Photography Alum and National Academy Director Publishes New Book

A Lion Alum recently published a book examining the dynamic relationship between contemporary art and scientific inquiry.

JD Talasek is a 1992 graduate of East Texas State University (now East Texas A&M University), earning a bachelor's degree in Photography. Talasek's latest book, “Integrative Contemporary Art and Science Practices: Building Catalytic Structures,” was co-edited with Barbara Stauffer and published by Routledge. It is designed for researchers, educators, artists and scientists to explore the motivation behind practices that embed science within contemporary art and art-based scientific research. It features contributions from distinguished scholars and practitioners—including William L. Fox, Hannah Star Rogers, Joann Kuchera-Morin, Ellen Levy, Mel Chin, Brandon and Aurore Ballengée and Jill Scott.

Talasek is the director of cultural programs at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, D.C., and serves as the editor-in-chief of Leonardo, an internationally renowned peer-reviewed journal published by MIT Press. He is the creator and moderator for the monthly DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER) held at the NAS, a series that he has hosted for over 13 years. Additionally, Talasek is the art advisor for Issues in Science and Technology magazine, co-published by Arizona State University and the National Academies. 

His previous roles included serving on the Contemporary Art and Science Committee at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University.

Learn more and purchase a copy of the book at the Routledge website.

Featured Photo: Alum JD Talasek recently published his latest work: “Integrative Contemporary Art and Science Practices: Building Catalytic Structures” | Photo courtesy of JD Talasek