It's Nobel Prize week, but since those announcements are in the future for me, I'd like to go back a month to the 2024 IgNobel prizes. While they might seem at first glance like the Razzies for science, the IgNobel awards are more celebratory and seek to spotlight science which is rigorous but not quite as prestigious in its applications or aspirations. And yes, sometimes there is a bit of a scatological bent, but even our baser bodily functions need to be understood with clarity. The prize that stood out to me was less … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Suddenly See More
Joining the Journey
How are you each doing on this scholar’s journey? How are your hearts, minds, souls, and bodies? How are your communities? Where are you heading? While walking parts of this journey over the years myself and alongside others, I know how lonely and overwhelming it can be when it doesn’t seem as if your department or committee is truly hearing you, and your family and friends don’t understand why you’re even on this path. I also know the joy of breakthroughs as new ideas form and come to life through reading, … [Read more...] about Joining the Journey
Science Corner: Was Canceling The Acolyte a Mistake?
Ever get hit with the realization that you should have asked for help three mistakes ago? One incident from when I was a science apprentice continues to haunt me. I was an undergrad working in a cell biology lab. Among my regular tasks were two that involved different kinds of cuvettes--small rectangular tubes. One was used to assess bacterial growth; you put a sample of bacteria in liquid culture in the cuvette and measured how much light was blocked by the bacteria. That one was clear; the other cuvette had metal … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Was Canceling The Acolyte a Mistake?
Becoming People of the Third Way
This article first appeared in Campus Calling, InterVarsity's Faculty Ministry monthly newsletter and is reposted here by permission. This represents my parting thoughts and hopes as outgoing ESN Director for Christian presence in academia. I suspect I’m not alone in feeling left out of many of the discussions going on in our various public squares—political or academic. Often, it seems only two options are on offer, neither of which I can fully embrace. And it feels like the embrace of the one is to join a “side” … [Read more...] about Becoming People of the Third Way
Passing the Baton at the Emerging Scholars Network
It has been a profound privilege to lead the Emerging Scholars Network over the past five years, and in particular, through the COVID pandemic. We launched ESN Conversations which now has over sixty recorded conversations on our YouTube channel. We addressed issues of racism, anti-Asian hate and published the first article on Critical Race Theory within InterVarsity. And we began an online post-doc group, with the help of Washington University post-doc/now faculty member, Ben Wormleighton. I was very pleased to work … [Read more...] about Passing the Baton at the Emerging Scholars Network