Announcing the 2015 Richard Dawkins Award Recipient: Dr. Jerry Coyne

Atheist Alliance of America is pleased to announce that Jerry A. Coyne, Ph.D., is the 2015 recipient of the Richard Dawkins Award, presented annually at AAofAmerica’s national conference. Dr. Coyne is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and the author of the New York Times bestseller, Why Evolution is True as well as the soon-to-be-released Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible.

Dr. Coyne received a B.S. in biology from the College of William and Mary, a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology at Harvard University, working in the laboratory of Richard Lewontin, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago. He published a scholarly book about his research area, Speciation, co-authored with H. Allen Orr, and he is a contributor to The New York Times, The New Republic, The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, The Nation and USA Today. Along with more than 130 popular articles, book reviews and columns, he has written 115 refereed scientific papers.

“Dr. Coyne is a respected member of the scientific community and an articulate and dogged proponent of science in the public sphere,” observes Amy Monsky, executive director of Atheist Alliance of America. “We’re thrilled to recognize him and his work with our highest honor at our annual convention, being held October 15-18 in Atlanta, Georgia.”

The Richard Dawkins Award is given each year to honor an outstanding atheist whose contributions raise public awareness of the nontheist life stance; who, through writings, media, the arts, film, and/or the stage, advocates increased scientific knowledge; who, through work or by example, teaches acceptance of the nontheist philosophy; and whose public postures mirrors the uncompromising nontheist life stance of Dr. Richard Dawkins. Previous recipients are James Randi, Ann Druyan, Penn and Teller, Julia Sweeney,  Daniel Dennett, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bill Maher, Susan Jacoby, Christopher Hitchens, Eugenie Scott, Steven Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein.

Atheist Alliance of America works to develop and provide educational, advocacy and community-building programs for the atheist community. To learn more about the 2015 national conference and to reserve accommodations, visit atheistallianceamerica.org/conference.

Click on the names below to read more about past Richard Dawkins Award Recipients:
2003: James Randi
2003: James Randi
2004: Ann Druyan
2005: Penn & Teller
2006: Julia Sweeney
2007: Daniel Dennett
2008: Ayaan Hirsi Ali
2009: Bill Maher^[3]
2010: Susan Jacoby^[4]
2011: Christopher Hitchens^[5]
2012: Eugenie Scott^[6]
2013: Steven Pinker^[7]
2014: Rebecca Goldstein^[8]
2015: Jerry Coyne
2016: Lawrence Krauss

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