VOYAGER LECTURE SERIES

Mass Extinctions

with Jerry Harris

Tuesday, February 3, 7:30pm

Social Hour Begins at 6:30pm

The Lorraine Boccardo Theater

Our Voyager Lecture Series continues in 2026 with this season’s theme: Venturing Into the Unknown.

Earth’s history has been shaped by moments of profound loss—and remarkable renewal. In this Voyager Lecture, scientist Jerry Harris explores the story of mass extinctions over the past half-billion years, events that radically transformed life on our planet by erasing entire groups of organisms and opening the door for new forms of life to emerge. By uncovering the causes and consequences of these ancient upheavals, Harris reveals what the deep past can tell us about the challenges we face today—and what our future may hold if we fail to learn from it.

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Dr. Jerry Harris is a paleontologist and educator who most recently served as a professor at Utah Tech University (formerly Dixie State University), where he taught geology, paleontology, and related courses. He holds a Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Pennsylvania and has dedicated his career to uncovering and interpreting ancient life. Harris has long been involved with the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, serving as an advisor and contributing his expertise to research, preservation, and public education about the remarkable fossil record of southwestern Utah. In addition to his academic work, he has co-authored publications on paleontology and helped bring the prehistoric world to life for students, researchers, and visitors alike.