UFOs, Paranormal Activity the Focus of Sept. 19 Symposium

OMAHA – With Halloween just a little more than a month away, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) students and faculty are once again teaming up to bring a discussion of UFO’s and the paranormal to campus.

On Friday, Sept. 19, UNO’s MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) UFO Study Group is hosting its fifth annual UFO Symposium from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The event, which costs $10 at the door, will take place in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service building.

“The purpose of our study group – and this event in particular – is to look at the logical, scientific and rational explanations of the UFO phenomenon,” said Dave Pares, adjunct professor of geography and meteorology at UNO and faculty advisor for the UNO MUFON UFO Study Group. “But, we like to have fun and are open to exploring all kinds of evidence.”

For more information, contact:

Dave Pares at unoufostudygroup@gmail.com, or 402.651.9670
John Powers, jcpowers@unomaha.edu, or 402.319.2721

For media inquiries, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at unonews@unomaha.edu or 402.554.2129.

The agenda for Friday’s symposium is included below:

- 5:00 p.m. Doors Open, free parking on campus
- 6:00 - 6:05 p.m. Welcome by Kyle Finley
- 6:05- 6:50 p.m. Greg Andersen, “Midwest UFO's - 2014”

Explanations for Aliens (Three Part Presentation)
- 7:00 - 7:30 p.m. John Powers, "Rare, but Physical Beings"
- 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. Steve Snodgrass, "Mental Projections"
- 8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Kyle Finley, “Non-Physical, but Intelligent Beings”

- 8:30 - 8:50 p.m. Q&A
- 9:00-10:00 p.m. Dave Pares, “Space Warp The Wave of the Future"

Information on this year’s guests is included below: 

Greg Andersen is a State Director and field investigator with the Iowa chapter of the Mutual UFO Network, an international organization dedicated to the investigation of UFO/extraterrestrial claims. Greg will share recent UFO/Abduction cases in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri.  

John Powers is an officer of and is a certified field investigator with the Nebraska chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). Mr. Powers is attached to the S.T.A.R. team, MUFON's international fast response investigation team designed for quick deployment to physical UFO investigations. Mr. Powers has a Masters degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Anthropology and currently teaches at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Steve Snodgrass is a mental health practitioner, social worker, and independent writer known for his development of Integral UFOlogy, a method for evaluating the validity of UFO/ET contact claims.  Snodgrass received a BA in psychology and philosophy from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and an MSW in social work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is acting President of the Omaha UFO Study Group and lives in Papillion.

Kyle Finley is the president and founder of the UNO MUFON Study Group and one of the founders for the UNO Paranormal Society. He is also a field investor for MUFON Nebraska. Currently he is pursuing a degree in Information Assurance and Native American Studies with secondary fields in Computer Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Dave Pares is an adjunct professor of astronomy, geography and meteorology and faculty advisor for the UNO UFO MUFON Society and the UNO Paranormal Society. Pares has been featured on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Open Minds Radio and George Noory's "Coast to Coast AM," sharing his research on the Bermuda Triangle and space warp technology. Pares will provide an update on his research to include; the first public display of a functional Warp Drive Engine, review of the last two years of experiments and a discussion about faster-than-light travel.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

Become a fan of UNO on Facebook: www.facebook.com/unomaha and follow UNO's Twitter updates at http://twitter.com/unomaha.