KNOXVILLE — M. Mitchell Waldrop, acclaimed science writer and editor for the journal “Nature,” will give the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s annual Alfred and Julia Hill Lecture at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, in the Shiloh Room of the University Center.
Waldrop will speak on “Lessons My Stories Taught Me.” The program is free and open to the public.
For more than a decade, Waldrop has written and edited stories for two of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world, “Science” and “Nature.” His articles help scientists, science journalists and the general public understand the significance of the latest scientific discoveries.
Between his tenures at “Science” and “Nature,” Waldrop helped the National Science Foundation develop new ways of informing the public about the science its grants support. Waldrop is the author of three books: “Man-Made Minds” (1987), about artificial intelligence; “Complexity” (1992), about science at the edge of order and chaos; and “The Dream Machine” (2001), a history of computing.
Waldrop has long been a leader in science-writing societies, serving as president of the D.C. Science Writers Association in 2004-2005 and currently serving on the board of directors of the National Association of Science Writers.
Waldrop earned a doctorate in elementary particle physics in 1975 and a master’s degree in science journalism in 1977 at the University of Wisconsin.
The Hill Lecture series brings distinguished science journalists to campus to share their thoughts on science, society and the mass media.
The lectures are made possible by an endowment created by Tom Hill and Mary Frances Hill Holton in honor of their parents, Alfred and Julia Hill, founders of The Oak Ridger. The Hill family’s endowment of the lecture series was a gift to the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media in the College of Communication and Information.
The University Center, site of Mitch Waldrop’s Hill Lecture, is at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Phillip Fulmer Way. Paid parking is available in the garage on Phillip Fulmer Way next to the University Center. Refreshments will be served before and after the lecture.
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C O N T A C T :
Mark Littmann (865-974-8156, littmann@utk.edu)
Charles Primm (865-974-5180, primmc@utk.edu)