John P. Slattery is a Senior Program Associate with AAAS DoSER, and co-manages the Science for Seminaries project. He earned a B.S. in computer science from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in religious studies from Saint Paul School of Theology, and an interdisciplinary PhD in the history and philosophy of science and systematic theology from the University of Notre Dame. John’s research focuses on interactions between Christianity and science, both historically and in modern times. He is especially interested in the intersections of liberation theology with the current conversations of science, technology, and theology. He has published two recent volumes: Faith and Science at Notre Dame: John Zahm, Evolution, and the Catholic Church (2019) and Christian Theology and the Modern Sciences (2020). You can also find his work in academic journals and online. Dr. Slattery has been featured in Commonweal Magazine, Religion Dispatches, and Daily Theology, and is also a Fellow at the Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology, and Law at Duquesne University.

Curtis L. Baxter III is a Senior Program Associate with AAAS DoSER, and co-manages the Science for Seminaries project. After finishing his BA in religious studies and a minor in biochemistry, Curtis earned a Master of Theological Studies degree from Wesley Theological Seminary. His focus while in seminary was ethics, historical and public theology. Curtis is passionate about all things at the nexus of faith and the public square. Previously, he worked with various organizations that facilitate constructive conversations between people of faith and their communities on important issues.

Katharine (Katy) Hinman is the Associate Program Director for AAAS DoSER. Originally from Decatur, Georgia, she earned a BA in biology from Carleton College, a PhD in ecology and evolution from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a MDiv from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her dissertation research focused on bat pollination of agave plants in southeastern Arizona. She was also the Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit that works with faith communities on environmental issues. Prior to joining DoSER, Dr. Hinman was the pastor at College Park First United Methodist Church in College Park, Georgia.

Jennifer J. Wiseman is the Director of AAAS DoSER. She is also an astrophysicist, studying the formation of stars and planetary systems using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes. Dr. Wiseman studied physics for her bachelor’s degree at MIT, discovering comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987. After earning her Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1995, she continued her research as a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and as a Hubble Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wiseman also has an interest in national science policy and has served as an American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow. She has worked with several major observatories and is currently a senior astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center.  She is also a public speaker and author, and enjoys giving talks on the inspiration of astronomy and scientific discovery to schools, youth and church groups, and civic organizations. She is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation and a former Councilor of the American Astronomical Society.

ABOUT SCIENCE FOR SEMINARIES PROGRAM

Since its inception in 2014, the Science for Seminaries project of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion Program (DoSER) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has brought cutting-edge science and scientists into graduate seminary courses throughout the US and Canada. The Science for Seminaries project offers grants to seminaries to incorporate modern, accurate scientific studies and results into at least two core seminary courses, and to hold at least one major event on campus during the 18-month grant period. By bringing forefront scientific engagement to theological education, Science for Seminaries prepares religious leaders to engage with forefront science through their journeys of faith and community leadership. Since the project began in 2014, Science for Seminaries has given grants to 42 seminaries, including 16 Evangelical Protestant seminaries, 15 Mainline Protestant seminaries, 10 Roman Catholic seminaries, and 1 Jewish seminary. Science for Seminaries has so far assisted in the integration of science into over 200 courses and 150 science-themed campus events, reaching over 175 faculty members and 5000 seminary students through coursework, and thousands more through campus events. Beyond individual courses, grants, and events, the Science for Seminaries project has created, nurtured, and supported a network of individuals focused on the questions addressed in this award. The staff of the DoSER program, supported by the larger organization of AAAS—the largest general scientific society in the world—has carefully recruited and collaborated with professors, scientists, and administrators who continue to seek to address the basic questions of meaning in their seminary studies. Specifically, the Science for Seminaries project has brought together individuals who want to ensure pedagogical and formational best practices by exposing future pastors to the key scientific discoveries that will drive future philosophical debates around knowledge, humanity, and ethics. Science, at its best, is a collaborative effort to uncover truth by individuals of all cultures, languages, and backgrounds. The Science for Seminaries project helps seminary professors, students, and administrators have access to the best and most accurate science not only through coursework and events, but also through the collaboration of like-minded colleagues and local scientists, as well as a new array of resources created by Science for Seminaries project leaders, the advisory committee, and the staff of the AAAS DoSER program.