Track Leaders

Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astronomer, author, and speaker. She has studied star-forming regions of our galaxy using radio, optical, and infrared telescopes, and currently serves as Chief of the Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She studied physics at MIT, discovering comet Wiseman-Skiff in 1987. After earning her Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard 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 a Congressional Science Fellow on Capitol Hill. She also served as the Program Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope at NASA Headquarters. Dr. Wiseman is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, an adult Sunday school teacher, and a lay speaker at her church. She has authored several essays addressing the relationship of astronomy and Christian faith. She grew up on an Arkansas farm enjoying late night stargazing walks with her parents and pets.

Dr. Dwight Schwartz joined the staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in 2003 after completing doctoral studies in Chemical Physics (UIUC, 1997), and postdoctoral research, teaching, and IT support at Montana State University—Bozeman. As a campus staff member with InterVarsity’s Graduate & Faculty Ministries in the Baltimore area, he enjoys engaging graduate students and faculty members across the spectrum of academic disciplines in matters of importance to academics and the Christian faith. He maintains an active interest in science, computers, and other information technologies. He and his wife, Maria, have been married fifteen years. In addition to working full-time outside their home, Maria also serves under InterVarsity’s GFM as a volunteer. Dwight is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, and the American Scientific Affiliation.

Program Summary

Scientific discovery and technical innovation are changing and engaging our society at a pace never before known. On the scale of the universe, we have now detected whispers from the very dawn of time. In our own galaxy, we are beginning to detect other solar systems that may well be like our own. On the opposite scale, nanotechnology is enabling information transfer faster than ever imagined, and biological achievements raise questions about the very nature of life and the benefits and qualms we face in altering it. Nearly every issue facing the world today demonstrates the need for wise application of scientific and mathematical knowledge. How does a Christ-centered worldview engage and embrace our accelerated discoveries, capabilities, and understanding?

This track will address the excitement of scientific and mathematical achievement, the interesting questions and dilemmas posed by current scientific endeavors, and the Christian perspective on leading and participating in study and engagement with the natural world. We will work to understand the problems in these disciplines that hinder human flourishing and to propose solutions to these problems, considering how the natural sciences and mathematics can help humans to engage the natural world and to flourish within it.

We will look at forefront discoveries in several realms of science and technology, and we will discuss how God’s call upon our lives can guide our choices of research focus and the way we engage a career in mathematics or science as a channel of service at both global and personal levels. We will consider non-traditional roles of service as well, such as opportunities to apply scientific wisdom in public policy settings. We will consider also the daily personal challenges of a scientific or mathematical career path, including discouragement in research progress, dynamics of the research group and classroom, science engagement in the church, discernment of calling, and experiencing God’s help in our daily work.

Come join others in the natural sciences and mathematics as we explore these issues of both personal flourishing and the promotion of greater flourishing of humanity and the natural world through our disciplines.

Track Presenters

Jim Bradley