SAS
2002 Dean's Forum:
Craig Venter
Each
year the School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Forum presents leading
intellectual figures who exemplify the liberal arts tradition.
This year SAS presents Dr. J. Craig Venter, who will discuss Sequencing
the Human Genome: The Gateway to a New Era in Science and Medicine,
on Thursday, February 28, at 4:30 p.m., in Bodek Lounge,
Houston Hall.
Dr.
J. Craig Venter has been instrumental in defining genomics research
since before the field was recognized as a distinct discipline.
As a section chief at the National Institutes of Health, he pioneered
the use of large-scale sequencing projects to elucidate the range
of genes expressed in cells and tissues. Capitalizing on such
approaches and the potential for complete genome sequencing, he
founded The Institute for Genome Research, and served as its president
from 1992 until 1998. Dr. Venter then served as president and
chief scientific officer of Celera Genomics, where he has continued
to expand the potential of genomics technologies for addressing
problems associated with human disease. Integrating novel engineering
and computational approaches on a scale not previously employed
in the life sciences, Dr. Venter single-handedly accelerated the
timetable for completion of the Human Genome Project. Often controversial,
Dr. Venter has proved to be a visionary, always challenging his
audience to dream about what the future may hold.
Some
of the previous Dean's Forum speakers included: Tom Wolfe, John
Updike, Maxine Hong Kingston, Garry Wills, Arthur Schlesinger,
Philip Roth, Toni Morrison, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Governors Pierre
S. duPont of Delaware and Gerald Baliles of Virginia, Gerald Edelman,
Baruch Blumberg, Susan Sontag and Arthur Miller.
During
the Dean's Forum, several undergraduate and graduate students
are honored as Dean's Scholars in recognition of their outstanding
academic performance and intellectual promise.
The
forum is free and open to the entire University community and
the general public. For more information, please call the SAS
Office of External Affairs at (215) 898-5262.