PT Media Advisory Panel

Given the high media profile of discussions about evolutionary biology and educational policy for public schools, several of the Panda’s Thumb contributors have agreed to make themselves available for representatives of the media. PT contributors often have credentials and expertise in relevant fields, or long experience in analyzing the arguments presented by various antievolutionary groups. The following list gives concise background information about each member of the Panda’s Thumb Media Advisory Panel.

Marshall Berman, Ph.D.

Phone: 505-296-5640
E-mail: mberman60@earthlink.net
Affiliations:Sandia National Labs Manager, retired
Past Vice-President, New Mexico State Board of Education
Past Executor Director for Education, Council on Competitiveness, Washington, DC
Past President, Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education
Past President, New Mexico Academy of Science
Past Adjunct Professor of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico
National Advisory Council, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Education:BS in Physics, University of Michigan
PhD in Nuclear Physics, Wayne State University
Areas: Experimental, theoretical and computational physics; science and math education; intelligent design and creationism; politics

Andrea Bottaro, Ph.D.

Phone: 585-273-2171
andrea_bottaro@urmc.rochester.edu
Affiliation: Associate Professor, Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY
Highest Degree: Research Doctorate in Human Genetics, University of Torino, Italy, 1993
Interests: Molecular biology, genetics and evolution of antibody genes

Reed A. Cartwright, B.S./A.B.

Phone: 706-248-4259 (cell)
Email: reed@pandasthumb.org
Affiliation: Doctoral Candidate, Department of Genetics, University of Georgia
Affiliation: Georgia Citizens for Integrity in Science Education
Highest Degree: B.S. Genetics & A.B. Latin, University of Georgia (2000)
Specialties: evolutionary theory and bioinformatics

Russell K. Durbin, Ph.D.

Phone 614-355-2784
Email: durbinr@pediatrics.ohio-state.edu
Affiliation: Senior Research Scientist, Columbus Children's Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Ohio State University
Highest Degree: Biochemistry, University of California
Specialties: virology, microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry

Wesley R. Elsberry, Ph.D.

Phone: 619-890-0632 (cell)
Email: welsberr@pandasthumb.org
Affiliation: Information Project Director, National Center for Science Education (http://www.ncseweb.org)
Affiliation: President and Director, TalkOrigins Archive Foundation (http://www.talkorigins.org)
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University (2003)
Specialties: Biosonar in dolphins, psychophysics, artificial intelligence and artificial neural systems, history of the antievolution movement in the USA, critiques of "intelligent design" argumentation (especially Dembski's "specified complexity")

Richard B. Hoppe, Ph.D.

Phone: 740-393-7033 (cell)
Email: rbhoppe@itrac.com
Affiliations: CEO, IntellilTrade, Inc. (Applied evolutionary algorithms)
Affiliated Scholar in Biology, Kenyon College (Ohio)
Ohio Citizens for Science
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Experimental Psychology, University of Minnesota (1972)
Specialties: Computer models of evolution: evolutionary algorithms & genetic algorithms.

M. Kim Johnson, M.S.

Phone: 505 897-3364 (H), 505 247-9660 (W)
Affiliations: Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education (CESE - New Mexico), President
New Mexico Academy of Science, Past President
New Mexicans for Science and Reason, Board Member and Physics
Consultant
Education: MS Physics, University of New Mexico

Jack Krebs

Phone: 785-840-5113 (cell)
Email: jkrebs@sunflower.com
Affiliation: Vice-President, Kansas Citizens for Science
Affiliation: Member, Kansas State Science Standards Writing Committee

John M. Lynch, Ph.D.

Phone: 480-727-7042 (office)
Email: jml@pandasthumb.org
Affiliation: Barrett Honors College & Center for Biology and Society, Arizona State University
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Zoology, University College Dublin, Ireland (1993)
Specialties: Morphological evolution (esp. carnivores and hominids), history of antievolution since 1800, Catholic responses to evolutionary thought, teaching anti-evolutionism in college curricula.

PZ Myers, Ph.D.

Phone: 320-589-6343 (work), 320-589-7116 (home)
Email: pzmyers@pharyngula.org
Affiliation: Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, Morris
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Biology, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 1985
Specialties: Developmental biology, angry partisan rhetoric

Tara C. Smith, Ph.D.

Phone: 319-541-4721
Email: tara-smith@uiowa.edu
Affiliation: Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, College of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology (http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/epi/), Deputy Director, Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/ceid/)
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Microbial Pathogenesis, Medical College of Ohio (2002)
Specialties: Emerging infectious diseases, evolution of virulence, bioterrorism, antibiotic resistance, infectious causes of chronic disease, zoonotic diseases. Pathogens of special interest: Streptococcal bacteria (S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae, and S. suis), influenza, adenovirus, Ebola

David E. Thomas. M.S.

Phone: 505-338-1039, x 115 (office, has voice-mail)
Phone: 505-410-0753 (cell)
Email: nmsrdave@swcp.com
Affiliation: President, New Mexicans for Science and Reason, www.nmsr.org
Affiliation: Fellow, Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP, www.csicop.org)
Highest Degree: Masters, Math, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (1981)
Also, Bachelors, Physics, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (1979)
Specialties: Genetic Algorithms, Molecular Comparisons, general history of antievolution, Probability arguments, Fossil gaps, plus Roswell UFO, Bible Codes, etc.

Matt Young, Ph.D.

Phone: 303-443-8719 (home)
Email: mmyoung@mines.edu
Affiliations: Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines
Vice-President, Colorado Citizens for Science
Coeditor, Why Intelligent Design Fails, A Scientific Critique of the New Creationism
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, 1967.
Specialties: Optics and lasers; intelligent-design creationism; science and religion, including pseudoscientific arguments for the existence of God