• Alumni
  • Parents
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Library
  • Quick Links
Austin College Logo

Sherman, Texas

Visit

Apply

Scholarships

Get Info

MENU
  • About
    • Fast Facts
      • Mission
      • History
      • Kangaroo Mascot
      • Austin College Page Plaid
    • Office of the President
      • About President O’Day
      • Contact the President
      • Essays & Speeches
      • Past Presidents
    • Inclusion & Diversity
    • Administration
      • Strategic Planning
    • Board of Trustees
      • Trustee Profiles
    • Institutional Marketing & Communications
      • Media Kit
      • IMC Professional Internship Program
    • News & Events
      • College News
      • College Calendar
      • Signature Events
        • Adams Observatory Star Parties
        • Lessons & Carols
        • MLK Celebration 2021
        • Posey Leadership Award Recipients
        • TEDxAustinCollege
      • Media Kit
      • ‘Roos in the News
      • Campus Photo Gallery
    • Campus Information
      • North Texas Area
  • Admission & Aid
    • Scholarships and Financial Aid
      • Scholarships for New Students
      • Scholarships for Current Students
      • Applying for Aid
      • Work Study
      • Loans
      • Federal Verification of FAFSA Data
      • Forms & Documents
      • Policies
      • Tuition & Payments
      • VA Education Benefits
      • Financial Aid Staff
      • Net Price Calculator
      • Financial Wellness
    • The Finish in Four Guarantee
    • Austin College Advantage
    • The Word on AC
      • Admission Publications
    • After AC
    • Meet Your Counselor
    • Visit Austin College
      • Individual Campus Visit
      • Preview Events
    • Apply Now
      • Freshman
      • International Students
      • Transfer Students
      • Dates & Deadlines
    • Información en Español
    • Transfer Students
      • How to Apply
      • Transfer Scholarships
    • International Students
      • Requirements
      • Scholarships & Financial Assistance
      • Admitted International Students
    • Admitted Students
      • New Student Information
        • Links of Interest
        • Language Placement Exams
      • Key Contacts on Campus
    • Refer A Student
  • Academics
    • Academics Home
      • Compass Curriculum
      • Humanities at AC
      • Sciences at AC
      • Social Sciences at AC
    • Majors and Minors
    • Applied Learning
    • Student Success
    • Grad School Opportunities
      • Health Sciences
        • Texas Tech Early Decision Program
        • Health Professions Advising Guides
        • Health Sciences Scholarships
        • FAQ’s About Health Sciences
        • Health Sciences Advising
        • Resources
      • Engineering
      • Law
      • Ministry
      • TTU Grad Program
      • Gateways to Grad School
        • Partner Programs
        • Texas Tech Health Sciences Programs
        • Partner Universities
    • Graduate Teacher Program
      • About the ATP
      • Teaching/Course Certification Requirements
      • ATP Advising Forms & Documents
      • ATP Advisors
      • Field Supervisor’s Forms & Documents
      • Noyce STEM Program
        • Noyce STEM Summer Internships
        • Noyce STEM Scholarships
      • Thinking Camps
    • Centers & Programs
      • Center for Community & Regional Development
      • Center for Environmental Studies
      • Center for Southwestern & Mexican Studies
      • Faculty Development
        • Sabbatical Series
        • Thursday Lunch Topics
        • Reading Groups
        • Johnson Center Activities
        • Additional Resources
      • First-Year Experience
        • First-Year Seminar
        • Peer Mentors
        • JanTerm Orientation
      • Office of International Programs
        • Support Services for International Students
      • Posey Leadership Institute
      • Student Research
        • Sciences Summer Research Program
        • ENSURE Program
        • Student Research Dissemination Awards
        • ACUMEN
        • Responsible Conduct of Research
        • Student Scholarship Conference
        • Scarbrough Summer Research
      • Writing Center
    • JanTerm & MayTerm
      • Travel Jan Term | Liability Release
      • Travel Jan Term | Medical Release and Info
      • Scholarships
      • JanTerm Photo Galleries
    • Fellowships & Scholarships
      • Honors Convocation
        • Homer P. Rainey Award
      • Departmental Honors Program
        • Honors Program Nomination Procedures
        • Honors Program Requirements
        • Honors Thesis Formatting
      • Phi Beta Kappa
        • Membership Archive
        • Membership Criteria
      • Fulbright Grants
      • Peace Corps Prep Program
        • How to Apply
        • PCPP Benefits
        • PCPP Curriculum
        • PCPP Campus Committee
        • Peace Corps Alumni
    • Faculty
    • Academic Affairs
    • Registrar’s Office
  • Campus Life
    • Academic Skills Center
      • Resources and Links
      • Review Sessions & Workshops
      • Meet Our Tutors
      • Become a Peer Tutor
      • Access Services
      • Exam Accommodation Instruction Form
    • Campus Police & Safety
      • Campus Emergencies
      • Severe Weather
      • Rules & Regulations
      • Crime Prevention
      • Campus Police Staff
    • Campus Services
      • Campus Bookstore
      • Post Office
      • Dining Services
      • Information Technology
    • Career Services
      • The Four-Year Plan
      • Handshake
      • Career Exploration
      • Internships
        • Career Study Off-Campus (CSOC)
        • Global Outreach (GO!)
      • Job/Internship Search
        • Austin College Employers
      • Employer Services
      • Graduate/Professional School
      • Graduate Outcomes
        • Graduate First Destination Survey
        • After Austin College
      • Online Resources
      • Career Services Events
      • Career Alumni Connections
      • Contact Us
    • Counseling Services
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Scope of Care
      • Counseling Center
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Web Resources
      • Contact Us
      • Texoma Resources
      • Student Wellness
    • Health Services
      • Clinic Hours & Services
      • Immunizations
      • Health Forms
      • Student Insurance
      • After Hours Assistance
    • Religious Life
      • Presbyterian Traditions
      • AColyte
      • Worship & Bible Study
      • Many Spiritual Traditions
      • ACtivators
      • Religious Life Staff
    • Residence Life
      • Room Selection
      • Living on Campus 2020-2021
      • First-Year Experience
      • Student Staff
      • Important Dates for Residence Life
    • Student Life
      • Campus Activities
      • Clubs & Organizations
        • ACtivators
        • Esports
        • Recreational Sports
      • Documents & Links
      • Greek Life
        • Potential Members
        • Greek Life Forms
        • Greek Life Events
        • Greek Sponsors
        • Greek Council
        • Order of Omega
      • Student Life Staff
      • Student Life Publications
      • Student Publication
      • Transportation Opportunities
    • Student Assembly
      • Student Assembly Representatives
      • Student Development Fund
      • Resolution Database
    • Service Station
      • Board Profiles
      • Great Day of Service
      • JanServe
      • First We Serve
      • Austin College Tutoring (ACT)
      • Alternative Spring Break
      • Aramark Appreciation
      • Tostan
      • Thrift Store Drive
      • RooBound
      • Servant of the Year
    • Sexual Misconduct Policy
      • Notice of Non-Discrimination
      • Scope of This Policy
      • Defining and Recognizing Prohibited Conduct
      • Additional Provisions, Definitions, and Clarifications
      • Resolution Process
      • Title IX Training
    • Student Awards
    • Student Photo Gallery
  • Athletics
    • acroos.com
    • Legends
    • Athletics “A” Association
    • Support Athletics
  • Giving
    • Make a Gift
    • Annual Giving
    • Estate Planning
      • Request More Information
    • Donor Resources
    • Contact Us
Info For...
  • Alumni
  • Parents
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Library
  • Quick Links
Home » Staff Directory » Dr. George Diggs

