The Friends of Charles Darwin

Francisco J. Ayala, University Professor and the Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine writes:

The following announcement may be of interest to your membership.

This is the second in a series of 10 colloquia I am organizing with Prof. John Avise, sponsored by the US National Academy of Sciences, under the umbrella "In the Light of Evolution" (ILE). We are planning 2 ILE colloquia in honor of Darwin's 200 anniversary in 2009: January 16-17, "ILE IV: Two Centuries of Darwin"; December, ILE V: TBA.

Please also see my recent book, Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion.

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December 6-8, 2007
In the Light of Evolution II: Biodiversity and Extinction
Organizers:  John C. Avise, Stephen P. Hubbell, and Francisco J. Ayala
Beckman Center of the National Academies, Irvine, CA

Darwin’s experience as a natural historian contributed greatly to his explanation of evolution by natural selection, which stands as one of the grand intellectual achievements in the history of science. The Earth’s exuberant biodiversity is a wellspring for scientific curiosity and discovery about nature’s workings. Bringing together leading researchers and students interested in biodiversity from evolutionary as well as ecological perspectives, this colloquium seeks to synthesize recent discoveries and concepts regarding the global abundance and distribution of biodiversity, and to compare the biodiversity patterns to conditions in the near and distant evolutionary past, as well as to those plausible in the near-term future. A preliminary program can be viewed at www.nasonline.org/Sackler_biodiversity_program.

$250 EARLY REGISTRATION UNTIL NOVEMBER 1, 2007
Attendance at the Colloquium is limited to 250 registered individuals. Registrations will be accepted only when the registration fee is included and in the order in which they are received. The EARLY registration fee ($250) includes the cost of meals, reception, and banquet.

$150 STUDENT / POST DOC REGISTRATION UNTIL NOVEMBER 1, 2007 - TRAVEL/HOTEL AWARDS AVAILABLE
A reduced all-inclusive (meals, reception, and banquet) registration fee of $150 is offered to Graduate Students and Postdocs who register by November 1, 2007. The NAS has provided funds to supplement the expenses of participating graduate students and postdocs up to $125 for hotel costs and up to $300 for air travel.  Awards will be granted with priority based exclusively on the order in which requests (accompanied by the registration fee) are received.  Notification of the award will be made shortly after receiving the application but the awards will be paid after the Colloquium, upon documentation of qualifying expenses.

After November 1, 2007 - All Registrations are $350

Register at www.nasonline.org/Sackler_biodiversity