The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It is also the first year of the College of Arts & Sciences Themester.

The Fall 2009 Themester will explore the scientific study of evolution and diversity; the political, social and legal controversies surrounding evolution; and the ways in which forms of creative activity have drawn on the concept of evolution to explore diversity and change.

Themester at the College is intended to foster innovation and collaboration, to inspire curiosity and discovery, and to enable intellectual synergies. By focusing on Evolution, Diversity, and Change we are highlighting not only the core conceptual framework for the discipline of evolutionary biology but also the ways in which philosophy and religious studies, the social and psychological sciences, and the arts and humanities have developed paradigms of change and evolution.