Dr. George Diggs

Updated on: July 1, 2015

George Diggs

Professor of Biology/Co-Director, Public Health Program

Biology / Academic

Office:
IDEA Center 261
Mailbox:
61564
Phone:
903.813.2246

Education

B.S., M.A., College of William and Mary
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison

Endowed Chair:

The Donald MacGregor Chair in Natural Science

Faculty Bio:

I do research in three main areas and incorporate this research into my classes.  The first area is the relationship between evolution and human health, where I focus on exploring the mismatch between how our species evolved and lived for very long periods of time in contrast with how we are living today.  One of the most dramatic areas of this mismatch is between the diet humans evolved to eat and the diets eaten by most people today.  I teach courses exploring these topics, such as “Environmental and Evolutionary Health” and “Evolution and Human Health”, co-authored a related book, The Hunter-Gatherer Within: Health and The Natural Human Diet, and give public lectures emphasizing the importance of this mismatch for Public Health.

I also do research on, and have written articles and books on the plants of Texas and work in collaboration with colleagues at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas in Fort Worth.

My third area of research is on evolution in extreme environments including tropical rainforests, high mountain peaks, deserts, Antarctica, and the Arctic.  In my research I have traveled to all seven continents and have taken students on JanTerm classes and research trips to fifteen different countries.

