Beckman Institute 20th Anniversary Symposium
On Thursday, May 14, Caltech is hosting a symposium in Beckman Auditorium called "The Science of Evolution / The Evolution of Science" in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, the 150th anniversary Darwin's The Origin of Species, and the 20th anniversary of Caltech's Beckman Institute. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the daytime session will include several presentations by scientists from Caltech and across the country. Speakers at the 7:30 p.m. evening session will include Peter and Rosemary Grant, renowned investigators of the Galapagos finches, and Michael Ruse, a noted author on evolution. Click here to view the event flyer.

72nd Annual Seminar Day
The Alumni Association's annual Seminar Day will take place on Saturday, May 16. Now in its 72nd year, this event is an opportunity for alumni to return to campus with friends and families, hear faculty presentations on current research and innovations, and reconnect with fellow alumni. The day-long program includes dozens of faculty talks on various topics held in locations all over campus. The Institute's highest honor, the Distinguished Alumni Awards, are presented at the midday general session. For the full schedule, click here.

Everhart Lecture Series
Gwyneth Card, a Caltech postdoctoral scholar in bioengineering, will present an Everhart Lecture at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, in 101 Guggenheim Lab, Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall. In a talk called "Making an Escape: Neural Control and Biomechanics of Flight Initiation in Drosophila," Card will discuss how research using high-speed videography to capture video sequences of flight initiation by fruit flies has revealed a sophisticated motor program, which is evidence for a form of rapid, visually mediated motor planning in a genetically accessible model organism. The Everhart Lecture Series is a forum to encourage interdisciplinary interaction among graduate students and faculty, to share ideas about recent research developments, problems and controversies, and to recognize the exemplary presentation and research abilities of Caltech's graduate students. All members of the Caltech community are encouraged to attend. Free snacks, coffee, and tea will be provided starting at 3:45 pm.