7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Doors open at 6:30 PM, presentation starts at 7:00 PM
Free and open to the public
The Texas Hill Country (Edwards Plateau Ecoregion) is a biological cross-roads of North American ecosystems. With biological influences from west (the Chiuahuan Desert), north (the Great Plains), east (the forests and woodlands), and south (subtropical thorn scrub and the Sierra Madre Oriental), the Texas Hill country contains a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, many of which are found no where else in the world. This biological diversity is a big part of what makes the Texas Hill Country so attractive to residents and visitors alike. David Hillis has spent his career studying the fascinating plants and animals of the region, and working with landowners to restore their properties to their original biological glory. Join us for a discussion of what makes the Texas Hill Country so attractive, and for a discussion of how individuals can work to preserve and restore Texas Hill Country habitats.
About the Speaker: David M. Hillis is the Alfred W. Roark Centennial Professor in Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studies biodiversity in the Department of Integrative Biology. He is the Director of the University of Texas Biodiversity Center (which administers U.T.’s field laboratories and biological collections). He served as the first Director of the School of Biological Sciences and oversaw the reorganization of the biological sciences at the University of Texas. Hillis teaches courses in introductory biology, biological systematics, and biodiversity, and directs a program for students interested in research careers in the sciences.
Hillis was awarded a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He has served as President of the Society for the Study of Evolution and as President of the Society of Systematic Biologists. His publications include more than 250 scientific research papers on evolution and biodiversity.
Hillis served on the National Research Council’s Committee of Biology Education and co-authored that committee’s influential report, BIO2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists. He has also co-authored several popular textbooks in biology, including Molecular Systematics (now in its 2nd edition), Life: The Science of Biology (now in its 12th edition), and Principles of Life (now in its 3rd edition). His latest book, written for a broad audience, is Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country.
Copies of Armadillos to Ziziphus: A Naturalist in the Texas Hill Country will be available for purchase.
Parking: There is ample lot and street parking available at the Baker School (3908 Ave. B). The entrance is on the southwest side closest to 39th St. – other entrances will be locked. A flutter flag with our logo will be outside the proper entrance.
