The first lecture in a series called "Eyes on Biology" will be Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Wall Auditorium on the Coastal Carolina University campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Mike Ferguson, biology professor at Coastal for 15 years, will discuss "Emerging Diseases and the Evolution of the Ultimate Pathogen."

Ferguson earned a bachelor's degree in biology and secondary education from California State University, a master's degree in biology (plant pathology) from California State Polytechnic University, and a PhD. in plant pathology from Kansas State University. He was a research scientist for seven years in the department of plant pathology at South Dakota State University prior to coming to Coastal. His research uses the genes of several toxins produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa as molecular markers in the understanding of how an environmental bacteria becomes a human pathogen.

On Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Wall Auditorium, Richard Koesterer will discuss "The Galapagos Islands: Walking in the footsteps of Darwin" as the second presentation in the lecture series.

Koesterer earned a Ph.D. from St. Louis University and taught at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, prior to coming to Coastal in 1979. He also spent two years in Kenya while on sabbatical as a Fulbright Scholar. He teaches a variety of courses, which include the natural history of East Africa and the natural history of the rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. His research interests focus on fish electrophysiology and tropical biology.

The "Eyes on Biology" lecture series is sponsored by Coastal's Department of Biology. For more information, call 349-2238.