EPS Graduate Student and Recent Alumna Collaborate on Darwin Day Paper

February 12, 2017

Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, was born February 12, 1809. Described as one of the most influential figures in human history, Darwin is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution.

Today, February 12 is known as “Darwin Day,” an annual, international celebration of the life and work of Charles Darwin. Darwin Day at UT is one of the longest running annual celebrations of Charles Darwin’s scientific advances and the 2017 event will mark the 20th year of Darwin Day on the UT campus. 

Two of UT’s organizers, Jennifer Bauer and Sarah Sheffield recently published a paper about the celebration and their experience in Evolution: Education and Outreach. Read More.

Each year, organizers focus on a topic to inform the public about evolution and its importance as a unifying concept in all of biology. In 2016, the weeklong series of events focused on a central theme of paleontology. Graduate students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences helped organize Darwin Day.

Bauer is a current EPS graduate student, and Sheffield (’17), is a visiting instructor of paleobiology and sedimentology at the University of South Florida.