Distinguished paleontologist Jerry MacDonald spoke at the first annual conference for Society for Amateur Scientists, which was held on campus in late June.
Hailing from Las Cruces, MacDonald is famous for his discovery of a series of dinosaur tracks in New Mexico that had been preserved for approximately 250 million years. These fossilized tracks have provided valuable insight into the evolution of life on this planet.
"To people, [fossils] are something neat to look at, but fossils are actually a representation of death," MacDonald said. "But footprints are a respresentation of life."
Yet MacDonald's presentation did not focus as much on his findings as it did his own experience and passion for scientific discovery.
"In one sense, evolution makes us wonder why we ended up looking like this, and not like this," MacDonald said as he donned a reptilian mask at the beginning of his lecture.
In addition, MacDonald presented the attendees with some common misconceptions of the physical characteristics of dinosaurs and used a slide show to illustrate the key differences between the various species.
On top of discussing his discoveries, MacDonald also talked about how he has dealt with his own physical and mental challenges -- multiple sclerosis and a form of schizophrenia -- and how they have shaped him as a scientist.
He said that his handicaps played a major role in his career choice. His unique situation made him realize early on that he was better suited for completing projects at his own pace rather than adhering to a strict schedule.
While he admitted that he was initially worried about how the scientific community would view his physical and mental conditions, MacDonald said that, from the start, they were open about his handicaps.
"The project partners did not mind having a nut on their team," MacDonald joked.
Instead, he said that his colleagues have treated him with full respect.
MacDonald holds multiple degrees -- including a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia -- but asserted that they were not absolutely necessary to gain fame.
"You don't need letters after your name to be successful," MacDonald claimed.
At the conference, SAS -- an organization that encourages both professional and amateur scientists to break down the barriers that hinder people from participating in science -- also named MacDonald as one of their nominees for the Ben Franklin Citizen Scientist Award.
Attendees of the conference thought MacDonald's speech was very informative and were impressed by both his scientific discovery and triumph over adversity.
Art Roedel, a scientist and cosmologist from Philadelphia, thinks that MacDonald is a great role model.
"Jerry MacDonald is a wonderful example of a person who has maximized his talents and put it to good use," Roedel said.
And rising high school senior Eric Danielson -- a resident of Bryn Mawr, Pa. -- enjoyed hearing about MacDonald's scientific findings and his personal life.
"I really liked both the description of MacDonald's actual scientific process and his personal experiences," Danielson said.
The conference, which ran from June 28 to June 30, featured other respected scientists and scholars representing different universities and scientific institutes around the country.
