Undergraduate diversity travel awards are available to attend Evolution 2016, June 17-21 in Austin, TX! Find out more and apply online.
 
The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) and the BEACON Center are funding a cohort of diverse undergraduates from throughout the U.S. to present a poster, receive mentoring, and participate in career-oriented activities at the annual Evolution conference. The application deadline is Monday, April 18th, and decisions will be announced by Tuesday, April 26th. Applications are welcomed from all U.S. undergraduates, and the admissions goal is to create a diverse pool of students. Find out more about the Evolution conference here.

They also need mentors (grad students, postdocs, and faculty) for the undergraduate awardees. This is a fantastic program to get involved with, so if you plan to go to Evolution 2016 definitely check it out!!

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in England. Today, we celebrate his contributions, along with Alfred Russel Wallace, to evolutionary theory.

I would love to see 'Darwin Day' officially recognized in the U.S. In fact, a resolution was introduced (again) in both the House and Senate last year to do so! One of my favorite lines from it: "Whereas Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by the mechanism of natural selection, together with the monumental amount of scientific evidence he compiled to support it, provides humanity with a logical and intellectually compelling explanation for the diversity of life on Earth."

Here in Michigan we have a 'Darwin Discovery Day' at the MSU Museum (on Sunday), which I'm planning to attend, but other places are doing lots of neat events, too. Check out what might be in your area here! Also, Iowa City's events occurring Feb. 18-20 were recently discussed on Iowa Public Radio. They are even hosting a workshop for teachers on Saturday afternoon to discuss overcoming controversy in the classroom. Very cool.

So, how are you celebrating Darwin Day 2016?