Centre News

Sean B. Carroll, professor of molecular biology and
genetics and an Investigator with the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute at the University of
Wisconsin, will deliver this year’s Humana Lecture
on Feb. 21.

Published in 2009, Carroll’s Remarkable Creatures:
Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species
is an account of some of the most dramatic adventures
and discoveries in 200 years of biological exploration.

On Monday, Feb. 21, professor and New York Times contributing science columnist Sean B. Carroll will deliver the annual Humana Lecture, discussing “Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species.” In the presentation, Carroll will chronicle the broad scope of biology, starting with the story of the epic journeys of the pioneering naturalists and culminating with their contributions to today’s revolution in our understanding of the natural world. The convocation will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Weisiger Theatre.

Carroll is the acknowledged leader of the exciting new biological field known as “Evo Devo,” the interpretation of developmental biology from an evolutionary perspective. His groundbreaking book, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, was published in 2005 to rave reviews: U.S. News & World Report said that “Carroll emerges as the new, user-friendly public face of evolutionary science in the process.” Another of his books, Making of the Fittest (winner of the 2007 Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award) enhanced his reputation as one of our most exciting scientists.

His new book, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species, was published in early 2009. It is an account of some of the most dramatic adventures and important discoveries in two centuries of biological exploration—from the fascinating journeys of pioneering naturalists to the expeditions making headlines today—and how they gave birth to and nourished the science of evolution.

A charismatic speaker, Carroll is professor of molecular biology and genetics and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Shaw Scientist Award of the Milwaukee Foundation and numerous honorary lectureships.

In 1994, Carroll was named one of America’s most promising leaders under 40 by TIME magazine.

Carroll welcomes his audience into the fascinating world of DNA and its role in evolution. His research points to the end of the rancorous, distracting debate over the validity of the theory of evolution.

“Of all the scientists in the world today, there is no one with whom Charles Darwin would rather spend an evening than Sean Carroll,” says Michael Ruse, author of The Evolution-Creation Struggle.