Convocation: Tyrone Hayes

Tyrone Hayes is a biologist and herpetologist who knows that scientific breakthroughs don’t begin and end in the laboratory. They also come from the field. Which is why, more often than not, Hayes can be found wet, muddy, and knee-deep in a swamp at 2 a.m., the time when the frogs come out. An associate professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, Hayes’ primary research focuses on the role of environmental factors on growth and development in amphibians. His studies have revealed how synthetic chemicals (such as the pesticide atrazine which is frequently used in Minnesota) interact with hormones in a variety of ways to alter developmental responses. As these studies also help predict effects in other wildlife and humans, Hayes’ findings reveal a crucial new link between conservation and health. The title of his presentation was "From Silent Spring to Silent Night: A Tale of Toads and Men."