Dr. Sylvia S. Mader has authored several nationally recognized biology texts published by McGraw Hill. Educated at Harvard University, Bryn Mawr College, Tufts University, and Nova Southeastern University, she holds degrees in both Education and Biology. Over the years she has taught at University of Massachusetts, Lowell; Suffolk University; Massachusetts Bay Community College; and Nathan Mayhew Seminars. Dr. Mader’s ability to reach out to science-shy students led to the writing of her first textbook, Inquiry into Life, that is now in its 13th edition. Highly acclaimed for her crisp and entertaining writing style, Dr. Mader’s books have become models for others who write in the field of biology. Although her writing schedule is always quite demanding, she enjoys taking time to explore and visit the various ecosystems of the biosphere. Her several trips to the Caribbean coral reefs and Florida Everglades resulted in talks she has given to different groups around the country. She has visited the tundra in Alaska, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the taiga in the Canadian Rockies, and tropical rain forests in Australia and South America. A photo safari to the Serengeti in Kenya resulted in a number of photographs for her texts. She was also a member of a group of biology educators who traveled to China to meet with their Chinese counterparts and exchange ideas about the teaching of modern-day biology. She was thrilled to think of walking in Darwin’s steps when she journeyed to the Galápagos Islands with a group of biology educators.