Daniel Justin Fairbanks (born 1956) is an American biologist who was formerly a

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of Undergraduate Education at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(BYU). He is a specialist in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

who has written books on the subject.

Early life and education

Fairbanks is a great-grandson of John B. Fairbanks, an artist from

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. Fairbanks received his undergraduate education at BYU. As a young man he served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church).

Career

Fairbanks has been on the faculty of BYU since 1988. Besides being a biology professor he has served as head of the University Honors Program and associate dean of General Education and Honors. Fairbanks has also served as a visiting professor at

Universidade Estadual de Londrina Londrina State University ( pt, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, UEL) is one of the public universities of the State of Paraná, Brazil. External links Official Page of Londrina State University(in Portuguese) Educational institutions ...

and

Southern Virginia University Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a private liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. The college, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Ch ...

. Fairbanks is also a

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

who has works in some museum collections. Fairbanks is currently Dean of the College of Health and Science at

Utah Valley University Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008. History ...

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

. Fairbanks is also an author. Some of his works include ''Genetics: The Continunity of Life'', ''Relics of Eden: The Powerful Evidence of Evolution in Human DNA'', a very accessible book for non-specialist in genetics readers,Review of ''Relics of Eden''
/ref> ''Ending the Mendel-Fisher Controversy'', and ''Shrubland Ecosystem Genetics and Biodiversity: Proceedings of a Conference''.

Bibliography

* * *

References

External links

Announcement of Appointment as a deanBYU bioBYU devotional addressNew BYU dean 'Renaissance Man' (2005)Current standing at UVU
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairbanks, Daniel J. 1956 births Brigham Young University alumni Brigham Young University faculty People from Provo, Utah Southern Virginia University faculty Living people American Mormon missionaries 20th-century Mormon missionaries 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century male artists American male sculptors American male writers 21st-century American biologists Latter Day Saints from Utah Utah Valley University faculty