Darwin's Legacy: Evolutionary Approaches to World Challenges
February 21, 2009
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
We invite you to join us in celebrating Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species at our annual Darwin Day Symposium. This year the symposium will focus on the societal benefits of evolutionary biology research. Learn how evolutionary biologists are improving staple crops, developing better methods to control infectious disease, constructing better conservation plans and employing evolutionary principles to engineer more efficient products.
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Post-symposium Information
In case you didn't make it to the symposium, or you want more information, symposium related materials will posted here.
- A piece by Elsa Youngsteadt, Sigma Xi's Programs Manager, on the Science Origins blog: NESCent symposium covers applied evolution.
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Darwin Day Symposium Information
Darwin's Legacy: Evolutionary Approaches to World Challenges
February 21, 2009
9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Symposium Location:
Sigma Xi Headquarters
3106 East NC Highway 54
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Symposium Program
9:30 am
Arrival and Coffee
9:45 am
Welcome and Introductions
Director, NESCent
Professor of Biology, Duke University
9:50 am
Applied Evolution from 1869-1946: Eugenics to the death of Oleg Vavilov
William Neal Reynolds Professor of Agriculture, North Carolina State University
10:30 am
How can an evolutionary biology perspective help biodiversity conservation?
Principle Research Scientist, Australian Museum
11:20 am
Artificial Chemical Systems Capable of Darwinian Evolution: Understanding by way of synthesis
The Westheimer Institute of Science and Technology
12:10-1:25 pm Lunch (On your own)
1:30 pm
Evolution and Agriculture: The tropical crop cassava
Professor of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis
2:20 pm
The Evolutionary Dynamics of Viral Pathogens:Implications for disease dynamics and control
Assistant Professor of Biology, Duke University
3:10 pm
Panel Discussion with speakers
3:45 pm
Concluding Remarks
Director, NESCent
Professor of Biology, Duke University
NESCent's Darwin Day symposium is funded by the National Science Foundation
and Duke University's Provost's Office.
Resources Speaker Biographies Background Reading