Broadcaster to give Christmas lecture

Distinguished zoologist and broadcaster, Aubrey Manning, will visit the University of St Andrews to deliver this year’s Public Christmas lecture.

The School of Geography & Geosciences will welcome Professor Manning to present the lecture entitled, “Earth and life: Integrated histories” on Tuesday 9th December, 2008.

Members of the general public, school pupils, and teachers as well as University students and staff are invited to attend the lecture, given by the well-known natural history presenter.

Professor Manning graduated from University College London with a degree in Zoology and completed a doctorate at Oxford on animal behaviour.  He is co-author of “An Introduction to Animal Behaviour”, a popular textbook which is now in its 5th Edition.  He became professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh in 1971.

Dr Ruth Robinson from the School of Geography & Geosciences said, “We are very pleased that Professor Aubrey Manning will present this year’s lecture and we hope many people will join us in giving him a warm welcome to St Andrews.”

In recognition of his contributions to science communication Professor Manning was awarded an honorary doctorate from St Andrews in June 2005.

Outside academia, Professor Manning has been a communicator of natural history on both television and radio for many years, introducing current research advances to a wide audience and covering topics as diverse as the immensity of geological time, how early life may have sounded and how natural selection operates at all stages of animal life.

Professor Manning was awarded an OBE in 1998 and the Zoological Society of London Silver Medal in 2003.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Chairman of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and a Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland and Project Wallacea.

The 2008 Geography & Geosciences Public Christmas Lecture, “Earth and Life: Integrated histories” will take place on Tuesday 9th December from 1pm-2pm in Physics Lecture Theatre A, North Haugh, St Andrews.

For more information, contact Ruth Robinson on [email protected]

ENDS

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews
Contact Fiona Armstrong, Press Officer on 01334 462530 / 462529, Mobile: 07730 415 015 or Email: [email protected]
Ref:  Xmas lecture 03/12/08
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