Francisco J. Ayala, formerly Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, was an evolutionary geneticist and molecular biologist who vigorously opposed the entanglement of science and religion while also calling for mutual respect between the two.
Ayala equated efforts to block religious intrusions into science with “the survival of rationality in this country.” He was a major voice on the ethical issues related to the study of human evolution and a frequent spokesperson in the debate between evolution and creationism.
