E.O. Wilson |
He’s spent his career as a biologist classifying living things, but E.O. WILSON — the scientist, the provisional deist, the Pulitzer Prize winner, the guy who’s smarter than you — is hard to categorize.
He’s an environmentalist, an intellectual, a theorist, an Eagle Scout. Wilson pioneered the field of sociobiology and scientific humanism, and coined the term “biodiversity.” Now professor emeritus at Harvard, the Lexington resident has established the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, which is committed to preserving biological diversity and conservation in the living environment. Perhaps no one has done more to promote the confluence of life and science; Wilson is committed to shepherding scientific advances safely into the 21st century.
The foundation takes a holistic approach to biodiversity. It supports citizen-scientist programs that promote hands-on engagement with the natural world. It also operates in the corporate realm, collaborating with businesses to channel modern biotechnology in an ecologically sound, sustainable manner. For Wilson, the advancement of science and the preservation of the Earth go hand in hand.
To financially support these efforts, the foundation has been known to auction off various temptations. Would you like to name a new orchid? How about a new species? If that’s not good enough for you, how about dinner with hottius manlius Harrison Ford? Visit eowilson.org for more information.
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Lifestyle Features
, Pulitzer Prize Committee
, Harrison Ford
, Harvard University