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SHERMAN, TEXAS—Austin College professor of biology George Diggs will present “Antarctica: Continent of Extremes” on April 10 at 4:30 p.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. The lecture, based upon his study in a recent sabbatical, is presented by Austin College’s Robert and Joyce Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching. A reception will be held at 4 p.m. in Wright Campus Center’s Johnson Gallery. The reception and lecture are free and open to the public.
Diggs traveled to Antarctica in January 2010 for sabbatical study to explore the vastness, raw beauty, and extreme conditions on the world’s coldest, driest, and windiest continent. During his April lecture, he will share findings about the fascinating animal life and the remarkable landscapes and ice formations he encountered. “I’ll cover a number of penguin species including the Emperor, who can dive more than 1,800 feet and hold its breath for 23 minutes; the wandering albatross, with the largest wingspan of any bird in the world—nearly 12 feet; and the elephant seal, a gigantic mammal known to reach a weight of 5.5 tons,” Diggs said. “We’ll also look at gigantic glaciers and deep blue and strangely shaped icebergs.”
An experienced photographer, Diggs has many photos from Antarctica to accompany his observations.
Diggs has been a member of the Austin College faculty for more than 30 years. A botanist, he is an expert on the plants of north Texas and has published, with coauthors, Volume 1 of Illustrated Flora of East Texas as part of the Illustrated Texas Floras Project, a collaborative effort between the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth and the Austin College Center for Environmental Studies. The first publication of the project, which Diggs also co-wrote was Shinners & Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas, released in 1999.
Scientific interests also have taken him to Kenya, Tanzania, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. He has inspected volcanoes, trekked rain forests, and scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro—often with his students alongside him.
His students were much of the impetus for his Antarctica studies. “From many years of teaching, I’ve learned that connecting with students, motivating them to really engage with the material, and getting them excited enough to want to learn more on their own all are quite important,” Diggs said. “Among the goals of my trip to Antarctica was to gain first-hand knowl4dge about thee unusual animals, the extreme conditions, and the changing climate to incorporate in a variety of my courses. I believe being able to use such new and exciting examples in classes in a way that has ‘source credibility’ helps me to connect with the students and get them interested and excited.”
Diggs understands the art of teaching. He was named "Texas Professor of the Year" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 1999-2000. He received Austin College’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1993.
Diggs earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.