Can Evolution and Religion Coexist, Nov. 10

Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 7:00 p.m. in Arts 240.

CSUSM Association of People for Evolutionary Sciences (APES) is proud to co-host with Palomar Community College Dr. Francisco Ayala, an evolutionary biologist and geneticist of the highest caliber, for a free evening lecture open to the public on our campus.  Come join us for a very thought provoking engagement.  Refreshments will be provided.

Dr. Francisco Ayala was born in Madrid and studied theology at the Pontifical Faculty of San Esteban in Salamanca before coming to the United States in 1961 for graduate study in genetics at Columbia.  Currently he conducts research at University of California, Irvine where he focuses on population and evolutionary genetics, the origin of species, and molecular clocks of evolution.  Dr. Ayala has written several books on the intersection of evolution and religion, including Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion, and Darwin and Intelligent Design.

Dr. Ayala has been awarded the National Medal of Science by President Bush in 2002.  He has also served on President Clinton's Committee of Advisors of Science and Technology from 1994 to 2001. Dr. Ayala has also been President of the Society for the Study of Evolution, a member of the Council of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Advisory Council of the Institute of General Sciences (NIH), and the National Advisory Council for the Human Genome Project.  He speaks at many universities, in churches, and social groups worldwide about how the theory of evolution and intelligent design are two views that may not be so contradictory.

Dr. Ayala's talk will be followed by a multi-media performance by Lisa Karrer, inspired by the life of Charles Darwin entitled “Schismism: Natural Law”. 

Lisa Karrer is an internationally celebrated composer, vocalist and multi-media performance artist. She brings us this solo performance in collaboration with composer/musician David Simons. In "Schismism..." Lisa Karrer’s solo voice is featured with arresting sonic and visual backdrops, acoustic and electronic compositions, and features an interwoven collection of stories, visual associations and musical concepts that mirrors Darwin's exploration of evolution and universal connectedness. In the spirit of natural selection, the CSUSM audience will decide the sequence of events in real-time during the performance. For more information please visit www.simons-karrer.com.

APES is a student organization that seeks to discuss and explore the place of evolution in the sciences and to advocate for a better understanding of evolution.
 
For more information about the event or about APES, contact APES President Chela Willey at wille010@cougars.csusm.edu.