Joseph L. Graves Jr. facts for kids

Joseph L. Graves Jr. (born in 1955) is an American scientist who studies how living things change over time (this is called evolution) and how traits are passed down through genes (this is called genetics). He is a professor of biological science at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He also used to help lead research at a special school focused on tiny materials called nanoscience. This school is run by North Carolina A & T State University and UNC Greensboro.

Dr. Graves has studied how tiny fruit flies, called Drosophila, evolve and how their bodies work. His work includes looking at how genes help living things adapt to their environment. He also studies how bacteria react to very small metal particles called nanoparticles. Some of his research has helped us understand the theory of aging, which explains why living things get older.

Using his knowledge of evolution and genetics, Dr. Graves has written two books. These books talk about common ideas and myths about race in American society. He has also appeared in six documentary films to discuss these important topics.

He has received important grants for his research from groups like the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. He is also a respected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Graves was born in 1955. He earned his first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in biology, from Oberlin College in 1977. Later, he earned his PhD, which is a very advanced degree, from Wayne State University in 1988.

His experiences as a child helped him become interested in race and racism. He shared that his parents were poor and could not read, so he taught himself. He also said that his school system was unfair because of race. When he was in kindergarten, teachers wanted to put him in a special education class. He noticed that many Black students were placed in lower learning groups for no clear reason.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Graves worked hard. By the time he graduated from high school, he was one of the top students. He received a scholarship to attend Oberlin College. After graduating from Oberlin, he spent two years at the Institute for Tropical Disease. In 1979, he received a special fellowship to start his PhD studies at the University of Michigan. He finished his PhD in Evolutionary, Environmental, and Systematic Biology at Wayne State University in 1988. After that, he received a special fellowship to continue his research at the University of California, Irvine from 1988 to 1990.

Career in Science

Dr. Graves began teaching at the University of California, Irvine in 1990. He then worked at several other universities. These included the West campus of Arizona State University, where he also taught African American Studies. He also worked at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Eventually, he received his current teaching position at North Carolina A & T State University and UNC Greensboro.

Understanding Aging and Race

Most Americans still believe that there is some biological legitimacy to our socially constructed racial categories. However, our modern scientific understanding of human genetic diversity flies in the face of all of our social stereotypes.

Working with another scientist named Laurence D. Mueller, Dr. Graves discovered something important about small organisms like fruit flies. They found that how many flies live in one area (their population density) affects their chances of survival. It also influences how natural selection works for them. In an article from 2001, Dr. Graves wrote that understanding how individuals age involves many small details. These include chance changes in cells and how bodies develop over time. He has studied these tiny insects for over ten years to learn more about senescence, which is the process of aging.

Besides studying aging, Dr. Graves is very interested in the history and philosophy of science. He looks at how science has dealt with the biology of race and racism in Western society. He has received a lot of attention for his writings on this topic. He strongly believes that race is something created by society, not by biology. He thinks that many ideas about race are still based on old, outdated science from the 1800s. He uses modern scientific methods and genetics to show that these old ideas are often based on racist beliefs.

Personal Life

Beyond his scientific research, Dr. Graves has also worked hard to help improve how science is taught in schools. He believes it is important to discuss human biological differences and the concept of race in high school and college science classes.