Paul Sereno has hunted fossils on five continents. He has discovered dinosaurs and super-crocodiles that ate dinosaurs. And soon, he will be in Beloit to regale audiences about his finds and his efforts, as co-founder of Project Exploration, to expand public access to science.

Dr. Sereno will receive the seventh annual Roy Chapman Andrews Society Distinguished Explorer Award on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 4:30 p.m., in Eaton Chapel on the Beloit College campus. Highlighting the award program will be his lecture, "Living Indiana Jones." The program and lecture are open to the public at no charge.

     Dr. Sereno's visit to Beloit also includes a presentation to area students titled "The SuperCroc Story" at Beloit Memorial High School. He will also meet with Beloit College classes and students and participate in a celebratory dinner with members and friends of the Roy Chapman Andrews Society.

    Following in the footsteps of Beloit native Roy Chapman Andrews, Dr. Sereno has made some of the most important dinosaur and fossil finds of the past 20 years. He says about his work: "I see paleontology as 'adventure with a purpose.' How else to describe a science that allows you to romp in remote corners of the globe, resurrecting gargantuan creatures that have never been seen?"

"In paleontology, I saw an irresistible combination of travel, adventure, art, biology and geology."

A native of Naperville, Ill., Paul Sereno attended Northern Illinois University and received his doctorate from Columbia University and New York's American Museum of National History. In 1987,he joined the faculty of the University of Chicago, where he teaches paleontology and evolution to graduate and undergraduate students and human anatomy to medical students.

In 1999, Dr. Sereno, along with educator Gabrielle Lyon, founded Project Exploration, a nonprofit organization that gives minority youth and girls the opportunity to experience the excitement of science and discovery. Project Exploration has engaged thousands of Chicago-area teachers and inner-city students in doing science.

     Dr. Sereno does his science around the world. In Africa's Sahara Desert, his team made the startling discovery of the remains of a 40-foot crocodile-the world's largest-dubbed SuperCroc. Sereno has brought this ancient predator back to life in books and videos which will be available during his visit to Beloit. Other finds include the earliest known dinosaurs (found in South America) and the first pterosaur (flying reptile) found in Africa.

     Recently switching from paleontology to archaeology, Sereno's team found a large cemetery in the Sahara that was in use 5,000-10,000 years ago. Along with hundreds of human skeletons, remains of plants and animals show that the area was lush and green, not the dry desert it is today.

         Paul Sereno has won many prestigious awards including the Chicago Tribune's Teacher of the Year Award, the Boston Museum of Science's Walker Prize for extraordinary contributions in paleontology, and Columbia University's University Medal for Excellence.

     The Distinguished Explorer Award program is a principal focus of the Roy Chapman Andrews Society. Founded in 1998, the Society's mission is to honor the legacy of one of the most celebrated explorers of the 20th century by educating the public about Andrews's life, work, and adventures; promoting the value of scientific exploration and discovery; and emphasizing Andrews's lifetime ties to Beloit. Previous award recipients are:

• Dr. Michael J. Novacek, leader of the first Western expedition to the Gobi Desert since Andrews' discovery of the first dinosaur egg fossil there in 1922
• Dr. Mark Plotkin, ethnobotanist and bio-prospector for new medicines developed from the plants and practices of traditional healers of the Amazon jungle
• Dr. Robert Ballard, discoverer of the RMS Titanic and founder of the Jason Project, an educational tool enabling students to watch live transmissions from underwater robot explorers
• Dr. Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover mission whose presentations included live, televised transmissions from Mars
• Drs. Lonnie and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, scientific "ice hunters" who examine the climate and environmental history of the Earth through the analysis of glacial core samples
• Dr. Mark Moffett, Beloit native and ecologist, who combines science, exploration, and photography in a unique blend of discovery and story-telling.

For information about tickets for the dinner and reserved seating at the award ceremony, contact the Roy Chapman Andrews Society c/o Visit Beloit, 608-365-4838.

Paul Sereno, Ph. D.
"I see paleontology as 'adventure with a purpose.'  How else to describe a science that allows you to romp in remote corners of the globe, resurrecting gargantuan creatures that have never been seen?  And the trick to big fossil finds?  You've got to be able to go where no one has gone before."

CLICK HERE to learn about the award's selection criteria.

Paul Sereno links:
Natural History Museum Magazine

The National Geographic’s Explorers in Residence site.

The University of Chicago - more information on Dr. Sereno