Bill Nye "The Science Guy" will be coming to Cornell University March 9-15 as a Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 Professor. During his stay, Nye will give a free public lecture, "Those are the Breaks, from Engineering to Entertainment," Wednesday, March 13, 7:30pm, at Statler Auditorium on campus.

He will show pictures from his early days in comedy and video. Free tickets will be distributed starting Thursday, March 7th (limit 2 per person) at Noyes Center Service Desk, Robert Purcell Service Desk, Willard Straight Hall Ticket Office and at Ithaca Sciencenter.

Nye, who will be a Rhodes Class of '56 Professor until 2004, is a 1977 graduate of Cornell's Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is best known for his weekly, half-hour, Emmy Award-winning show, "Bill Nye, The Science Guy," which aired on PBS from 1992 to 1998 and currently is being rerun on the Disney Channel.

Recently, Nye has been working on a new book, Bill Nye the Science Guy's Dinosaur Dig, and serving as a consultant with the environmental vehicle division of General Motors.

Nye also will give a talk on March 11 to an invited audience of K-12 educators, "Science Education through the Eyes of Bill Nye," organized by the Cornell Center for Materials Research. He also will be giving presentations in several undergraduate classes, including astronomy, mechanical and aerospace engineering, and design and environmental analysis. He will meet with the developmental planning team of the National Science Digital Library and with engineering students in the Peer Educators group of the Student Success Center. Nye also will meet with students working on various robot and other mechanical design projects, and meet with Whistling Shrimp, the student improv troupe.

The Rhodes Class of '56 professorships are awarded for a period of one to five years, and appointees are considered full members of the Cornell faculty. The Rhodes professorship program is overseen by the Cornell A.D. White Professors-at-Large Program.