SBT Founder gives Three Talks at the University of West Florida

On April 16 & 18 I gave three speeches in Pensacola and Ft. Walton, Florida, which were based on my life experiences and my foundation in Panama. The Talks were for the Pensacola Historic Society:" An Environmental History of Bocas del Toro", the Biology Series at UWF: "A UWF Marine Scientist Discovers Panama", and the UWF College Series: "Life after College; Challenges in a Developing Third World Country". The turnouts were moderate, but a lot of interest in Panama was generated. Previously, UWF student trips had only been to Belize, Costa Rica, and Honduras, now Panama will be a new destination.

While at the university, I had a meeting with the university President (a Marine Archeologist) and discussed possibilities for developing an exchange student program and a Bocas extension center. Also, the Head of the Environmental Studies Department has began the development of a new semester course studying NGO's (non-government/non-profit organizations) functions. SBT will be involved in providing the student's primary research topics. This may lead into a scheduled study abroad program as well. All in all, it was a very successful trip and I was happy to give a little something back to my university.