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The Dartmouth
July 28, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Biologist Margulis begins Montgomery fellowship

Molecular Biologist Lynn Margulis arrives in Hanover today to begin her 11-day residence as a Montgomery Fellow.

Margulis will participate in a number of classes and informal discussions, and give a public address titled "What is Life?" this Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. in 3 Rockefeller Center.

She will also lead a public biology seminar titled "Symbiogenesis and Cell Origins" on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in 101 Gilman Hall. An informal reception will follow the seminar.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Distinguished Professor of Botany at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Margulis' controversial theories on cellular evolution have garnered her a reputation as an iconoclast.

Her 1965 dissertation advanced the ideas of eukaryotic cellular evolution -- which were once considered extremely radical but eventually became embraced by mainstream science.

Currently, her espousal of the Gaia hypothesis has once again put her at odds with "traditional science." Originally advanced by the British scientist James Lovelock, the Gaia theory states that the Earth is a self-regulating, living organism that is governed by symbiotic relationships.

Biological Sciences Chair Mary Lou Guerinot said the "distinguishing thing" about Margulis "is that she has really persevered when her ideas were not widely accepted ... We like her because she is controversial."

"She is a working microbiologist, but Margulis thinks very globally and so she would appeal to a broad range of students," Guerinot said.

Though most of her activities will involve graduate students and faculty, Margulis will speak to undergraduate students in the Introductory Genetics biology class and in two environmental science classes. The students taking the environmental science course have also been invited to have lunch with Margulis after their classes.

In addition, Margulis will attend a luncheon with students in the Women in Science Project.

Biological Sciences Professor George Langford called Margulis "a very dynamic person. She's full of interesting ideas and has made very exciting contributions to the field of biology."

Margulis' visit was made possible by the Montgomery Endowment -- a fund established by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Montgomery '25 to enable outstanding figures in the academic and non-academic world to visit Dartmouth and interact with students.