Mendel in the 21st Century:
The Scientific, Social, and Ethical Impact of Genetics in Our World
This two-day interdisciplinary academic symposium, was held on Villanova’s campus from Sunday, Sept. 21, to Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008.
The University hosted the symposium as part of its campus-wide celebration to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the awarding of the Mendel Medal.
In addition, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova is a proud co-sponsor of the traveling exhibit, “Planting the Seeds of Genetics: Gregor Mendel,” which will be at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia from May 28 to Sept. 24, 2008.
As an Augustinian institution of higher education, Villanova is one of the custodians of the Mendel legacy. As an Augustinian priest trained in mathematics, physics, and biology, Mendel is an icon of interdisciplinarity.
Accordingly, this symposium included series of engaging speakers in fields ranging from molecular genetics, genomics, biotechnology and evolutionary biology to history and philosophy of science, psychology, ethics, medicine, and law. Speakers discussed the impact of 21st century genetics in our society from the perspective of their respective disciplines.
