NCSE Evolution Education Update for 2009/10/16

(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)

Dear Friends of NCSE,

Honors for NCSE's Eugenie C. Scott and for McGill's Brian Alters. Plus
new NCSE t-shirts and new ways to support NCSE.

EUGENIE C. SCOTT HONORED BY CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott will receive the Fellows'
Medal, the highest honor of the California Academy of Sciences, in a
ceremony in San Francisco on October 13, 2009. According to a press
release from the Academy issued on October 8, 2009: "Scott has been a
pioneering researcher and activist in the creationism-evolution
controversy for over 25 years. ... In 2005, NCSE served as a
consultant for the plaintiffs in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School
District case, in which Judge John Jones ruled against the teaching of
intelligent design in public schools. Dr. Scott has received national
recognition for her work and holds honorary degrees from McGill,
Rutgers, Mt. Holyoke, the University of New Mexico, Ohio State, and
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is the author of Evolution
vs. Creationism, and co-editor of Not in Our Classrooms: Why
Intelligent Design Is Wrong for Our Schools." Scott also was elected
to the California Academy of Sciences in 1994. In receiving its
Fellows' Medal, she joins such distinguished evolutionary scientists
as Peter H. Raven, G. Ledyard Stebbins, and F. Clark Howell.

For the press release from the California Academy of Sciences, visit:
http://www.calacademy.org/newsroom/releases/2009/fellows.php 

BRIAN ALTERS HONORED BY ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA

NCSE is delighted to congratulate Brian Alters, a member of NCSE's
board of directors, on receiving the prestigious McNeil Medal for the
Public Awareness of Science from the Royal Society of Canada, in
recognition of "his world-famous work on the promotion of education
about evolution." In a congratulatory letter, Principal Heather
Munroe-Blum of McGill University described the award as a "wonderful
tribute” to Alters’s “talents, outstanding achievements and
exceptional contributions to public awareness of science.”

Alters is the Tomlinson Chair in Science Education and Sir William
Dawson Scholar at McGill University, where he also founded and directs
the Evolution Education Research Centre. He is the author of several
books, including Defending Evolution: A Guide to the
Creation/Evolution Controversy (Jones and Bartlett 2001), coauthored
with Sandra M. Alters. He testified as an expert witness on science
education for the plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover. Alters was
awarded NCSE's "Friend of Darwin" award in 2005.

For information on the award from McGill University, visit:
http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/item/?item_id=111288 
http://reporter.mcgill.ca/2009/10/mcgills-brian-alters-honoured-by-rsc 

KILOSTEVE T-SHIRTS NOW AVAILABLE

At last, the latest iteration of NCSE's pioneering experimental
steveometry apparatus -- the Project Steve t-shirt -- is available for
order! The names of the first 1099 signatories to Project Steve are
printed in white on a quality cotton/poly black t-shirt, along with
the slogan, "Over 1000 scientists named Steve agree. Teach Evolution!"
For Steves, Stephanies, and anyone who supports the teaching of
evolution and likes t-shirts. Sizes run from medium to
extra-extra-large; the cost is $14, plus 9.75% sales tax for
California orders, plus shipping. Visit the NCSE store to order.

Also available is NCSE's famous "ooze" shirt, with the slogan, "My
ancestors spent 3.8 billion years evolving out of the primordial ooze
and all I got was this lousy t-shirt," along with a whimsical
assortment of Ray Troll's animals. Printed in white on a quality 100%
cotton forest green t-shirt, with "Teach Evolution!" and NCSE's logo
and website address on the back. Sizes run from small to
extra-extra-large; like the Project Steve t-shirt, the cost is $14,
plus 9.75% sales tax for California orders, plus shipping. Visit the
NCSE store to order.

And while you're visiting NCSE's website, it's now easier than ever
before to support NCSE and its mission of defending the teaching of
evolution in the public schools. You can now join, renew, or donate
on-line, using your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or
PayPal account. Plus you can now become a sustaining member of NCSE
on-line -- automatically donating $10, $20, or whatever amount you
choose every month. Visit our brand-new membership page today.

For information about Project Steve, visit:
http://ncseweb.org/taking-action/project-steve 

For NCSE's on-line store, visit:
http://ncseweb.org/ncsestore 

For NCSE's membership page, visit:
http://ncseweb.org/membership 

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to visit NCSE's website --
http://ncseweb.org -- where you can always find the latest news on 
evolution education and threats to it.

-- 
Sincerely,

Glenn Branch
Deputy Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x310
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
branch@ncseweb.org 
http://ncseweb.org 

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