Darwin Day 2013 Monday, March 25

Cedar Crest College's first Darwin Day celebration was held in February 2006, and the event has been held annually ever since. Darwin Day has been supported each year by the College's Cultural Programs Committee. Darwin Day is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of Darwin and many others to our understanding of the processes that underlie biological evolution. And it is an opportunity to learn about exciting developments in this lively and inherently fascinating area.

Keynote speakers have been:

• 2006, Dr. Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York - Stony Brook, "Evolution: Is It A Logical Fallacy?"
• 2007, Dr. Leslie Aiello, President, Wenner-Gren Foundation of Anthropological Research, "Human Evolution and Adaptation." Mr. Mike Argento, Columnist, York Daily Record, "Intelligent Design: Who Knew This Stuff Could Be Funny?"
• 2008, Dr. Richard Lutz, Director, Center for Deep Sea Ecology and Biotechnology at Rutgers University, showing and discussion of the IMAX film "Volcanoes Of The Deep Sea."
• 2009, Dr. Robert Pennock, Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University, "Design By Darwin: How Digital Evolution Is Extending The Darwinian Revolution."
• 2010, Dr. Ian Tattersall, Curator of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, "Charles Darwin and the Human Fossil Record."
• 2012, Dr. Nancy Moran, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, Yale University, "Coming Together: The Evolution of Symbiosis."

The 2013 keynote address will be presented by Dr. Leslie Rissler, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama.

In addition to the keynote address, the celebration has featured a faculty panel discussion on the Kitzmiller vs. Dover "Intelligent Design" trial and showings of films, such as Randy Olson's "A Flock of Dodos."

In 2009, Cedar Crest teamed with the Da Vinci Science Center to inaugurate "Family Darwin Day." The event at this independent science museum located on the College's campus featured lectures and hands-on activities. Darwin Day was supported in 2009, in part, by a grant from the Society for the Study of Evolution.