Thursdays, 4:30 – 6:30 PM | April 4 – 25 | ZOOM

       Instructor: Eric Simon  Facilitator: Amanda Marsh

This course serves as a companion to a journey to the Galapagos Islands to be led by Eric from May 19 to 28 but anyone is welcome to participate (whether traveling or not). The first hour of each two-hour meeting will be spent discussing the travels and ideas of Charles Darwin, with particular emphasis on his theory of evolution by natural selection as originally revealed by his time visiting the Galapagos in the 1830s. This hour is of general interest to any learner. The second hour will be spent discussing logistical details of the trip and so is appropriate only for those participating in the trip. No prior knowledge or experience of biology or evolutionary theory is presumed.

Eric Simon, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Biology and Health Science at New England College, where he teaches introductory biology, human biology, and tropical marine biology. Dr. Simon has also taught a series of international travel courses, including field trips to Belize, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon River, and Patagonia. Dr. Simon received a BA in biology and computer science and an MA in biology from Wesleyan University and a PhD in biochemistry from Harvard University; and he is the author of a widely used series of college textbooks with over 2 million books in print that help teach biology in over 40 countries. He also enjoys teaching adult online learners at LINEC.