Titled "Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues," the premise is that many animals have rich and deep emotional lives. "Many individual animals of many species experience emotions including joy, grief, anger, resentment, jealousy, and love," says Bekoff. "In the spirit of Charles Darwin's emphasis on evolutionary continuity, it is not only right, but also good science, to draw this conclusion."

Hunter College Campus Schools are renowned programs for intellectually gifted and talented students. Addressing over 450 elementary and high schoolers, the audience is sure to be spirited with many interesting questions.

Professor Emeritus, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Bekoff has written 16 books and over 200 articles on animal communication and pathology. His many awards for scientific research include the Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Marc Bekoff is also co-founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

The lecture is sponsored by the Animal Club of Hunter College Elementary and Rational Animal, a New York City based animal advocacy non-profit organization of which Bekoff is an honorary board member.