Scott Sampson may be best known as "Dr. Scott," the host and science adviser of the PBS KIDS series Dinosaur Train, however, he is also a sought-after science speaker, paleontologist, and president and CEO of Science World British Columbia. One of Sampson's passions is fostering a love of nature in today's youth. Sampson will speak about "How to Raise a Wild Child" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in Akin Auditorium at Midwestern State University.

Sampson's visit to Wichita Falls is a group effort, spurred by MSU Texas' College of Science and Mathematics. Marcy Brown Marsden, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, said that she wanted to host an event for the community that would center on science and nature, be interesting to the public, and that might engage community organizations as partners. River Bend Nature Center, the Whiteside Museum of Natural History in Seymour, and the West College of Education all participated in bringing Sampson to Wichita Falls.

"Dr. Sampson's work as a science communicator and a paleontologist is well-known so he was a great choice for us to accomplish these broader goals," Brown Marsden said. "Children will be familiar with Dr. Scott from Dinosaur Train, and adults will enjoy his insight on raising children to be engaged in nature in our increasingly electronic world."

Dinosaur Train is an Emmy-nominated series produced by the Jim Henson Company. Sampson also has published numerous scientific and popular articles and been featured in more than a dozen documentaries, including Nova, Paleoworld, and Nature Kids. He regularly speaks to audiences of all ages on a range of topics and is considered a "go-to" science expert for media interviews.

"It is very meaningful to have someone like Dr. Sampson visit, and it will help bring together the different organizations serving Wichita Falls and the surrounding region as educators, scientists, and partners for nature," Brown Marsden said.

Sampson is author of Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life and How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature.