collaborative effort with the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI), is housed at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. This innovative lab monitors cultural heritage around the globe that is threatened by armed conflict and natural disaster. Among other technologies, the lab uses infrared sensors and high-resolution satellite imagery to rapidly identify destructive events and active threats to monuments, museums, archives, historic buildings, archaeological sites, and landscapes in near real time. Through its partnership with the Smithsonian, the lab serves government and NGO stakeholders around the world. Dr. Bassett’s talk will cover the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab’s current efforts in Ukraine, where his team is monitoring over 28,000 cultural sites on a daily basis using advanced satellite technologies.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr. Hayden Bassett holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from William & Mary. He became the VMNH Assistant Curator of Archaeology and Director of the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab (CHML) after serving as an archaeologist for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), surveying cultural sites from around the world. Captain Bassett has recently participated in a 10-day Army Monuments Officer Training program that aims to bolster the ranks of cultural heritage preservation officers. The CHML works with the US Army Reserve’s recently reactivated Monument Officers, which is modeled after the famed Monuments Men of WWII.