Dr. David Hillis is the Professor, Director (Academic) of Integrative Biology, College of Natural Sciences at UT.  He will present highlights of his latest book, Armadillos and Ziziphus, to Westlake Rotary on January 14. (The book will be available for purchase after the meeting.)

His co-authored book Molecular Systematics was instrumental in developing the field of phylogenetic analysis, and he is a co-author of two of the leading college textbooks on biology. Dr. Hillis was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in 1999. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2000. In 2008, he was elected a United States National Academy of Sciences member. Professor Hillis was the recent grand prize winner of the Hamilton Book Award for his book Armadillos and Ziziphus. Anyone who treasures the biodiversity, ecology, and restoration of the Hill Country will enjoy the book while also appreciating his ability to share complex information with those of us who are not scientists. 

Dr. Hillis owns and operates the Double Helix Ranch, where he raises Texas Longhorn Cattle. And don’t let the fact that he was born in Denmark distract you.  Dr. Hillis has made Texas his home for almost 40 years and knows more about its creatures than most Texans.

Several species of reptiles and amphibians are named in honor of Hillis, including a species of salamander, Hillis's Dwarf Salamander, (Eurycea hillisi), from the southeastern United States; a species of frog, Hillis's Stream Treefrog (Hyloscirtus hillisi), from Ecuador; a species of frog, Hillis's Bush Frog (Raochestes hillisi), from China; a species of lizard, Hillis's Sticklizard (Pholidobolus hillisi), from Ecuador; and a species of frog, the Acapulco Leopard Frog (Rana hillisi), from Mexico.