IIGB/CEPCEB geneticist Susan Wessler will give a free public lecture titled “The Dynamic Genome: Unintelligent Design,” in Rooms D-E, University Extension Center (UNEX) at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 14, 2011 as part of the CNAS Spring 2011 Science Lecture Series.

Wessler’s lecture will be introduced by a science teacher from one of the local school districts, and will end with a question-and-answer session. The talk will discuss transposable elements and the role they play in genetic diversity.

The talk is being hosted by UC Riverside’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) and the Science Circle, a group of university and community members committed to advancing science at UCR and in Inland Southern California. It is the first of four lectures scheduled this year. The lecture series, titled “Science & Society: Major Issues of the 21st Century,” aims to boost the public’s awareness and understanding of science and of how scientists work.