Evergreen Welcomes Neil deGrasse Tyson on April 29, 7:30 p.m

Annual Willi Unsoeld Seminar Series Attracts Phenomenally Influential Astrophysicist to Evergreen Campus

(Olympia, Wash.) The Evergreen State College welcomes Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of today’s premiere leaders in science, astronomy, and education to Olympia for a presentation and question and answer session on April 29, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at Evergreen’s College Recreation Center (CRC). Renowned astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and host of PBS’s Nova ScienceNow, Dr. Tyson is a leading voice in astronomy who has appeared alongside Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. The presentation is being offered in cooperation with KCTS9 Television and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

Tickets for the April 29 presentation are on sale now. The public can purchase tickets by phone at (360) 867-6833, online at www.buyolympia.com/events, or in person at The Evergreen State College book store, Rainy Day Records in Olympia, or the Communications Building Box Office at The Evergreen State College. The latter is open from noon to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Advance tickets are $20 for reserved section seating (not available at the door), $10 for adult general admission ($13 at the door) and $5 for student general admission ($8 at the door). Student prices apply to youth under age 16 or anyone with valid student ID (e.g. high school or college students). KCTS9 members receive a discount when they purchase online at www.buyolympia.com/events.

Tickets are being sold on a first come, first serve, space-available basis. Neil deGrasse Tyson enthusiasts are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and arrive early on April 29. The box office will open at 5:30 p.m. Event parking after 5:00 p.m. is free for this event and on this night only. Group discounts for groups of 20 or more are available by calling Pat Barte at (360) 867-6128.

Noted among TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Tyson is described as “The Carl Sagan of the 21st century—as long as you envision a Sagan who’s muscular, African American, and as cool as his predecessor was geeky.” In the same article, Tyson is referred to as “the great explainer of all things cosmic.”

Dr. Tyson’s latest book Death by Black Hole covers topics from astral life at the frontiers of astrobiology to the movie industry’s less than perfect efforts to get its night skies right. Renowned for his ability to blend scientific knowledge, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while sharing his infectious excitement for our universe.

Dr. Tyson will speak on a wide range of topics familiar to audiences and readers, including the wonders of astronomy, science and math literacy, the connections between science and the humanities, civil discourse in regard to science, and other topics in science and society.

The Unsoeld Seminar Series brings distinguished visitors to The Evergreen State College campus who reflect the values and philosophy of Willi Unsoeld, a founding faculty member, philosopher, theologian and mountaineer. Unsoeld was well known for his first ascent of the West Ridge of Mt. Everest with Tom Hornbein, in which they made the first successful traverse of any Himalayan peak. For this feat, President John F. Kennedy presented them with the Hubbard Medal, The National Geographic Society's highest honor. The annual Unsoeld Seminar is endowed as a "living memorial" in honor of Willi Unsoeld who lost his life in an avalanche on Mt. Rainier in 1979. For more on Neil deGrasse Tyson visit: http://research.amnh.org/~tyson/ The Evergreen State College campus is located at 2700 Evergreen Parkway N.W. in Olympia, Washington. For a campus map, visit: http://www.evergreen.edu/tour