DOTHAN - Troy University will celebrate Heritage Week on the Dothan Campus the week of April 14 through 18. TROY students, alumni and members of the community are invited to join in the celebration. All Heritage Week activities are free and open to the public.

The week of activities kicks off on Monday, April 14 with the John Woodham Memorial Lecture Series. Dr. Gary Mullen, of Auburn University, will speak on the life and works of Philip Henry Gosse, a 19th century naturalist and artist. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Sony Hall.

Tuesday, April 15 the University will hold its annual Health and Wellness Fair. Area healthcare representatives will be on campus to provide a variety of free health screenings. The fair is schedule for 9 a.m. to noon in the Harrison Room, which is located in Malone Hall.

The annual Spring Picnic is Thursday, April 17. Come join TROY students, faculty and staff for lunch on the lawn from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. WOOF FM will be on campus providing music. The Student Government Association also has a variety of games and activities planned. Night students are invited to pick up dinner before heading to class. Meals will be served from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On Friday, the University will conduct its Spirit of Service Project from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers are welcome to join University staff and students in a clean up of the Campus Trails, which are located behind Malone Hall. The trails, which are open to bikers and walkers from the community, will also be the site of this year’s March of Dimes March for Babies, which is schedule for 9 a.m. on April 26.

Heritage Week culminates with the Spring Honors Convocation at Calvary Baptist Church in Dothan. Friday, April 18 at 6 p.m. the University will honor more than 40 of its top students.

For more information about Heritage Week events, contact Inga Oberst at (334) 983-6556, ext. 1-217.

TROY’s Woodham Lecture Series Explores the Works of Noted 19th Century Naturalist

DOTHAN – Rediscover Alabama through the eyes of a 19th century naturalist and painter. As part of the Troy University Woodham Lecture Series, Dr. Gary Mullen will discuss the life and works of Philip Henry Gosse. The lecture is scheduled for Monday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Sony Hall on the Dothan Campus. The event, which is made possible in part by a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, is free and open to the public.

Gosse was one of the leading naturalists of his day. During the 1830s, the Englishman captured Alabama’s plant and insect life in the Black Belt region in a series of watercolors. “Entomologia Alabamensis” never made it into print, but many of Gosse’s other books and illustrations on nature and the relationship between science and religion became best-sellers.

Mullen has conducted extensive research on Gosse’s life. He is a professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University.

The Woodham Memorial Lecture Series is sponsored by the Troy University College of Arts and Sciences. The program is named for John Woodham, who was a long-time professor and head of the History Department on the Dothan Campus.

For more information, contact the Troy University College of Arts and Sciences or the Troy University Archives of Wiregrass History and Culture at (334) 983-6556.

Photo courtesy:  Dr. Gary Mullen

Dr. Gary Mullen is an expert on the works of naturalist Philip Henry Gosse. He will discuss Gosse April 14 at Troy University, as part of the Woodham Lecture Series.

Image Courtesy: Dr. Gary Mullen

This water color by Philip Henry Gosse shows wood nymphs and pearly eye butterflies. It is part of Gosse’s series on Alabama plants and insects. The collection is housed at the British Library.