With Dr. Mark Westneat, Curator of Zoology at the Field Museum and Director of Biodiversity Synthesis Center

Rapid access to information is arguably the defining revolution of our times. The Encyclopedia of Life, an ambitions, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth.

At its heart lies a series of Web sites-one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species-that provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The Chicago Council on Science and Technology hosted Dr. Mark Westneat, who spoke about the EOL – an international collaborative bioinformatics project-and how online tools can help teachers and students of all ages explore and understand life.

Mark Westneat – Curator of Zoology, Robert A. Pritzker Director, Biodiversity Synthesis Center of the Encyclopedia of Life – The Field Museum is the first Director of the new Biodiversity Synthesis Center. He has been at The Field Museum of Natural History for 15 years, and has served as the head of the Fish Division for 10 years. During his time at the museum, Dr. Westneat has been heavily involved in research and has authored over 70 scientific publications on marine and freshwater fishes, biomechanics of several animal groups, and evolution. In particular his research has focused on understanding the biodiversity, function and history of life on coral reefs.

Event Details

Co-Hosted by: The Field Museum

The Field Museum – Montgomery Lecture Hall, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago