If you step outside on a warm summer evening and turn on your porch light, you may spot a tiny pink lizard clinging to the ceiling. With large eyes, translucent skin and the ability to cling to almost any surface, they seem almost alien in the Mississippi night.
“Those are Mediterranean house geckos,” said Travis Hagey, associate professor of biology at Mississippi University for Women. “They’re non-native. During the day you’ll never see them because they’re tucked into the cracks of your home. But from 9 p.m. on, you’ll see them.”
Hagey will present this year’s Hazard Lecture at Heritage Academy on Oct. 20. The 34th annual program, free and open to the public, will be at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Elementary auditorium at 623 Willowbrook Road. He’ll be joined by two of his biology students, senior Maddie Guerin and sophomore Kane Petty, for a presentation titled “What Geckos Teach Us.” The trio will bring live geckos and discuss the evolution, adaptations and surprising mechanics that make these lizards such successful climbers.
Hagey, who has been at MUW since 2018, studies the toe pads of geckos – tiny structures that allow them to stick to nearly any surface.
“I’m drawn to geckos because I want to know how the mechanics of their toe pads work,” he said. “It’s actually pretty simple mechanically but very, very microscopic. If we can understand how it works and try to recreate it, it’ll be super cool.”
When asked how his fascination began, Hagey laughed.
“I was that kid who knew all the dinosaur names,” he said. “I wanted to be a paleontologist, and I also really enjoyed Legos. When I got into undergrad, I wanted to study the genetics of adaptations because evolution is how nature works – it’s the engineering of biology. … My Ph.D. adviser later introduced me to geckos, and that was the perfect blend of engineering, Legos and evolution.”
The Hazard Lecture Series was established in 1992 by George Hazard Jr. and his sisters, Florence and Eulalie, to honor their father, George Hazard.
“Over the years we’ve had programs on three themes,” Hazard said. “Voyage from the Past, Voyage of the Artist and Voyage of the Mind. This year definitely takes us on the voyage of the mind as we hear how Dr. Hagey and his students began their journeys of scientific discovery.”
Sean Harrison, head of school at Heritage Academy, said the event continues to inspire curiosity among students and the community.
“We are excited to host the 34th annual Hazard Lecture Series,” he said. “We appreciate the Hazard family for providing opportunities to broaden horizons and knowledge bases. We look forward to learning ‘What Geckos Teach Us.’”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
