National Medal of Science recipient Lynn Margulis will discuss the Gaian view of earth history at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 25, in Taylor Hall, room 102, at Vassar College.

Her lecture, commemorating the inauguration of Vassar's Program in Environmental Studies, is free and open to the public. Margulis is a distinguished professor of geoscience at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Her "Gaia Hypothesis," developed in collaboration with James Lovelock, has been deeply influential in both scientific and cultural studies. Challenging aspects of Darwin's theory of evolution, Margulis argues that cooperation between organisms and the environment, not competition among individuals, is the chief agent of natural selection.

The environmental studies program at Vassar takes a multidisciplinary approach to the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. It explores the relationships between people and their environments, and represents almost every academic discipline. A faculty of more than 40 professors provide close supervision of student projects and field experience.

For additional information, call the Department of Environmental Studies at (845) 437-5430. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Cathy Jennings at (845) 437-5370, as far in advance as possible to request appropriate and reasonable accommodations.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2001.