College of Sciences and Mathematics hosting seminar, discussion with Tyrone Hayes
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The College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM, would like to invite members of the Auburn Family to a seminar, discussion and reception with Tyrone Hayes of the University of California-Berkeley. This event is hosted by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and COSAM’s Office of Inclusion, Equity and Diversity.
The seminar is titled, “From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads and Men, A Black Man’s Journey through Science and Academia” and will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, in the Science Center Auditorium.
Hayes is a professor and co-chair in the Department of Integrative Biology at UC-Berkeley. He also is formally associated at UC-Berkeley with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and several research groups, including endocrinology, molecular toxicology and energy and resources. He also has been appointed the Judy Chandler Webb Distinguished Chair for Innovative Teaching and Research.
Hayes was born in South Carolina and received a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Harvard University in 1989. He then received his doctorate from UC-Berkeley in 1993 for his research investigating the role hormones play in modulating developmental responses in amphibians to environmental changes.
After completing his doctorate, he began post-doctoral training at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health and the Cancer Research Laboratories at UC-Berkeley. His training was funded by the National Science Foundation, and he was quickly hired as an assistant professor at UC-Berkeley in 1994. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2000 and to full professor in 2003.
Hayes’ research focuses on developmental endocrinology with an emphasis on evolution and environmental regulation of growth and development. For the last 20 years, the role of endocrine disrupting contaminants, particularly pesticides, has been a major focus.
Hayes investigates the impact of chemical contaminants on environmental health and public health, with a specific interest in the role of pesticides in global amphibian declines and environmental justice concerns associated with targeted exposure of racial and ethnic minorities to endocrine disruptors and the role that exposure plays in health care disparities.
In 2020, Hayes wrote an open letter to the academic community about his experiences as a Black man in academia. This letter has opened eyes and motivated many to work toward making academia a more welcoming environment for people of color.
Hayes’ presentation will emphasize the inevitable intersection between his race and path through science. The presentation will end with a discussion of the open letter, so to facilitate discussion, attendees are encouraged to read the letter before his visit.
Submitted by: Maria Gebhardt