Field Museum’s Robert Martin Featured Speaker at SIUE’s Darwin Day
Dr. Robert Martin of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago is the featured speaker for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s annual Axtell Memorial Lecture in celebration of Darwin Day (Charles Darwin’s birthday). The presentation is 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.
Martin’s lecture will be Human Reproduction - from Primate Origins to Darwinian Medicine. The SIUE Departments of Biological Sciences, Psychology, and Anthropology, and the Biology Student Club are sponsoring the event.
“Dr. Martin is a world-renowned anthropologist, primatologist and evolutionary biologist,” said Chris Theodorakis, PhD and professor in SIUE’s Department of Biological Sciences/Environmental Sciences. “He is a well-published author and the curator of the Biological Anthropology collection at the Field Museum of Natural History. His presence at SIUE enhances the visibility and prestige of our programs, and creates the possibility of collaboration between the Field Museum and SIUE faculty for both teaching and research.”
Martin is also the author of “How We Do It: The Evolution and Future of Human Reproduction.” There will be an opportunity for a book signing at the event.
Martin joined The Field Museum in 2001 as vice president for academic affairs. His responsibilities, with an emphasis on external relationships, were to coordinate research programs, collections management, contributions to higher education and exhibit-related activities with a team of 40 curators and 60 professional staff in anthropology, botany, geology and zoology. At the same time, he held the position of curator in anthropology. He stepped down from the provost role in 2006 and became the A. Watson Armour III curator of biological anthropology. He devotes most of his time to research, teaching and publication.
The Ralph W. Axtell Lecture Series is named for the late SIUE Department of Biological Sciences professor, who served the institution from September 1960 through May 2014. Axtell was a lifelong supporter of the University. Through his generous donations, an endowment was set up to support research efforts in the Ecology and Organismal Biology Teaching Laboratory. In recognition of his support, the Ralph Axtell Biology Laboratory is housed in the Science Building West.
Following the lecture, there will be a reception at the University restaurant, Fixin’s, with light food and a cash bar.
Photo: Dr. Robert Martin from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
