Richard Dawkins (born 26 March 1941 in Nairobi, Kenya, to British parents) is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, ethologist, science communicator, and author. He gained international prominence with his 1976 book 'The Selfish Gene,' which popularized the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the concept of the 'meme.' Dawkins became a leading figure in New Atheism, advocating for scientific rationalism and criticizing religious belief through works like 'The God Delusion' (2006). He spent much of his childhood in England after his family returned from colonial service in Africa. As an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, Dawkins held the inaugural Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science from 1995 to 2008, during which he focused on making complex scientific ideas accessible to the public. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2005 Shakespeare Prize and the 2006 Lewis Thomas Prize, for his eloquent contributions to science communication. Dawkins's academic career began with studies at Balliol College, Oxford, where he earned his degrees in zoology under the supervision of Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen. After completing his doctorate in 1966, he assisted Tinbergen and later served as an assistant professor of zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1967 to 1969. Returning to Oxford, he taught zoology until his retirement in 2008. Dawkins has authored over a dozen books, produced documentaries, and founded the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science to promote secularism and scientific inquiry. He serves on the advisory board of the University of Austin and remains an influential voice in debates on evolution, atheism, and education, often engaging in public controversies over science and religion.