I have done a fair amount of work in the field of science and religion. This includes research as well as service in my community and the science education community. Below is a brief description of some things I’ve done, including other experiences I’ve had over the past few years.
Research/Writing
My primary research project since 2015 focused on the area of science and religion has focused on my preservice elementary school teachers. I continue to analyze and write about data my research partner, Mark, and I collected on this population. We gave participants a hypothetical scenario, asking them to define science and then challenging them to use their definition to justify the inclusion or exclusion of creationism, the view that God created everything, and intelligent design (ID), the view that some structures and systems are too complex to have evolved without the help of a supernatural creator, into the public schools’ science curriculum when teaching evolution. We also collected demographic data on their religious views. My other research partner, Armin, replicated this research in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
Service
One of the most important aspects of the last two years has been my participation in the Sinai and Synapses Fellowship. This fellowship includes 16 theologians, clergy, rabbi, scientists, engineers, writers, and educators, all committed to elevating the discourse surrounding science and religion. Our conversations throughout this first year led to multiple connections with experts in science and religion. During our second year, we have delved deeper into specific topics on science and religion, including how knowledge drives action and challenges strongly held beliefs. We have created products that can be shared with a wider audience addressing the interaction between science and religion.
My work in the community has been mostly focused on classes for either my church (The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter) or another local Episcopal Church (All Saints’ Episcopal Church). Currently my classes are geared towards the Episcopal Church. I hope to expand on this as I tighten my message so I can work with other parts of the community. I have also given several talks for different groups at my University.
Other Experiences
Here’s a list of other things I’ve done and written about the past few years: