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Dr. Brian Alters, an instructor and researcher from Harvard University, has recently been named to head the science education programs in the Faculty of Education at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥. AltersÂ’ appointment to ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ was made through an unusual process of cross-campus consultation with members of the Faculty of Science, and Educational Studies Department chair John Wolforth notes that he was delighted to have such interdisciplinary support. Professor Alters will be working with ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ scientists on the new joint BSc./BEd. program.

Brian AltersÂ’ career began over 15 years ago in Southern California, where he was chair of a high school science department. There Alters instituted a nationally recognized marine science program, attracting the attention of such notable figures as Jacques Cousteau, and conducted oceanographic research on Catalina and Guam Islands. In addition he was a biochemical research scientist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and president/owner of a science video production corporation that produced health/medical specialty films with distribution in five countries. Alters then temporarily left the science world to, as he puts it, "experience another side of life" -- he trained and worked as a "street cop" in Santa Ana, California. Having gained that experience, Alters returned to the safer haven of academia to complete a Ph.D. in Science Education. Since that time he has been teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and conducting research at Harvard UniversityÂ’s Philosophy of Education Research Center (where he still maintains an appointment).

A specialist in evolution education (see accompanying article), he is Contributing Editor for the Journal of the National Center for Science Education, Berkeley, California. Published in the leading journals in science education, his most recent study on American studentsÂ’ reasons for rejecting evolutionary theory was reported in the October issue of the international publication, Scientific American.