Professional Lecture Series

This series of speakers focuses on the family as a natural system and on knowledge from the study of other natural systems and the sciences. A distinctive feature of this meeting is the length of time the presenter is given to develop and illustrate ideas followed by audience discussion. The ideas presented are to encourage a broader way of thinking about the human as a product of evolution both in one's own family and in the natural world.

Click here to view past Professional Lectures on our Youtube Channel.

Professional Lectures are held online via Zoom 7:00pm - 8:30pm Eastern Time. Lectures are free and open to the public.

Upcoming Professional Lectures

OCTOBER 23, 2025

The Sexual Evolution: Why Sexual Diversity is Normal, Natural, and Advantageous

Nathan H. Lents, PhD
From insects to apes, Professor Lents will present a fascinating journey through the animal world, revealing what the incredible array of sexual diversity can teach us about ourselves. Nature, it turns out, has made generous space for diverse genders and sexual behaviors. Why? Because when it comes to evolution—diversity wins. This conclusion is rooted in science and cultivated from understanding the full breadth of sexuality that exists throughout all species.

Nathan H. Lents is Professor of Biology at John Jay College, where he is the director of the Cell and Molecular Biology program. His research lab studies human genetic evolution and forensic DNA technology. He also writes regular popular science articles and is the author of Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals, Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes, and The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Millions Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships. Learn more at www.linktr.ee/nathanlents