JULY 29, 2021 - If you’ve been staring at those Star Trek aliens and wondering how genetic recombination affects species formation and molecular evolution – and who hasn’t? – there is an award-winning biologist who can help with that.

On Tuesday, the biology department at Duke University tweeted out their congratulations to their Professor of Biology and Dean of Natural Sciences for his latest award. Dr. Mohamed Noor is known to Star Trek fans as a series science consultant, host of the YouTube channel BioTrekkie Explains! and author of Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds. Dr. Noor recently received one of three Friend of Darwin awards for 2021 from the National Center for Science Education.

NCSE’s Executive Director, Ann Reid, said, “The Friends of Darwin for 2021 have tirelessly promoted the cause of evolution education,” and Dr. Noor has done so “through his use of Star Trek to teach evolution concepts as well as through his popular open online course.”

According to the NCSE website, “The Friend of Darwin [as well as the] Friend of the Planet awards are presented annually to a select few whose efforts to support NCSE and advance its goal of defending and supporting the teaching of evolution and climate science have been truly outstanding.”

The NCSE “works with teachers, parents, scientists, and concerned citizens at the local, state, and national levels to ensure that topics including evolution and climate change are taught accurately, honestly, and confidently.”

To find out more about Dr. Noor and his Trek cred, you can read a Duke University interview with him from last year at Today.Duke.edu, or check out our interview with him earlier this year about his YouTube series with Star Trek: Discovery actor Jayne Brook.

Please join all of us at Daily Star Trek News in offering congratulations to Dr. Noor on his award.