The University of Delaware will mark International Darwin Day on Monday, Feb. 11, with talks by seven scientists and scholars on such diverse topics as drug resistance in treating disease, the role of native plants in the landscape and why we study dinosaurs.

The celebration of Charles Darwin’s contributions to humanity, science and rational thought will begin at noon in Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory.

The keynote address will be given from noon to 1:30 p.m. by Kenneth J. Lacovara, a UD alumnus who is founding dean of the School of Earth and Environment at Rowan University and who won renown for his discovery of the 65-ton Dreadnoughtus dinosaur. He is the author of the award-winning book Why Dinosaurs Matter, which is also the topic of his lecture.

Other scheduled speakers are UD faculty members Ryan Zurakowski, biomedical engineering; Jia Song, biological sciences; Douglas Tallamy, entomology and wildlife ecology; Owen White, history; Julian Yates, English; and Shawn Polson, computer and information sciences.

The celebration of Darwin Day continues on Tuesday, Feb. 12, with two related events:

- James T. Costa, professor of biology at Western Carolina University and the author of The Annotated Origin, will speak about Darwin’s personal process of discovery at 4:30 p.m. in the Class of 1941 Lecture Room in UD’s Morris Library.
- At 7:30 p.m. in the Roselle Center for the Arts, Sanford Robbins, professor and chairperson of the Department of Theatre, and cast members of UD’s Resident Ensemble Players’ upcoming performance of Inherit the Wind will discuss the play and its continuing relevance today.

All the events are free and open to the public. For further information and a full schedule, please visit: https://www.isll.udel.edu/events/international-darwin-day