| What Is the MAS? |
|
Our Mission is to promote public understanding and appreciation of the sciences, to support scientific research and education in areas relevant to the needs of the state, and to provide consultative or advisory services on matters of science to the Governor, and to local, state, and federal agencies. Our Motto is: A Message From E. O. Wilson
- E. O. Wilson Dr. Edward O. Wilson is one of the great minds of our time. His groundbreaking research, original thinking, and scientific and popular writing have changed the way humans think of nature, and our place in it. Currently he is a research professor and museum curator at Harvard University. He has received many of the world's leading prizes for his research in science, his environmental activism, and his writing. Dr. Wilson has been a leader in the fields of entomology, animal behavior and evolutionary psychology, island biogeography, biodiversity, environmental ethics, and the philosophy of knowledge, having written groundbreaking books and articles on all of these subjects. Two of his non-fiction books, The Ants(1990, with Bert Hšlldobler) and On Human Nature (1978), have won Pulitzer Prizes. The Diversity of Life (1992) and Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998), two of his more recent books, have been applauded for their graceful, creative and constructive approaches to challenging subjects. In The Diversity of Life and The Future of Life he conveys his deep concern for humanity's bewildering degradation of our planet's ecosystems. His commitment to protecting our natural heritage has brought him to the forefront of environmental activism. As a child growing up in Alabama and Washington D.C., Dr. Wilson became fascinated with wildlife, particularly insects. He received a B.S. and M.S. in biology from the University of Alabama and a Ph.d. from Harvard University. Subsequent work with ants led to his discovery of the role pheremones play in behavior and to theories of sociobiology, a term he coined. For most of his career Dr. Wilson has been a professor at Harvard University. He is currently a Pellegrino University Research Professor and Honorary Curator in Entomology for the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. Learn more about Dr. Wilson and his E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation at http://www.eowilson.org/. |
"Massachusetts is one of the world's leading centers of science. To connect its citizens to this intellectual bounty and spread its benefits to all, the Commonwealth needs a very visible organization devoted to the intersection of science, education, and public service. It also needs a consulting service to strengthen regional leadership in government and business. The Massachusetts Academy of Science is designed to fill both these roles."
