NOVEMBER 12, 2009 ISSUE
On the Origin of Species Panel Discussion November 19
Event Concludes Darwin Bicentennial Celebration at ASU
The panel for the “Celebrating 150 Years of Evolutionary Thought” discussion on Thursday, November 19, is comprised of eight ASU faculty members and guest panelist Jim Costa, author of The Annotated Origin. Photo submitted The panel discussion on Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species, “Celebrating 150 Years of Evolutionary Thought,” will be held in the Blue Ridge Ballroom in Plemmons Student Union on the ASU campus on Thursday, November 19, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public. It concludes a yearlong program series at ASU that began last fall, related to the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s novel, which was published in late November 1859.
The discussion will explore the impact of the book, namely how it has changed science in the last 150 years, said Dr. Howard Neufeld, a professor in the biology department and chair of the University Forum and of the Darwin Bicentennial Celebration Committee.
ASU has hosted 14 speakers over the course of the program series, making the celebration “probably one of the larges Darwin lecture series in the country,” Neufeld said, adding that some of the events attracted up to 1,000 people.
At least four of the speakers that came to the ASU campus for the series also spoke at the University of Chicago, Neufeld said.
“We know we got some of the most sought-after speakers in the country,” he added.
The panel discussion will “show off ASU faculty and how they’re involved in the study of evolution,” Neufeld said, adding that the faculty members represent a variety of departments.
ASU faculty members on the panel include Dan Caton from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tom Ellis from the Department of Philosophy and Religion, Andy Heckert from the Department of Geology, Zack Murrell from the Department of Biology, David Reid from the Department of History, Johnny Waters from the Department of Geology and Ted Zerucha from the Department of Biology.
Neufeld will moderate the discussion.
Guest panelist is Jim Costa, author of The Annotated Origin: A Facsimile of the First Edition of On the Origin of Species, director of the Highlands Biological Station and a professor at Western Carolina University.
Costa will also sign copies of his book at the event. The book is a study of On the Origin of Species, with comments appearing next to the original text, Neufeld said, adding that it is the first such study of the book that has been published to date.
ASU’s Darwin Bicentennial Celebration Committee, University Forum Committee and University College sponsor the event.
For more information, click to http://universityforum.appstate.edu or www.evolution.appstate.edu.
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