Jennifer Wiseman to give the 2009-10 Pascal Lectures
We are pleased to announce that the 2009-10 Pascal Lectures on Christianity and the University will be given by Jennifer Wiseman.
Biography of Jennifer Wiseman
Professor Jennifer Wiseman is an astronomer, author, and speaker. She studies 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 PhD 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. Professor Wiseman also has an interest in U.S. 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. Professor Wiseman 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.
2010 schedule of events:
Public lecture:
- Universe of Wonder, Universe of Mystery
The incredible tools of modern astronomy are revealing a universe of staggering beauty and baffling mysteries. Do our discoveries reflect the nature of a Cosmic Creator? video (flash version of the video, wmv version of the video).
Public lecture:
- Is There Another Earth?
A conversation with NASA scientist Professor Jennifer Wiseman video (flash version of the video, wmv verision of the video).
Public lecture:
- Finding Other Worlds: A Reflection on Human Significance
Astronomers are suddenly finding hundreds of extrasolar planets, and the search for life beyond Earth is well underway. Will finding life elsewhere shake our view of human existence, and our perception of God? video (flash version of the video, wmv version of the video).