birth_place image_size fields workplaces birth_date known_for residence image article_title name alma_mater
nogales , sonora , mexico 280px religious studies iowa state university 08 october 1958 opposition religion and theism to the intelligent design movement , opposition to ames ia hectoravalos.jpg hector avalos
 hector avalos harvard university harvard divinity school university of arizona
hector avalos

hector avalos -lrb- born october 8 , 1958 -rrb- is a professor of religious studies at iowa state university and the author of several books about religion .
he is a former pentecostal preacher and child evangelist .
he has a doctor of philosophy in hebrew bible and near eastern studies from harvard university -lrb- 1991 -rrb- , a master of theological studies from harvard divinity school -lrb- 1985 -rrb- , and a bachelor of arts in anthropology from the university of arizona in 1982 .
avalos arrived at iowa state university in the fall of 1993 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship -lrb- 1991 -- 93 -rrb- in the departments of anthropology and religious studies at the university of north carolina at chapel hill .
in 1996 avalos was named `` professor of the year '' at iowa state university , where he was also named a `` master teacher '' for 2003 -- 04 .
other awards include `` the early achievement in research and creative activity award '' -lrb- college of liberal arts and sciences , 1996 -rrb- , and the `` outstanding professor award '' -lrb- college of liberal arts and sciences , 1996 -rrb- .
in 1994 , avalos founded and later became first director of the us latino/a studies program at iowa state university .
the program is dedicated to teaching courses about u.s. latinos , who are defined as people living in the u.s. who trace their roots to the spanish speaking countries of latin america .
avalos is an internationally recognized opponent of neo-creationism and the intelligent design movement , and is frequently linked to guillermo gonzalez , an astrophysicist and proponent of intelligent design who was denied tenure at iowa state university in 2007 .
avalos co-authored a statement against intelligent design in 2005 , which was eventually signed by over 130 faculty members at iowa state university .
that faculty statement became a model for other statements at the university of northern iowa and at the university of iowa .
gonzalez and avalos are both featured in the movie '' '' -lrb- 2008 -rrb- .
avalos is an atheist activist and advocate of secular humanist ethics .
