The "Explore Evolution" exhibit — relatively uncontroversial when opening in Nebraska and Oklahoma earlier this semester — is now drawing debate as it opens at the University of Kansas this week.

Teresa MacDonald, director of education at KU's Natural History Museum, said the exhibit was not created or brought to the university because of the controversy.

"[The exhibit is] meant to profile how evolutionary biologists do their research and some of the current research going on in the field," MacDonald said. "[Work began] well before the sort of issue with the standards came up here."

Nonetheless, MacDonald said she hopes the increased attention and discussion will help bring more Kansans in to see the exhibit for themselves, mainly people who would not normally attend an exhibit at a natural history museum.

"I think it will help raise the profile of the exhibit. We've certainly had much more media coverage with this exhibit than we've had with other exhibits that we've opened," she said. "It's quite timely that it's happening at this time."

According to KU Director of Research Communications Kevin Boatright, Kansas' reputation as "anti-science" stems from the state's 10 publicly elected members comprising the Board of Education.

In 1999, the board declined to include evolution in its optional teaching standards for public schools in Kansas and decided schools need not be tested on the subject. The board has since changed its stance on the issue, but Boatright said anti-evolution viewpoints once again hold a majority.

"A new majority is in place, and they're revisiting the science standards," Boatright said. "It became clear in this whole process that the recommendations coming to them from a group of qualified scientists were not going to be just accepted in total."

MacDonald said all of the board members were invited to Tuesday's opening, and although not all of them came, there has been very little actual protest of the event.

"We feel there is no controversy because we teach science and science answers different questions than religion," she said. "The exhibit is just to talk about current research."

Board member Iris Van Meter said she did not attend the exhibit and added she feels the university has the privilege to host an evolution exhibit if that is what it wants to do.

"I have my own opinion on that, but I guess everybody does," Van Meter said. "If they choose to have this exhibit or whatever for evolution, then that's their privilege."