Science Café on the Coast Presents Pellagra: Its Historical and Cultural Connections to the South

News item published on: 2018-10-05 11:04:00

Science Café on the Coast presents “Pellagra: Its Historical and Cultural Connections to the South” on Tuesday, October 30 at 6 p.m. in the Barry L. Mellinger Student Center at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston Campus.

Dr. Deanne Stephens, Associate Dean of Arts and Letters and History Professor on the Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus, will discuss Pellagra, a debilitating skin disease that became an epidemic in the rural South during the nineteenth century. Pellagra is a disease caused by low levels of niacin, also known as vitamin B-3. It’s marked by dementia, diarrhea, and dermatitis. If left untreated, pellagra can be fatal. In conjunction with the presentation, the LRC will have the exhibit “Pellagra and the South” on display from throughout October.

Science Café offers those with minimal background in science the chance to meet and discuss issues in a relaxed social setting, and is a collaboration between The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Libraries, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Harrison County Library System, Long Beach Public Library, and the Hancock County Library System.

For directions to campus, click here. For more information about Science Café and the exhibit, contact pklibrary@mgccc.edu or 601.928.6286.