NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2012/09/14
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2012-09-14 14:24.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear Friends of NCSE, Congratulations are in order for Douglas J. Futuyma. A second climate change staffer joins NCSE. And a preview of James L. Gould and Carol Grant Gould's Nature's Compass.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DOUGLAS J. FUTUYMA NCSE is delighted to congratulate Douglas J. Futuyma on receiving the Joseph Leidy Award, which recognizes "excellence in publications, explorations, discoveries, or research in the natural sciences," from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. According to a September 13, 2012, press release, Futuyma "was chosen not only for his body of research, but also for his keen ability to communicate complex ideas to scientists, students and the general public." The academy's president George W. Gephart Jr. commented, "Futuyma is widely known for his ability to communicate the vast and complex knowledge of evolutionary biology to both seasoned scientists and students just beginning their college studies." A Supporter of NCSE, Futuyma is Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. He has served as president of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, and is currently the editor of Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2006. He is also the author of two popular college textbooks -- Evolution (second edition, Sinauer 2009) and Evolutionary Biology (third edition, Sinauer 1997) -- as well as a classic refutation of creationism, Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution (second edition, Sinauer 1995). For the press release, visit: http://drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2012/September/Academy-Joseph-Leidy-Award/ A SECOND CLIMATE CHANGE STAFFER AT NCSE Minda Berbeco has joined NCSE's staff to work on its new climate change initiative. A biologist by training with a Ph.D. from Tufts University, Berbeco comes to NCSE from the University of California, Davis, where she was a post-doctoral scholar conducting research on climate change and agriculture. "I have long respected NCSE's defense of evolution education and I am thrilled that the organization has taken up climate change," said Berbeco in a September 5, 2012, press release. "I'm even more thrilled to be part of NCSE's new climate change team." Berbeco joins Mark McCaffrey in coordinating NCSE's efforts to defend and support the teaching of climate change. "We need a fully informed public -- especially students, teachers, journalists, politicians -- who have a solid grounding in climate science basics," she commented. For the press release, visit: http://ncse.com/climate/climate-change-biologist-joins-ncse-0 For information about Berbeco on NCSE's staff page, visit: http://ncse.com/about/speakers#berbeco And for NCSE's climate resources, visit: http://ncse.com/climate A GLIMPSE OF NATURE'S COMPASS NCSE is pleased to offer a free preview of James L. Gould and Carol Grant Gould's Nature's Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation (Princeton University Press, 2012). The preview consists of chapter 8, "Migration and the Future: Conservation and Extinction," discussing the implications of habitat and climate change for migratory species. "Given that 12% of bird species (including 45% of seabirds), most large whales, and all sea turtles are endangered, we must wonder how well migrants deal with these challenges, and what their long-term prospects look like." James L. Gould is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University, and Carol Grant Gould is a science writer who has published widely; together they have written nine earlier books, including The Animal Mind and Animal Architects. The reviewer for Science wrote, "Nature's Compass provides a wonderful account of efforts to unravel the mysteries of animal migration. Effectively drawing on their own experiences and the extensive scientific literature in the field, the Goulds explain what we currently know about how animals locate their positions." For the preview from Nature's Compass (PDF), visit: http://ncse.com/book-excerpt For information about the book from its publisher, visit: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9660.html Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x305 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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