This award and lecture series was established in 2016 to honor Professor Hermann Joseph Muller—a renowned geneticist, a Nobel Laureate, a social activist, and an esteemed IU Bloomington faculty member (1945-67).
The Muller award and lecture series recognizes luminary international geneticists whose discoveries, like Muller’s, have made or are making a significant impact on the field of genetics and society. In addition to a cash award, the recipient will receive a commemorative medal, will attend an awards ceremony, and will present a public scholarly presentation of his/her work and the societal effect of genetic research. The selection of the awardee will be made by a committee composed of senior faculty at IU Bloomington.
Hermann Joseph Muller (1890-1967) is best known for his groundbreaking work on the nature of mutations, but he made many other seminal findings using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, a powerful genetic model that continues as a major focus of research at IU Bloomington.
Hermann Muller’s daughter Helen Muller and his graduate student (and biographer) Elof Axel Carlson attended the inaugural “Hermann J. Muller Award for Contributions to Our Understanding of Genes and Society” award ceremony and lecture on April 25, 2016. Carlson gave a brief talk about Muller.
The Hermann J. Muller Award for Contributions to Our Understanding of Genes and Society and lecture series is funded by Indiana University Bloomington, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Biology.
The College of Arts