Villanova Co-sponsors “Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics,” at Academy of Natural Sciences,
May 24 - Sept. 28.
Known as the “Father of Modern Genetics,” Mendel was an Augustinian friar.
An Augustinian University, Villanova honors the scientist-priest with a year-long
celebration that includes the Academy
exhibit, 2008 Mendel Medal presentation, “Mendel in the 21st Century” Symposium,
and an ongoing sustainable campus initiative
A 19th-century Augustinian friar and scientist, Gregor Mendel
grew 28,000 pea plants over an eight-year period to discover some of the most celebrated
laws of heredity. Although it took 35 years for experts to begin appreciating the
importance of his work, Mendel is known commonly today as the “Father of Modern
Genetics.”
At Villanova University, one of only two
Catholic Augustinian institutions of higher education in the nation, the accomplishments
of this Augustinian friar, teacher, scientist and mathematician are celebrated on
a daily basis as students walk into the Mendel Science Center. Not only is he the
namesake of Villanova’s on-campus Science Center, but his legacy remains a vital
part of contemporary study of the natural and physical sciences at the University.
The work of this celebrated scientist has been honored at Villanova since 1928 when
it first established the Mendel Medal for outstanding work in the field of science.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Medal.
Visitors to the exhibit will see virtually all the surviving artifacts of Mendel's life and work, including scientific instruments, manuscripts, botanical specimens, correspondence and even his gardening tools. They can also recreate Mendel's groundbreaking pea experiments, analyze DNA sequences, and identify dominant and recessive traits, through a series of engaging interactives. The exhibit was developed by The Field Museum in Chicago, in partnership with The Vereinigung zur Förderung der Genomforschung
in Vienna, Austria, and the Mendel Museum in Brno, Czech Republic.
“The journey to bring this Mendel exhibit to the city began over three years ago,”
explains the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., president of Villanova University. “Father
Kail Ellis, O.S.A., Villanova’s dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
learned of its development and said, ‘Let’s share this exhibit and bring it to Philadelphia.’
Now after years of hard work and ongoing collaboration, this vision is being realized.
As an Augustinian university Villanova is delighted to co-sponsor this fascinating
exhibit and partner with The Academy of Natural Sciences. The opportunity allows
us to share our unwavering commitment to academic excellence and exploration.”
The Mendel exhibit at The Academy
of Natural Sciences is only one component of Villanova University’s year-long
celebration devoted to highlighting Mendel’s lasting impact on scientific discovery
and exploration as well as the concept of sustainability. In addition to the Academy
exhibit, the special events and initiatives include:
“One of our goals in partnering with the Academy in
presenting the Mendel exhibit is to educate visitors that they can appreciate the
significance of his research and how, without his work, our current knowledge of
the human genome would be nonexistent,” says Father Ellis. “Mendel laid the foundation
from which all breakthroughs in genetic research came to be, and that is something
that most people just don’t know. By highlighting Mendel for an entire year, we
are about to showcase him before large and diverse audiences.”
The 80th Anniversary of the Mendel Medal ceremony at The Academy of Natural
Sciences on Sept. 6, 2008, coinciding with the traveling exhibition, “Gregor
Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics.” The Medal is awarded to outstanding
scientists who have done much to advance the cause of science. This year’s recipient
is the Rev. George V. Coyne, S.J., Ph.D., an astronomer and former director
of the Vatican Observatory. Father Coyne is currently Director Emeritus at the
Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. (Past
recipients include Dr. Ruth Patrick, the Academy’s Francis Boyer Chair of Limnology.)
A Villanova on-campus symposium entitled, “Mendel in the 21st Century: The
Scientific, Social, and Ethical Impact of Genetics in Our World.” This two-day
interdisciplinary symposium runs Sept. 22-23, and features distinguished experts
speaking on such topics as biodiversity, evolution, genetics, agricultural and
global sustainability. The keynote speaker is Sean B. Carroll, Ph.D, a professor
of molecular biology and genetics and an investigator with the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin.
The “Villanova Commitment to Sustainability” is an ongoing, campus-wide
initiative exploring environmental, economic and cultural sustainability in
a variety of contexts. This initiative will involve student and faculty education,
curriculum development, research, sustainable campus programs and community
outreach.
Villanova University is a co-educational Roman Catholic institution founded by the
Order of Saint Augustine in 1842. The University offers a wide variety of undergraduate
and graduate degree programs through four colleges: the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, and
the College of Nursing, as well as the Villanova School of Law. With a total enrollment
that surpasses 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and law students, Villanova is the
oldest and largest Catholic university in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For
more information, please visit www.villanova.edu.
Founded in 1812, The Academy of Natural Sciences
is the oldest natural history museum in the Americas and is a world leader in
biodiversity and environmental research. The mission of the Academy is the encouragement
and cultivation of the sciences.
This exhibition and its national tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago,
in partnership with The Vereinigung zur Förderung der Genomforschung, Vienna, Austria,
and The Mendel Museum, Brno, Czech Republic.
A 19th-century Augustinian friar and scientist, Gregor Mendel
grew 28,000 pea plants over an eight-year period to discover some of the most celebrated
laws of heredity. Although it took 35 years for experts to begin appreciating the
importance of his work, Mendel is known commonly today as the “Father of Modern
Genetics.”
As part of the University’s 80th Anniversary of the Mendel Medal Celebration,
