Huggins to Present Presidential Lecture

As part of the Fairmont State Presidential Lecture Series, Dr. Pamela Davey Huggins will present "The Intelligent Design Debate."

The 18th annual lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, April 16, in Multi-Media Room A of the Ruth Ann Musick Library. The Presidential Lecture Series was established in 1989 to provide faculty the opportunity to share their work with colleagues and members of the community. The lecture will be followed by an open question-and-answer session.

Ever since Charles Darwin described the mechanism of natural selection in "The Origin of the Species" in 1859, the topic of evolution has been hotly debated in the public arena. In the 1990s, the debate intensified with the introduction of the concept of intelligent design. Widespread misunderstanding about evolution, creationism and intelligent design still exists. The lecture will address both the definitions and miscomprehensions of these three concepts, trace the history of each and discuss current controversies associated with evolution and public education.

Originally from Cape Ann, Mass., Assistant Professor Pamela Davey Huggins received her Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from the University of New England, her Master of Science degree in Marine Science from the University of South Carolina, and her Ph.D. in Coastal Oceanography from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She then worked as an adjunct professor and visiting assistant professor at several colleges and universities on the East and Gulf coasts before joining the FSU Biology program in 2002.

Her research interests include benthic ecology and, more recently, an examination of the attitudes towards evolution in Appalachia. Although her background is in marine science she teaches a wide variety of courses at Fairmont State, including Human Biology, Biological Principles, Anatomy & Physiology, Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Fundamentals of Ecology and Senior Seminar. She also directs a group of undergraduates (informally known as the Fishheads) who are establishing live animal exhibits in Hunt-Haught Hall. In addition, Huggins teaches at the Governor's Honors Academy, serves as a consulting editor for Marine Ecology Progress Series and participates in a number of community-related activities. Other areas of academic interest include paleontology, the evolution and history of sexuality, the role of women in both early American and ancient societies and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

Outside of academia, Huggins enjoys distance running, gardening and chasing around after her toddler.