MSU faculty from multiple areas of study discussed the Dec. 26 tsunami and its impact at an educational forum on Tuesday.

At the event, students and the general public asked questions, and faculty addressed misconceptions concerning the disaster. Faculty gave presentations on a variety of topics, including social and religious issues, physics, media coverage of disasters and agricultural problems related to the South Asian tsunami.

"The work that went into presentations made by the professors shows they must have dropped everything to help with the forum," said Michael Malloch, development coordinator in the Asian Studies Center, who organized the event.

Geological sciences Professor Kazuya Fujita used satellite images of the disaster and graphs from MSU's seismic station in Eastern Russia to emphasize the strength of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.

"Because people were so concerned with the devastation from the tsunami, what the earthquake did was, shall we say, swept out to sea," Fujita said. "We have to understand the nature of the tsunami."

The forum later broke up into smaller sessions on specific areas of study.

"In a way I felt fortunate because this happened right before I started teaching my Integrative Studies class," said zoology natural science Professor Nathaniel Ostrom. "It's a disaster, but it's also an opportunity to educate people."

The forum allowed participants to ask questions and discuss their concerns with professors who are considered experts in their respective fields, said Peter Briggs, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars.

Sebastien Braxton, a religious counselor with the University Seventh-Day Adventist Church, said he was glad he attended the forum.

"I learned a lot," Braxton said. "Not just about science, but about the people behind it and the social issues.

"It's too bad that it takes a disaster for people to see the social problems in the world."