The January edition of DNEWS is devoted to the Academy of Natural Sciences, which affiliated with Drexel University in an historic alliance this past September. Now called The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Academy is America's oldest natural history museum and is a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research.  The Academy is home to world-class archives and collections that include materials from John James Audubon, Charles Darwin, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Wilson.

This special DNEWS episode, which airs on Friday, January 13th at 8 PM on DUTV, is hosted by Maria Papadakis, who interviews Academy President George Gephart. The show covers many aspects of the Academy from their fun-filled exhibitions for families to their scholarly research in biology, natural sciences, ecology and geology.  Biology student, Courtney Thomas, interviews Drexel professor Ken LaCavora, showcasing his field work hunting dinosaur fossils in Patagonia, along with Academy scientists who have traveled to the farthest reaches of the Arctic to discover fish fossils millions of years old. You’ll learn about the new Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), a partnership between the Academy and Drexel’s College of Arts & Sciences, that will soon launch and, as much of the Academy’s specimen collection is not open to the public, DNEWS will give you a special behind-the-scenes look at the one of a kind collection.