Gordon College, an evangelical liberal arts college in Massachusetts, is beginning a weeklong celebration to affirm its commitment to the sciences, all leading up to the dedication of the its new, environmentally friendly Ken Olsen Science Center. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 27, Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, will speak at a free public lecture titled "Genomics and the Human Condition." Other events that will explore the relationship between science and faith include art exhibits, performances of the play A Number (about cloning) and the comedic opera The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and panel discussions with scientists and scholars.
"It has been evident that Gordon strives to graduate students who feel at ease with science, economics, and the humanities while holding on to their faith," says Ken Olsen, the computer science pioneer who founded Digital Equipment Corporation and a member of the college's board of trustees.
"With the Ken Olsen Science Center, all of us ... are challenged to consider how a community of faith could contribute to a more robust future for the relationship between science and democracy," says Gordon Provost Mark Sargent. "Our hope is to forge greater understanding among those who might disagree, but at the same time to understand more fully how the rich heritage of Christian bioethical philosophy and thought can contribute to the public discourse." —Michele Calandra