Lecturer to Discuss Nobel Prize Winner in UA’S ALLELE Lecture Series

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Sean Carroll, an evolutionary biologist, will present a lecture on the work of Jacques Monod, a French biologist and Nobel Prize winner, Thursday, April 23 as part of the Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, or ALLELE, series at The University of Alabama.

The lecture, “Brave Genius: A Scientist’s Journey from the French Resistance to the Nobel Prize,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Biology Building Auditorium, room 127, on the UA campus.

The event is free and open to the public.

Carroll will focus on the history of molecular science with Monod’s story. Monod is credited for establishing the framework for understanding the principle of genetic regulation and discovering how bacteria respond to sugars in the body.

Monod was a member of the French Resistance during World War II and during that time made scientific progress that earned him a Nobel Prize.

“Carroll is one of the most engaging and energetic speakers I’ve had the opportunity to see,” said Dr. John Yoder, associate professor in UA’s department of biological sciences and a member of UA’s Evolution Working Group, which sponsors the series.

“I think he will be able to make a lot of people realize that there are many different things that people can do with their degrees, so I think it will be an inspirational talk,” Yoder said.

Monod’s story is compelling, Yoder said, as Monod endured hardships that later led to his success. By talking about Monod, Carroll will discuss the foundation of molecular biology, but the lecture also encompasses other disciplines including history, biology and chemistry, Yoder said.

“The story of Jacques Monod is an example of how, when put under extreme circumstances, people can find the best of themselves, and those extreme circumstances can actually propel them to do some very amazing things,” Yoder said.

Carroll is an award-winning scientist, author, educator and executive producer.

He is the vice president of the department of science education of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the largest private supporter of science education activities in the United States. He is the Allan Wilson Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin.

Carroll actively researches molecular biology and is a leader in the field of evolutionary biology. His book on Jacques Monod, “Brave Genius,” was published in 2013.

The ALLELE series brings speakers to the UA campus to discuss aspects of evolution.

The 2014-2015 ALLELE series is supported by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Alabama Museum of Natural History and UA’s departments of anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communicative disorders, geological sciences, history, philosophy, physics and astronomy, religious studies, and telecommunication and film.

For more information about the series, visit www.evolution.as.ua.edu.

The ALLELE lecture series is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships and Goldwater Scholarships.