After recently receiving the Outstanding Teaching Senior Professorship Award that comes with a $10,000 (view blog here), the top teaching award for Chapman University, Professor Brian Alters dually appointment in the College of Educational Studies and Schmid College of Science and Technology, has been reappointed as Associate to the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University for another five years, and to McGill University (Montreal) as Adjunct in Science for another three years.  This brings his Harvard and McGill appointments to over 20 years each!  These appointments are primarily for his research endeavors in evolution education.

Dean Don Cardinal remarked, “We were all cultured to believe bragging is never a good thing.  But sometimes one must just state the facts! The highest award in teaching by Chapman University is the Outstanding Teaching Award for a Full Professor, but to also be a member of the academy at Harvard University and McGill University for research and scholarly achievement are amazing accomplishments! You make us so proud, Brian.”

Dr. Brian Alters Professor, Director, Evolution Education Research Center

Dr. Brian Alters Professor, Director, Evolution Education Research Center

Alters has also been the President of the Board of Directors of the National center for Science Education (NCSE) since spring 2012. NCSE provides educational information and resources for schools, parents and concerned citizens working to keep evolution and climate change science in public school science education curriculum. In addition, Alters has been a top expert witness in numerous federal trials on science education in the past quarter-century and is a noted author and presenter worldwide.

He continues his passion and focus on Darwin and the scientific world and Walt Disney, who imagined fantasy worlds, simultaneously with one of the university’s most popular undergraduate courses, IES 207, “The Pursuit of Happiness and Knowledge: Walt Disney and Charles Darwin” each semester. He says, “Science is what is. Disney is what ought to be. Both Darwin and Disney were brilliant and intensely devoted to pursuing what made them happy. They were both incredibly curious.”

Continue your pursuits Dr. Alters and congratulations again!