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Celebrate Charles Darwin’s 209th Birthday!!
Speaker:
J. Bret Bennington Ph.D
Professor of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University
Professor of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University
Topic:
Life of Charles Darwin, Evolution and the Galapagos
J. Bret Bennington, Ph.D., is a paleontologist with a strong interest in evolution and geology and is actively involved in the IDEAS Institute (Institute for the Development of Education in the Advanced Sciences). A multi-year veteran of the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador January trip, Professor Bennington calls the program “the experience of a lifetime for students.”
His research in paleontology involves the quantitative analysis of the fossil record to learn about the evolution of ecological communities over long intervals of time. Other paleontology projects involve studies of marine ecosystems in the Devonian, Carboniferous, and Cretaceous periods, as well as the statistical analysis of fossil footprints.
Teaching activities include courses in physical geology, historical geology, dinosaurs, hydrology, geomorphology, paleontology, and Charles Darwin and evolution. Dr. Bennington also co-directs a study abroad program in the Galápagos Islands and Ecuador. He is a member of the Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, the Society for Economic Paleontology and Mineralogy, and he is currently serving on the board of the New York State Council of Professional Geologists.