Eastern scientist wins Nevada Medal

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Friday, March 27, 1998 | 10:34 a.m.

Dr. Lynn Margulis, 59, of the University of Massachusetts, will receive the medal and a $10,000 prize during an April 23 ceremony at UNLV. The prize and medal are sponsored by Nevada Bell Telephone Co.

Margulis is known for her research on the evolution of small forms of life, including the role of bacteria in influencing biological processes and environmental conditions. Her theory is that cells evolved into plants and animals not by genetic accident but because groups of bacteria banded together to form them.

The award was announced by Gov. Bob Miller, who called her work a major step toward understanding many of the mysteries of the Earth and planets of the solar system.

Margulis has been a member of the U.S. National Academy of the Sciences since 1983. She has published more than 130 scientific papers and with her son, Dorion Sagan, co-authored several books on science for nontechnical audiences. Her first husband was the late Carl Sagan.