Diamond's presentation, titled "Gender & Sexual Orientation: Biology? Social Influence? Free Choice? What the Latest Research Has Found," will take place at 7 p.m. in the Whitsett Room, room 451, of Sierra Hall on the west side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.

The series is named for psychology professor Richard W. Smith, who retired in 2003. Smith, a two-time Distinguished Faculty Award winner and CSUN's 1991-92 Professor of the Year, established the Richard W. Smith Endowment for Cultural Studies, which includes the lecture series, in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences as a way of encouraging students to think like cultural psychologists "from the perspectives of other peoples, other cultures."

Diamond is a professor of anatomy, biochemistry and physiology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. Primarily a sex educator and researcher, he has had a long career in the study of human sexuality.

Diamond has been at the University of Hawaii since 1967. He currently directs the John A. Burns School of Medicine's Pacific Center for Sex and Society, and is known for his research on the origins and development of sexual identity.

He has been the president of the Society for the Study of Sexuality and the International Academy of Sex Research.

He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers and seven books, and was the creator and host of the acclaimed 30-part American television series, "Human Sexuality."

Diamond also is known for exposing the later life of David Reimer, a boy raised as a girl. This case, which Diamond named "John/Joan" to protect Reimer's privacy, has become one of the most cited cases in the literature of psychiatry, psychology, women's studies, child development and biology of gender.

While the Smith ecture is free and open to the public, parking on campus is $5. Parking permits are available at theinformationbooth at Prairie Street and Darby Avenue.

For more information about the Smith lecture, call 818-677-4777.