Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Charles Darwin's ideas and how they have revolutionized our understanding of both the natural biological world and human nature will be the subject of a three-day conference at Hofstra University March 12-14, 2009.

"Darwin's Reach: A Celebration of Darwin's Legacy Across Academic Disciplines" will mark the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his On the Origin of Species (1859), the first systematic explanation of the theory of evolution via the mechanism of natural selection. Presented by the Hofstra University Library; Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences, School of Education, Health and Human Services; and the Hofstra Cultural Center, the conference will examine the impact of Darwin and Darwinian evolution on science and society.

"Darwin’s view of evolution is one of the founding principles of modern science and crucial to our understanding of the natural world, and this conference will examine the breadth and scope of his influence," said Daniel Rubey, Ph.D., Hofstra’s Dean of Library and Information Services and a conference co-director.

"But despite Darwin’s influence in the scientific world," Dr. Rubey added, "polls show at least half of all Americans do not accept Darwin's conclusion that human beings are descended from earlier species, and the United States ranks next to last among industrialized nations in our acceptance of evolution and its principles, according to a recent study. The teaching of evolution in K-12 schools is still a matter for the courts 80 years after the Scopes trial."

The Darwin's Reach conference will spend one day devoted to evolution and education, and then the next two days examining and celebrating Darwin’s legacy across the full range of academic disciplines.

Keynote speakers for the conference will include:

•    Niles Eldredge, Ph.D., curator of paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History; organizer/creator of the popular "Darwin: Discovering the Tree of Life" exhibition; and author of The Pattern of Evolution and other books on the subject of evolution;
•    Judge John E. Jones III, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, who ruled against the Dover area school board's attempt to introduce teaching on "intelligent design" into school science classes;
•    Jay Labov, Ph.D., senior advisor for education and communications at the Center for Education, National Research Council, the National Academies, Washington, D.C.;
•    William F. McComas, Ph.D., Parks Family Professor of Science Education, University of Arkansas; 2007 recipient of the Evolution Education Award; author of Investigating Evolutionary Biology in the Laboratory;
•    Frans B. M. de Waal, Ph.D., Charles Howard Candler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University; author of Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape, Chimpanzee Politics, Our Inner Ape, Primates and Philosophy and others; preeminent researcher on primate social behavior.

Panels will include Darwin Abroad; Impact of Creationism; Teaching Darwin and Evolution; Impact of Creationism; Law and Darwin; Evolutionary Ecology; The Scopes Trial; Religion Responds to Evolution; Evolution Responds to Religion; and three panels on Ethics and Morality, among other topics.

For the full conference program and to register, please go to hofstra.edu/culture, or contact the Hofstra Cultural Center at (516) 463-5669.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 140 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students’ interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.