Professor Steve Brusatte honoured with 2026 Friend of Darwin Award by the National Center for Science Education

We are pleased to share that Professor Steve Brusatte is one of the recipients of the NCSE Friend of Darwin Award for 2026, presented in recognition of his substantial contributions to the teaching of palaeontology and evolution, and his enthusiasm for science communication.

Professor Steve Brusatte holding up his book, The Story of Birds, in front of a poster with further information about it.

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a US non-profit organisation that supports and defends the accurate teaching of evolution, climate change and the nature of science. Its annual Friend of Darwin Award recognises individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to advancing evolution education and supporting the NCSE's mission.

Professor Brusatte is a vertebrate palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist who specialises in the anatomy, genealogy, and evolution of dinosaurs, mammals, and other fossil organisms. He has written over 150 scientific papers, published several books - including the most recent publication, The Story of Birds - and has described over 20 new species of fossil animals. He has done fieldwork in Brazil, Britain, China, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and the United States. He has also been a consultant for the Jurassic World film series and several programmes, including the BBC' Earth Film 'Walking With Dinosaurs', the 2025 Walking with Dinosaurs revival and National Geographic's 'T.Rex Autopsy'.

Stephen Brusatte is among the leading public expositors of paleontology working today. His ability to communicate science in ways that are compelling to a general audience is a gift to all of us involved in education.

It was a great surprise to be awarded a Friend of Darwin medal, and a really touching honour. The prize is for people who communicate science to the public and educate people about evolution, and that's exactly what I try to do with my books and my work on films and television shows. When I was growing up in the middle of farm country in America, I became enthralled with fossils and evolution and dinosaurs by reading popular science books and watching nature documentaries, and I hope that my books reach people in the same way today.

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