Biologists, educators recognize excellence in evolution education

Dr. Randy Moore receives 2008 Evolution Education Award

Washington, DC – The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) will recognize Dr. Randy Moore, a professor of biology at the University of Minnesota, with the 2008 Evolution Education Award during the NABT annual conference to be held 15-18 October 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Evolution Education Award is cosponsored by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). The award is presented in recognition of innovative classroom teaching and community education efforts to promote the accurate understanding of biological evolution. Dr. Moore will receive a plaque, a $1,000 cash prize, and a set of resources to support the teaching of evolution provided by AIBS and BSCS.

"This is a great honor, especially considering the roles AIBS and BSCS have played in defending the teaching of evolution. Helping students understand and appreciate nature is a basic goal of every science teacher, and few ideas in science can do a better job of that than evolution," said Dr. Moore upon learning that he had been selected to receive the 2008 Evolution Education Award.

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Moore has based his teaching of biology explicitly on evolution. His introductory biology courses, for example, do not treat evolution as a stand-alone or discrete topic. Rather, his instruction incorporates evolution as a unifying element of modern biology.

"The evidence supporting evolution is overwhelming and comes from diverse disciplines, such as molecular biology, paleontology, comparative anatomy, ethology, and biochemistry. There is no controversy among biologists about whether evolution occurs, nor are there science-based alternative theories," states Dr. Moore. "Evolution is a unifying theme in biology; teaching it as such is the best way to show students what biology is about and how they can use evolution as a tool to understand our world. [Evolution] is as important an idea as there is in science – it is a great gift to give to students," says Dr. Moore.

Dr. Moore has worked beyond the classroom to improve public understanding of science and to help K-12 teachers continue to develop skills that help them effectively teach science. He has taught several summer workshops for K-12 teachers, has spoken to local groups of teachers and school districts, and has organized a Learning Abroad course titled "Evolution and the Biology of the Galapagos." Additionally, Dr. Moore was a founding member of the Minnesota Citizens for Science Education, a grassroots organization that defends the teaching of evolution in local schools.

Dr. Moore has worked to build dialogue between science and religious groups. "I grew up with, understand, and respect religious traditions. I strongly oppose the teaching of creationism in science classes, not only because it is not science, but it is unlawful," says Moore, "Distorting science to placate particular religious views is not only bad pedagogy; it also belittles faith."