APR’s News Director to Participate in National Webinar Panel

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Pat Duggins, news director of Alabama Public Radio, a University of Alabama unit, will soon put his knowledge of the NASA program on display as a panel member for a webinar hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Aug. 30 webcast covers “science that did or did not come from the space shuttle program,” Duggins said. In his career, Duggins has covered 103 space missions as National Public Radio’s NASA correspondent.

“The American Association for the Advancement of Science is teaming me up with former shuttle program chief Wayne Hale and former astronaut John Grunsfeld,” Duggins said. “It will be a very informative and entertaining webcast.”

Duggins also is the author of the book “Trailblazing Mars,” which he will sign while in Washington, D.C. The book signing will take place at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum Aug. 29. This will be Duggins’ third signing at the Smithsonian.

“’Trailblazing Mars’ follows up my first book, ‘Final Countdown,’ which came out in 2007,” Duggins said. “It looks at how it will take a whole new NASA to send people to the red planet, and it will require a whole new mindset on the part of the American people. Space travel up until now has been like little summer vacations. Going to Mars is more like taming the American West.”

The webinar is free to AAAS members and for those who sign up for a free 72-hour guest pass. Registration is available at http://membercentral.aaas.org/trialone-a, and the webinar will be viewable once membership is attained.

Alabama Public Radio is a service unit of the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences, and its offices are housed on the bottom floor of Reese Phifer Hall. The WUAL – Tuscaloosa station broadcasts from Reese Phifer.