CORVALLIS, Ore. - One of the nation's leading scholars on the impact of Charles Darwin will visit Oregon State University next week, where he will deliver a free public lecture on Monday, Nov. 30.

Michael Ruse, an expert on the history and philosophy of evolutionary biology, directs the Program in History and Philosophy of Science at Florida State University. His talk, "The Origin of Species at 150: Is it Past its Sell-by Date?" begins at 4 p.m. in Withycombe Hall Room 109. Withycombe Hall is located at 30th Street and Campus Way in Corvallis.

Darwin published his controversial "Origin of Species" in November of 1859.

Ruse has appeared as an expert witness for the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas in a court case attacking the teaching of creationism in the state's public schools. He is the author of numerous books, including "Darwinism and its Discontents," published by the Cambridge University Press; "Darwin and Design: Does Evolution have a Purpose?" by the Harvard University Press; and "Can a Darwinian be a Christian?: The Relationship between Science and Religion," by the Cambridge University Press.

He also has written on stem cell research, cloning, genetically modified foods, and numerous aspects of the history of science.

Ruse holds the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professorship at Florida State, where he has been since 2000, after 35 years at the University of Guelph in Canada. Ruse, who has received numerous awards and honors, is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Royal Society of Canada; he is a former recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and the prestigious Templeton Prize; and he has received honorary doctorates from two universities.

His OSU appearance is sponsored by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in the College of Agricultural Sciences.



Source: 

David Noakes, 541-737-1953

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