THE PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY
DISTINGUISHED LECTURER/EDUCATOR PROGRAM

Periodically, the Paleontological Society selects outstanding scientists to serve as its Distinguished Lecturers.  These are people whose current research or other work in paleontology is highly regarded and of broad interest.  Each Distinguished Lecturer is known as an excellent speaker who communicates the interest and importance of his or her work in paleontology especially well.  This program is intended to make outstanding speakers available to address the general public, to conduct workshops for teachers, or to speak in lecture series at colleges and universities.  The Paleontological Society’s Distinguished Lecturers so far appointed for 2005-2009 are listed below.

If your group, department or institution is interested in inviting a Distinguished Lecturer to make a presentation, please contact the speaker directly.  Financial arrangements must be made with the speaker.  The Distinguished Lecturers have agreed to make themselves available on an expenses-only basis; no honorarium is required.

The Paleontological Society hopes that you will take advantage of this opportunity.  Paleontology is a dynamic discipline, and these speakers will convey the excitement of our science.  If you have questions about this program, please feel free to contact me at raymond@geo.tamu.edu

Anne Raymond
Councilor, The Paleontological Society

2005 to 2008 Paleontological Society Distinguished Lecturers

ROY E. PLOTNICK

Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Chicago
845 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (312) 996-2111    
Lab phone: (312) 355-1342    
Fax: (312) 413-2279
Email: plotnick@uic.edu

•  Round Up the Usual Suspects: Why are Common Fossils Common?

•  Let Us Prey: Ecological Perspectives on Trace Fossils

•  Is Evolution Fractal? Self-similarity in the History of Life

Dr. Roy Plotnick’s research interests are notably wide-ranging and eclectic.  They include arthropod paleobiology, biomechanics of extinct organisms, experimental taphonomy, trace fossils, and landscape ecology.  Dr. Plotnick has a keen eye for original applications of quantitative models to geologic and paleobiological problems.  Most recently he has been interested in models that can be employed in spatial analysis.  Dr. Plotnick is an active participant in development of the Paleobiology Database and in the CHRONOS project.  He is also involved in projects designed to promote new approaches to science education and in formal study of the history of children’s literature.

For more information see http://tigger.uic.edu/~plotnick/plotnick.htm

SALLY WALKER

Associate Professor, Department of Geology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: (706) 542-2396     Fax: (706) 542-2425
Email: swalker@gly.uga.edu

•  The Perils of Predation for the Gastropod Fossil Record

•  Fossil Forensics: Biodiversity and Paleoecology Entombed in Molluscan Shells

•  The Posthumous Life of Gastropod Shells: Cerion's Dilemma

Lively enthusiasm and an abiding curiosity about all aspects of evolutionary paleoecology motivate Dr. Sally Walker 's research.  This focuses on experimental approaches to the taphonomy of molluscan shells in habitats ranging from the land to the deep sea.  Dr. Walker is especially interested in the ecology and evolution of hermit crabs’ use and abuse of shells, in bioerosion and biotic processes that accumulate molluscan shells to become fossil assemblages, in mutualism and predation.  She is active in international fieldwork, including recent research using SCUBA and deep-sea submersibles in the Bahamas.  Apart from her professional work, Dr. Walker enjoys raising chickens and drumming up public support for sustainable development.

For more information, see http://www.gly.uga.edu/walker.html

2006 to 2009 Paleontological Society Distinguished Lecturer

PATRICIA H. KELLEY

Professor, Department of Earth Sciences
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
601 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5944
Phone: (910) 962-7406     Fax: (910) 962-7077
Email: kelleyp@uncw.edu

•  Evolution and Creation: Conflicting or Compatible?

•  Modern Biblical Scholarship as a Resource for Teachers of Evolution

Dr. Kelley was recently elected to be a Centennial Fellow of the Paleontological Society.  As a Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Kelley seeks to bridge the divide between acknowledgment — even celebration — of the reality of evolution and beliefs maintained by the great religious traditions.  She is eager to participate in workshops designed for teachers.  Dr. Kelly’s own research focuses on the evolution and paleoecology of Cenozoic molluscs from the southeastern United States.  She is especially interested in predator-prey interactions and their role in the coevolution of strategies that are employed by snails to capture prey and by clams and snails to avoid predation. 

For more information, see http://www.uncw.edu/earsci/kelley/kelley.htm

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