MORSE, M.P.; Univ. of Washington, Seattle: “Science As A Way Of Knowing”: the Legacy of John A. Moore

Scholarship in biology education has lost a great contributor with the passing of Dr. John A. Moore, Professor emeritus, University of California, Riverside. Member of the National Academies of Sciences, Moore’s research was in cellular and phenotypic development in frogs. He was an author of numerous books, the last released in 2002, From Genesis to Genetics (University of California Press). Years of scholarly work in high school biology texts (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, BSCS), writings on evolution and his numerous textbooks and laboratory manuals for undergraduates while at Barnard College were followed by a seven year project for undergraduate biology with the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) (then called American Society of Zoogists (ASZ). This project was called “Science As A Way Of Knowing” and the yearly symposia were published during the 1980ies in the American Zoologist. These materials are still used in countless undergraduate biology courses at colleges and universities. John A. Moore served on eight major National Research Council committees and kept science education on the front burner among his scientific colleagues at the Academies. This past March, John was the recepient of the second American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) Education Award in Washington, DC. During my presidency of ASZ, it was my privilege to work with Moore and to this day, I consider him as my single most important mentor in biology education. He was a man of great integrity and great wisdom. He had a joy of living and life, an excitement about science, and was dedicated to helping every student he met. We will all miss him.