Remembering Niall Shanks
The Department of History mourns the loss of Niall Shanks, the Curtis D. Gridley Distinguished
Professor in the History and Philosophy of Science, a joint appointment he held with
the departments of History and Philosophy. He died July 13, 2011, after a long illness.
Shanks was the first Gridley Distinguished professor at WSU, and taught courses on
science and technology for the History Department. Born in England, Professor Shanks
received a B.A. (Hons.) in Philosophy from the University of Leeds in 1979, an M.
Phil. in Philosophy from the University of Liverpool in 1981, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy
from the University of Alberta in 1987. Shanks authored several books and numerous
articles on the history and philosophy of science, including "God, the Devil, and
Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory." Shanks’ most recent book (co-authored
with Ray Greek, MD) was "Animal Models in the Light of Evolution." He was also in
demand as an authoritative public lecturer on topics regarding biological science
and history, and was lauded for his wit as well as his expertise. At the time of his
death, Shanks' research interests were focused on evolutionary biology and its implications
for medical theory and practice from the standpoint of history of science and of research
methodology. Shanks was the Vice-President of the Americans for Medical Advancement
and a former president of the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Division of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science.