Recent Courses:

  • Environmental and Evolutionary Health
  • Earth, Body, and Mind
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Life at the Edge: Extreme Evolution

Research Interests:

  • The relationship between how humans evolved & our health today
  • The natural human diet & health
  • Plant chemical defenses
  • The plants of Texas
  • Evolution in extreme environments
  • Communicating science

Links:

  • Personal Webpage
  • Public Health Webpage
  • On-line TEDX talk
  • On-line lecture on plant food toxins from Ancestral Health Symposium 2014
  • On-line lecture on More Consequences of Evolutionary Mismatch
  • On-line webinar on diet and health at It’s Time Texas
  • Podcast interview on teaching evolutionary health
  • On-line lecture on Plant Defense Chemicals: The Dark Side of Food Plants
  • Podcast interview on A Biological Perspective For Animal Product Consumption (Plant Defense Chemicals)

Selected Publications:

Books:

The Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas

Diggs, G. and B Lipscomb. 2014.
Ferns and Lycophytes of Texas.
BRIT Press, Bot. Misc. 38.

The Hunter-Gatherer Within

Brock, K. and G. Diggs. 2013.
The Hunter-Gatherer Within: Health and the Natural Human Diet.
BRIT Press, Bot. Misc. 39.

The Illustrated Flora of East TexasDiggs, G, B, Lipscomb, M. Reed, and R. O’Kennon. 2006.
Illustrated Flora of East Texas, Vol. 1
(Introduction, Ferns, Gymnosperms, Monocots).
Sida, Bot. Misc. 26.
The Illustrated Flora of North Central TexasDiggs, G, B. Lipscomb, and R. O’Kennon. 1999.
Shinners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas.
Sida, Bot. Misc. 16.

Articles:

Diggs, George M. Jr. 2019. Implications of Evolutionary Mismatch in the Field of Public Health. Journal of Evolution and Health 3(1), Article 2. View the online lecture.

Diggs, G.M., Jr. 2018. Public Health and Evolutionary Mismatch: The Tragedy of Unnecessary Suffering and Death. In press. Commentary to be published on-line for This View of Life (TVOL).

Diggs, G.M., Jr. 2017. Evolutionary Mismatch: Implications Far Beyond Diet and Exercise. Journal of Evolution and Health 2(1), Article 3.

O’Kennon, R. and G. Diggs. 2011. Llavea cordifolia (Pteridaceae): New for Texas and the United States. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 5:351–355.

Diggs, G.M., Jr. and R.J. O’Kennon. 2003. A rockhouse habitat in North Central Texas. Sida 20:1327–33.

Diggs, G. and P. Schulze. 2003. Soil-dependent fire frequency: A new hypothesis for the distribution of prairies and oak woodlands/savannas in North Central and East Texas. Sida 20:1139–1153.

Diggs, G. and B. Lipscomb. 2002. What is the writer of a flora to do: Evolutionary taxonomy or phylogenetic systematics? Sida 20:647–674.

Lipscomb, B. and G. Diggs, Jr. 1998. The use of animal-dispersed seeds and fruits in forensic botany. Sida 18:335–346.

Recent and Upcoming Lectures:

Plant Defense Chemicals: The Dark Side of Food Plants, Carnivore Conference, Boulder, CO, March 7, 2019

Implications of Evolutionary Mismatch in Public Health. Ancestral Health Symposium, Bozeman, MT, July 21, 2018

Ferns of Texas: Why the Lone Star State Is So Special. Texas Discovery Garden, Dallas, TX, July 14, 2018.

Trees of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and Grayson Co., TX. Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Second Saturday Nature Program, May 12 2018.

Climate Change: Perspectives for Naturalists, Backland Prairie Master Naturalists, October 7, 2017

The “Natural” Human Diet: Surprises for Health and Weight Loss, Blackland Prairie Master Naturalists, August 19, 2017

Native Plants and Climate Change, Collin County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, June 6, 2017

Texas Native Plants: What’s the Big Picture? Sherman Texas Earth Day Event, April 22, 2017

Real Food Diets for Lions, Zebras, Humans, and Beyond, TEDX event, Austin College, September 22, 2016

Faculty Extras:

I enjoy traveling, hiking, gardening, photography, and trying the world’s most unusual foods.

Filed Under: Staff Directory

GET IN TOUCH

903.813.2000
Austin College
900 N. Grand Ave.
Sherman, TX 75090

Contact Us

GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

GET LINKED

  • Human Resources
  • Campus Offices
  • Directory
  • Email
  • Sexual Misconduct
  • Campus Conduct Hotline

GET CONNECTED

Subscribe

Connect to AC

Request Information

Copyright © 2021 - All rights reserved | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Consumer Information | Site by thrive-logo