"How Vermont Passed the Nation's First Civil Union Bill," which led to the enactment of the nation's first law sanctioning same-sex unions, will be the topic of the University Forum lecture set for Feb. 22 at UNLV.

Susan M. Murray, a partner in the Vermont law firm of Langrock, Sperry and Wool, will present a detailed account of how a lawsuit challenging the state's denial of marriage certificates to same-sex couples led to the process of getting a civil union bill passed through the Vermont Legislature.

On Feb. 27, the University Forum lecture will feature a slide-illustrated presentation that will take the audience on "A Virtual Cruise of the Galapagos Islands." Shirley and David Emerson, professors emeritus from UNLV's departments of counseling and chemistry, will discuss the history of the volcanic islands that are located 400 miles west of Ecuador. They will explain how finding blue-footed birds, 600-pound tortoises, and penguins at the equator, along with many other endemic animals, helped Charles Darwin formulate his theories about natural selection when he visited the Galapagos Islands.

Both lectures are set for 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the UNLV Foundation. For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an E-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.