BOONE—The New York Times science journalist Carl Zimmer will speak Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at Appalachian State University.

His lecture, titled “A Journey to the Center of Your Brain,” is free and open to the public. Zimmer’s campus visit is sponsored by the University Forum Committee and University College, with additional support from the Joan Askew Vail Endowment and the Office of Multicultural Student Development.

Zimmer is an expert on topics ranging from biology and evolution to parasites and viruses. In addition to writing the weekly Matter column in The New York Times, he writes for National Geographic and other publications.

The New York Times Book Review said Zimmer was, “as fine a science essayist as we have.” He won the National Academies Communication Award and is a two-time winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Journalism Award.

He has written 10 widely praised science books, including “Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea,” “Soul Made Flesh,” which was named one of the top 100 books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, “At the Water’s Edge” and “Parasite Rex.” His 2008 book, “Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life” was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Zimmer is also the author of a groundbreaking textbook about evolution titled “The Tangled Bank.”

Zimmer has lectured at many of the country’s leading universities, medical schools, and museums, and is a frequent speaker at scientific conferences. He has enthralled audiences with insightful talks on topics ranging from the cutting edge of medicine, to the history of the scientific revolution, to the wonderful creepiness of parasites.
Along with the National Academies of Science prize, he has won fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He is a lecturer at Yale University, where he teaches science writing.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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