The 4th annual Darwin Day celebration takes place on Saturday, Feb. 7 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Microbial Sciences Building. This event marks the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the sesquicentennial of the publication of his remarkable book, On the Origin of Species. Multiple events will be celebrated around the world and throughout the year. The day is free and open to the public.

MORNING SESSION 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Three eminent scientists and renowned speakers will present their work during the morning session: 9:00 a.m. Sean Carroll: Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species; 10:00 a.m. Patricia McConnell: Darwin, Dogs, and the Emotional Life of Animals; 11:00 a.m. Jeremy Jackson: Evolution and Extinction in the Brave New Ocean.

OVER THE NOON HOUR
Sean Carroll and Patricia McConnell will be available to sign copies of their recent books (available for purchase).

A teacher workshop, directed by Paul Williams, will also take place over the lunch hour. Contact Brooke Norsted (brooke@geology.wisc.edu or 262-1412) for workshop registration.

EARLY AFTERNOON SESSIONS 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Distinguished UW-Madison faculty will highlight the diversity of evolutionary research on campus in a series of six shorter presentations. From viruses to humans to the geologic record, Darwin’s thinking informs and stimulates current research. Speakers will be Audrey Gasch (The power of yeast: using model organisms to study environmental interactions and evolution); Tony Goldberg (West Nile Virus: “Real time” evolution with “real world” consequences); John Hawks (Genetics of hearing and the evolution of language); Nicole Perna (Would you eat this? Genomic perspectives on variation among E. coli strains); Shanan Peters (On the imperfections of the geologic record); and Stanley Temple (Consequences of bottlenecks for evolution and conservation).

Posters and family-friendly interactive displays on a wide range of evolutionary topics will be available from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

PANEL DISCUSSION 3:15-4:30 pm
A panel discussion on Science and the Media will round up the day’s events. Panelists will be James F. Crow (emeritus, UW-Madison), Jeremy Jackson (Scripps Institute), and Molly Jahn (Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, UW-Madison).

For additional information, please contact Dana Geary at dana@geology.wisc.edu; Mara McDonald at mamcdona@wisc.edu or 263-8941; or Brooke Norsted at brooke@geology.wisc.edu or 262-1412.