Prairie State College Celebrating Third Annual Darwin Day Feb. 13

Prairie State College (PSC) is celebrating Darwin’s 211th birthday with Darwin Day 2020, the college’s third annual celebration recognizing Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

The daylong event begins at PSC at 9 a.m. on Feb. 13, in the PSC Conference Center on the main campus, located at 202 S. Halsted St. in Chicago Heights. It will feature hands-on activities, fossils and informational posters, as well as presentations by PSC faculty members. At 11:10 a.m., special guest presenter Chicago State University Professor Dr. Noé U. de la Sancha will present on “Understanding Biodiversity Patterns in the Anthropocene: The Case of Small Mammals.”

Additional presenters include PSC Professor Erica Lannan, discussing “Coronavirus and Viral Evolution;” PSC Professor Thane Montaner discussing “Darwinism and the Philosophy of Mind;” and PSC Professor Angela Hung discussing “Common Misconceptions and Uncommonly Known Facts About Darwin and Evolution."

Birthday cake will be served to guests at 12:30 p.m., and PSC's programming will conclude at 2:30 p.m.

The celebration will continue at Homewood Science Center, located at 18022 Dixie Hwy in Homewood, with a 6 p.m. presentation, “Spotlight on Darwin Day: Studying Evolution with Fossils,” by Hung and PSC Professor Lee Anne Burrough. For more information on the evening event, visit www.homewoodsciencecenter.org/events or email hkelsven@homewoodsciencecenter.org.

Both events are co-sponsored by PSC, the PSC Foundation and the Homewood Science Center. Admission is free and people of all ages are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Hung at (708) 709-3675 or ahung@prairiestate.edu.